100 Barrel Series #24 - Glacier Harvest ’08 Wet Hop Beer
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

100 Barrel Series #24 - Glacier Harvest ’08 Wet Hop Beer100 Barrel Series #24 - Glacier Harvest ’08 Wet Hop Beer
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From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 10.93%
Reviews:
48
Ratings:
53
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 16, 2014
Added:
Sep 15, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
For the 24th session of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, we’re celebrating this year’s hop harvest with Glacier Harvest Wet Hop beer, a pale ale made with fresh Glacier hops.

Wet hop beers are brewed using fresh, “wet” hops instead of traditional dried hops—hops contain about 60% moisture when they are first picked. Typically, when hops are picked they are quickly dried and refrigerated to increase shelf life and make them more consistent for brewing. Freshly picked wet hops, however, need to be used within hours of harvest or they will begin to degrade rapidly. Wet hops retain more of their natural aroma and volatile flavors that dissipate when dried. This gives wet hop beers a fresher hop flavor and aroma than that of beers hopped with processed hops. This yields an immersed, intense hop flavor in the beer.
Harpoon brewer Ray Dobens, creator of the beer, added a heroic dose of fresh hops the day of the harvest. The result is a copper-colored ale with a pleasing blend of fresh hop flavor and sweet malt.

38 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Oct 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ms11781 from Massachusetts

Jul 01, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jongullotti from Massachusetts

Feb 19, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by rab53 from Washington

Dec 03, 2011
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes.

Served in a tulip glass. Pours a rusty brown color with a single-finger white head and a little bit of lacing on the way down. The nose is nice and hoppy with a bit of greenness as well as some floral notes. The taste is a bit more subdued with some light floral and earth notes plus caramel. Slight bitterness in the feel and finish. Drinks quite well and was a nice quaffable wet-hop brew.
Nov 13, 2010
Photo of Bierguy5
Reviewed by Bierguy5 from Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle, 6.7% abv, 36 ibu. Pours a clear copper color with a thick white, fluffy head. Pretty nice head retention. A few patches of lace left coating the glass.

Deep citrus and stonefruit nose comes to mind first. Caramel malt, although not heavy on it. A bit earthy and floral towards the end.

Some caramel malt, on the light to medium side with a soft bready undertone. Hops are more herbal and tea-like. A bit oily. Good amount of bitterness, but well balanced overall. Bitterness lingers but it is fairly soft.

Medium body with ample carbonation. Alcohol well hidden. This was a bit different from other wet hop beers. Enjoyable, and a bit unique.
Nov 05, 2009
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: orange in color with a short 1/2" head. Some moderate lacing develops.

Smell: light floral hop bitterness is pleasant but one dimensional.

Taste: bready malt profile with some caramel, ripe plums, oranges, and a nice biting bitterness that is not overwhelming.

Mouthfeel: crisp throughout. Aftertaste is long as the flavors linger in the mouth.

Drinkability: a nicely drinkable beer but is a bit mild compared to some other harvest wet hop ales.
Oct 09, 2009
Photo of bjoyce12
Reviewed by bjoyce12 from Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
First word that came to my mind upon tasting Harpoon's GH was "heavy". A heavy taste that is weighed down by the very noticeable 6.6% ABV. The light body of this APA can't carry off the ABV without the lingering alcohol aftertaste. Admirable effort from Harpoon, but I stick with their IPA. When they venture too far away from their core brew, taste tends to get muddled.
Sep 25, 2009
Photo of LittleDon
Reviewed by LittleDon from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Clear amber with a white head that fades to a film. Some lacing is present. Faint aroma of floral hopping, but nothing much else. Don't know why, but I get bananas in the front, as if it were a Belgian IPA. Subdued hopping and hint of sweetness from the malt. Some bite from the carbonation and mild bitter finish.
Sep 25, 2009
Photo of Gambrinus1184
Reviewed by Gambrinus1184 from Connecticut

3.77/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22-ounce bomber into a new SA pint glass.

A: Poured a light copper orange color with a chilled haze and a bunch of lazy carbonation floating beneath a thin layer of white foam. Lacing is almost non existent, but leaves a bit of sloshy residue.

S: Smells faintly floral and piny, with a sweet aroma backed with some light ethyl alcohol.

T:Taste is lightly sweetened toasted caramel malt at first with a pleasant bittering effect from lush, citrusy hops. The flavor gives way a little quicker than desired, however, and finishes with a little resin.

M: Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied and rather refreshing considering the fresh wet hops.

D: Not bad at all. A better APA than Harpoon has put out in the past and the fresh wet hops really bring any APA to life. Has a decent flavor and no off flavors to speak of. Fresh hops lend a nice aroma and semisweet bitterness to this brew.
Jul 06, 2009
Photo of dananabanana
Reviewed by dananabanana from Massachusetts

3.72/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: Rust-orange. Slightly cloudy. A thin head of beige foam.

S: Smells great from even across the room, well-balanced and fresh. Up close, it has both sweet malt and floral hops scents.

T: Hoppy, but not overly bitter. Bright on the tip of the tongue. A bit of caramel sweetness. Hoppier at the back of the mouth. Has a sort of bite that reminds me of an aged meat or cheddar.

M: Carbonation is a bit too strong, I think it blocks some of the flavor.

D: Good for one, not a session. Pair with an aged or rich food.
Jun 19, 2009
Photo of ClockworkOrange
Reviewed by ClockworkOrange from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A 22 ounce foil topped bomber bottle split with psycohops. Poured into matching shaker glasses, the ale appears a clear rich copper color with about an inch of creamy off white foam. The foam settles down to a thin layer within a few minutes. nose and flavor consist of sweet malt, floral grassy hops, a touch of lemon, mint and pine, biscuits, caramel. Crisp and slightly fruity. A few notches better than medium in body and amply carbonated. Good stuff.
May 27, 2009
Photo of GratefulBeerGuy
Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire

3.87/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This review somehow got lost in the mix. This is actually my 750th review, and spot-on my 3rd year as a BA, this being 5/20/09/

22 oz bottle> 16 0z. dimpled mug.

Perfectly clear, deep amber color, sporadic, quick bubbles creating this off-white and dense, pillowy head with moderate retention and mild sticky lacing.

you can really smell the fruity hops as soon as you pop the cap!
Strawberries and cream, raspberry pop tarts, lemmon zest, earthy herbalness wayyy down deep and some orange peel. big aroma at first mellows later on.

The flavor is bursting with fruity hop goodness! The aroma is filled with deep, tropical-like fruits in the hops and flavor is much more herbal and earthy. Citric fruits, tart and sweet dominate the nose with a bigger hop compelxity taking over here. Spicey, herbal and earthy notes ride along side some bitterness, leafy with a bite. The malt delivers a nice balance with crispy medium bodied feel, smooth in the back. The complexity and hop charecter is unique and the yeast adds even further depth.

A mighty fine brew here folks.
May 20, 2009
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz foil topped bomber into a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper with several fingers of poofy, slightly off-white head. Near finger of retention, including a big creamy dollop, right in the middle of the glass. This leaves back huge swathes of foamy lacing. The aroma suprisingly still smells pretty darn fresh, despite there being a bit of age on the bottle. The floral, earthy, and spicy nature of the Glacier hops take center stage but I'm also enjoying the nice underlying tang of citrus, bread, and caramel that sticks under the hops.

The taste is similar but maybe a bit more mellow, with an earthy and spicy hop profile that is nicely balanced by a deeply tangy backbone of citric fruits, toasted malts, and sticky caramel sweetness. Bitterness lingers for a good bit with a dry and spicy feel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with an extremely soft and creamy carbonation that possesses a slick undercurrent of oily hop resins as well. Needless to say, this moves nicely across the palate.

Solid stuff here that seemed pretty much on point with the previous '07 release in the series. Good Wet Hop beer that nicely shows off the hop varietal involved.
Mar 11, 2009
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Orange amber with a short lived head of bright white. Average lacing.
S: Mint. Pine. Floral. Soft citrus. Light caramel. Touch of yeasty fruitiness, mainly apple.
T: Follows the aroma but with a touch of chlorophyll. There's some solid middle bitterness but it's not overdone. Unfortunately, the wet hops add an edge of chlorophyll, and it comes out almost lacking in hop flavor ? in the finish. A few more fruity notes slip in as well (apricot), and the caramel side from the malt is present but only-just-supportive.
M: Medium bodied. Median carbonation.
D: Fairly drinkable despite its grassy/chlorophyll character. Not great, but not bad. More malt might have helped but that's a Monday morning quarterback call - it could also have masked the hop flavors. An interesting beer at least. Probably worth trying just to check out the hops.
Feb 04, 2009
Photo of HopDerek
Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a clear bright golden amber color with 2 fingers of frothy eggshell colored head. Good retention and some nice lacing stick. Smells of floral and spicy hops, tea leafs, grass, caramel, and lemon. Tastes of tea, lemon, caramel, a touch of bread dough, and a dry grassy finish. Medium to medium-light in body with good carbonation. Smooth and fruity with some herbal bitterness but it could be a little hoppier. Still, a fairly drinkable pale ale with a nice twist.
Jan 16, 2009
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Again a night of harpoon tastings. I went deep tonight, three bombers high with release #23,24, and 25 in order. Here we go with the middle of the road. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 12/10/2008.

The pour was very, very nice. Rich dark amber in color with a good amount of clarity and a nice steady stream of carbonation throughout. Rich white head of three inches came up over the top and settled down with a relative ease, all the while rich lacing was abound.

The aroma was lighter then I would have hoped for but still very wel received. Big notes of wet hops, pine with hints of resin like nature underneath and a touch of bisuity malts. All pretty much the same on the flavor here. Not as strong as last years for me, did not have that big punch of sloppy, wet, hops that I would have wanted to see here. Still though, an awesome pale ale. Rich flavor with a smooth feel and a nice sessionablitly.

Overall very solid, I liked last years better, but still a good harvest ale. Needs to be a bit more hop heavy next year.
Dec 11, 2008
Photo of Nipitato
Reviewed by Nipitato from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased a bottle at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.

A: Clear copper hue. Thin off white head. Good retention and good clarity.

S: Floral, primarily but also earthy hops. Some metallic notes. A good caramel malt base.

T: A nice mild bitterness follows throughout. Hop flavor is quite mild, floral with a touch of earthiness. Some metallic flavors. Malt provides some good balance but it is pretty uncharacteristic.

MF: Medium full mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation. Smooth. Just a touch dry at the end. Bitterness lingers.

D, notes: A pretty good session beer but I'm not sure what makes this more than a better than average APA. I will say that the bitterness is done very well.
Dec 04, 2008
Photo of gameface23
Reviewed by gameface23 from Massachusetts

2.23/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Crystal clear orange color with an uninspiring head. Smell of sweet malts and very slight acrid hops. Mouthfeel was similar to a macro lager: very fizzy and thin. I bought this on a whim, which is something I usually never do (I usually buy beers that I've researched). I will most likely never purchase this again.
Dec 02, 2008
100 Barrel Series #24 - Glacier Harvest ’08 Wet Hop Beer from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 53 ratings