Harpoon Leviathan - Imperial Red Ale - Harpoon Brewery

malthegal

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Very clear amber body. Rich, foamy, white head. Beautiful lacing left on glass!

S - Citrus hints, definitely strong hop aroma.

T - Strong hop character very delicately balanced with a slight caramel undertone.

M - Moderately carbonated, very smooth.

D - Very drinkable for it's ABV and style.

Serving type: growler

06-07-2010 00:03:09 | More by malthegal

david18

New York

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This might be my favorite of the Leviathan beers many of which are a strange combination of strength and style. This one works and I can't wait to go back to the Amsterdam Ale House and get another. Very deep red color with good hop aroma and bitterness. Darkish head, not too intense on the alcohol flavor. Overall very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2010 17:26:34 | More by david18

ZimZamZoom

West Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Nice clear amber to brownish colored beer, with a crazy thick tan head that fades slow and laces up nicely.

Aroma is of harsh and bitter hops, citrus in nature but not bright and flowery. A more earthy musty hop aroma, balanced nicely with some caramel sweetness. I also get a little bit of roasted malt in the aroma. Taste is big with hops, bitter citrus and earthy. Some malt balance here as well, but it gets a bit dominated by the hops and then the alcohol. This baby is warm.

After a big bitter hop bite in the finish, the bitterness fades and the taste and warmth of alcohol is left. In the end it is not entirely pleasant...my mouth feels like a just did a shot of vodka or rubbing alcohol or something.

Big in body, with a decent mouthfeel. Not too much in the carbonation department, just enough to feel tingly. It's a sipper for sure, especially given the burning aftereffects.

I like almost almost everything about this beer, but just think it's too hot. Would like it much better at 7.5% or so. Gonna sit on the rest of this four-pack for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 00:04:00 | More by ZimZamZoom

runner72

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

serving type: 12 oz bottle

Pours a clear with a 2 finger head. Head color is very light brown/white. Color of beer is copper with a redish hue. Lots of carbonation. Aroma is initially floral followed by phenolic. You can tell the ABV is high from the aroma. Chewy, malty feel in the mouth with lots of carbonation. Taste is good with a smooth, malty taste followed by hop bitterness. Drinkability is good for something 9.2% ABV. Overally, pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 23:16:29 | More by runner72

joeland

Vermont

2.7/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

appearance- a very inviting amber color with a off white creamy looking head

Smell- Has a very flora smell to it it hits you big time at first sip.

Taste- it has a decent taste, but leaves a bitter dry taste in my mouth.

mouthfeel- it has a easy going mouthfeel no thick at all.

drinkability- the after taste leaves me set with having just one and keeps me wanting water.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 16:39:28 | More by joeland

jmarvin4189

Vermont

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Poured into a glass cup, a real deep amber red color with a creamy off white head that makes this beer look exceptional.

Smell - I think it smells like flowers, and first sip just engalfs your nostrils with flowers.

Taste - the flower smell reflects on the taste but once you move the glass away it becomes a little bitter and leaves a bitter after taste; it makes me want to take a sip of water. Don't even taste the 9.2% abv

mouthfeel - feels good

drinkability - "dangerously easy" with the 9.2% abv

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 16:18:50 | More by jmarvin4189

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clear, deep, burnt orange colour with a dense, light beige cap. Good head retention, lots of clumpy, sticky lace. Big caramel and hop aromas, toasted malt, citrus, grapefruit, quite fruity, a bit powdery. Balanced flavour, bitterness was strong but didn't overwhelm a solid caramel backbone. Citrusy hops (oranges and grassy) carried over mid-palate, leading to a bit of spicy alcohol and toffee towards the end and a long, bitter finish. Nice grapefruit pith character. Creamy carbonation, light warmth, full bodied, good texture all around. Quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 01:00:31 | More by DrJay

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a crystal clear amber red color with a two finger white, creamy head. Carbonation is very minimal.

S - The aroma is very different for a red ale as it rests more in the IPA territory as opposed to a traditional red ale. Sweet malt is definitely there and the nose is greeted with a nice orange, grapefruit citrus, and pine aroma. The hops have an astriongent presence and there is an grassy/earthy presence in the nose.

T - Holy wow! The massive hop presence reminds me very much of the Leviathan Imperial IPA, only an Imperial Red version, definitely an atypical red ale...I'm liking this. Has some sweet toasted caramel malt up front that hit the sides of the tongue with an incredulous amount of hop bitterness slamming the middle of the tongue like a freight train and stays for the duration. The hop bitterness is dominating and intensely bitter grapefruit with some pine. The beer finishes pretty dry and leaves a very minimal malt coating in the mouth at the very end and a ton of lingering grapefruit. There's also a moderate amount of warmth as it goes down due to the ABV. As the beer warms up, the malt presence becomes more evident.

M - Has a small amount of creamy feeling and a moderate amount of carbonation prickliness. Body is Medium to Medium Heavy.

D - Very good.

I was never much of a red ale type but this one is fine tuned for hop heads and I'm really enjoying this. Picked up a four pack yesterday and after the first bottle, I'm ready to go back for a case of this stuff. I can't imagine this being a beer that will do very well the longer it sits. I can definitely see this one as something to be consumed sooner rather than later to fully enjoy the hop intensity before it starts to peak and then subside. I love the entire Leviathan Series from Harpoon and like the others, this one delivers. An Imperial Red with an attitude...very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 03:14:41 | More by jzeilinger

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

In a pint glass this beer was an amber color with a small tan head and a small amount of lace. I couldn't get much aroma, just a little sweet malt. Taste improved slightly. Fruity, hops, and alcohol. In fact, it was fairly hot and harsh. I'll finish the 4pack and be done with it.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 00:05:51 | More by lordofthewiens

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dark red color with a thin head

Smell: Slight hop smell

Taste: Slight hoppy taste not overbearing

Mouthfeel: Nice smooth beer malty with the tinge of hops

Drinkability: This is a good beer tasting and I could easily have more than one

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 03:27:10 | More by ejimhof

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I appreciated the opportunity to share this with tenderbranson69, poured chilled from the 12oz into a tulip.

A - deep sunset shade of red w/ 2 fingers of light tan that cap and retain. The cream sticks well to the glass as lace and the bead is of average size

S - A slight piney smell w/ mild fruit scent and subtle grassy notes from the hops. the yeast has a pleasant ester and there is very light alcohol in the aroma, but it is mostly covered by the bountiful hop nose

M - The feel has a strong bitter presence w/ sharp and spicy tinged texture slightly resinous w/ a moderate level of carbonation. The acidity is pretty forward and continues to linger into the finish

T - I enjoy the taste of orange and mildly grassy hop flavor w/ a light ruby red grapefruit bitterness in the initial taste. The hops come forward immediately and seem juicy and fresh w/ a strong pine bitterness.The malt is present but subtle in comparison w/ mild toasted grain and sweet caramel w/ a light alcohol bite in the finish

D - I give props to Harpoon for this since it doesn't seem like 9.2%, but it is a bit strong for more than a bottle or 2 in a sitting and it is bitter to the point were it is almost less enjoyable since it is out of balance for an imperial red IMO.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 16:46:07 | More by Slatetank

BMoney575

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled on 5-9-10
Bottled on 2-12-10

Pours a slightly cloudy red/amber color, with a thin white head that clings nicely in a jagged layer.

Smell is great piney hops with a nice malty edge. Very light and well balanced. Quite enjoyable.

Taste is strong fruity and pine resin hops, with just enough malt to add a great earthy quality. The bitterness comes in strongly at the end, leaving a citrus aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is syrupy with tart carbonation, adding to the hop kick.

Drinkability is very good, the malt does a good job of keeping the hops in check.

Overall, one of the better imperial reds I've had, and definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 20:29:29 | More by BMoney575

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A crazy, bubbly amber color looks like red candy with a light, off-white head. Struggles to hang on.

Wild strawberry and vanilla sweetness on the nose at first, dry-wheat and dry earth, pine tree sap hoppy edge, pineapple and caramel, big fruity hop complexity with dank and tangy berries, huge, candy-sweet malt.

The flavor starts off with big bitter pineapple, earth, grapefruit tart and tangy bite with a slaty aftertaste before the candy-sweet malt adds a bit of balance. It's a massive attack of hops. Earthy, bitter, tangy fruits with a malt that seems to go sweet and fruity as well. Zesty feel, with a slick malty middle finishing zippy, dry and slightly hot as it mixes with bitter hops.

Sip, and enjoy hopheads!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 15:37:13 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

irishking1977

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Amber/copper tone with a one finger head that sticks around for a bit leaving little lacing. Woah, I can detect hops in the aroma of the beer without sticking my nose anywhere near the glass.

S: Yep, massive hops attack my olfactory senses. I wasn't expecting this one to be a really hoppy brew, but here we go. I had the Harpoon Leviathan DIPA, and that was a hop attack of epic proportions; I really enjoyed that one.

T: Pungent hops, massive pine and citrus with a less than moderate malt background. Hops linger on the palate for practically an eternity; this one needs a bit better balance of hops to malt. Still, pretty good; I like it.

M: Somewhat chewy and oily; massive hops presence contributes to that. The hops just cling to the palate after each sip, and do not want to disperse. I like my hoppy beers, but over hopped beers aren't number one in my book, especially if the hopped beer lacks balance, as this one does a bit.

D: Because of the intense hops and high ABV, this one is a sipper. I might be able to have two of these before my palate begs for mercy. I'm not quite sure this fits the style of a red/amber ale, other than it's complexion; this simply reminds me of an IPA or DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 01:14:58 | More by irishking1977

JamesS

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very nice deep red (near burgandy) color with some excellent head and lacing. Nice deep malty scent, with a nice cherry undertone. Great malt flavor, a wonderful mixture of grains that produced a fantastic semi-deep, sweet malty taste. Went down quite well, if a bit thick (not surprised at 9.2!).

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 19:48:16 | More by JamesS

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appears a slightly hazed ruby copper hue with a large kahki head forms thick intricate fine spread lacing around the sides of my glass. Aroma has big citrus grapefruit/tropical pineapple notes with well rounded caramel sweetness with a big malty backbone. Harpoon Levithan brews are incredible I've loved every taste thus far. Sweet caramel malts are dessert like initially but a big whopping hop bill comes down on the malts to fulfill what every Imperial Red should express. Mouthfeel is big lucious slightly resinous with hop oils, burns a bit with a soothing alcoholic finish. Drinkability overall is excellent my type of beer that I will continue to get when it's available this is excellent stuff. I want to try the Imperial Bohemian Pils, I've had the Baltic Porter, DIPA, and this.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 15:22:41 | More by WVbeergeek

bamadog

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Review is from notes taken on 5/4/2010 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a nice and relatively dark coppery color and starts with a big 2 and 1/2 finger creamy off-white head with great retention; body is pretty clear and shows tons of carbonation; as the head fades, it leaves a thick and full curtain of lacing and comes to a thick and full skim on the surface.

Smell: Tons of hops -- piney and a lot of citrus as well (grapefruit); smell s a little grassy; a very faint presence of sweet maltiness buried under the mounds of hops; overall, I"m reminded a lot of Terrapin's Big Hoppy Monster, definitely not a bad thing.

Taste: Very nice! A little more balanced in the mouth than in the nose; hops are dominant and right up front (piney and strong citric grapefruit); a nice and toasty burnt graininess offers a bit of an earthy and bitter balance; a faint malt backing provides just a touch of sweetness; faint presence of alcohol in the end on the breath.

Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy; carbonation comes across pretty smoothly; a nice thick coating is left on the roof of the mouth; gums are left tingly and the belly is left a little warm from the ABV.

Drinkability: It's a great beer, no doubt -- in the same ballpark as Big Hoppy Monster (just not quite as good IMHO); sits a little heavy and the ABV is a bit high for too much, but one bottle in one sitting is pretty perfect for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 14:58:29 | More by bamadog

travduke

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Amber body with a white head that retain well, leaving great lacing.

Aroma: Hops right up front. Citrus and pine. Nice malt backbone.

Taste: Just like the nose. Nice hop and malt profile. Nicely balanced.

Feel/Drink: Medium bodied mouthfeel. Drink is right on, real tasty stuff!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 02:26:19 | More by travduke

Tetano

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured in my Bells tulip. Nice Red amber color with a thin head. Lacing stayed on the glass through out the drink.

Smells of citrus and pine. A faint hint of malt is there. It is pleasant to the nostrils.

Taste is what I can come to expect from an imperial of this type. Bitter and citrus are the major components. This is a slight hint of malt back bone but it is over powered by the hops.

Mouthfeel is coating and resiny, however it leaves the palette just too quickly for my taste. Since it moves off so fast it is missing the multifaceted flavor profile I crave.

This is a very drinkable beer. I am downing it quickly than most. The alcohol is well hidden. This is a solid beer I would drink again in a heart beat.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 00:39:24 | More by Tetano

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter on 4/21/10

Bottled on 2/12/10

Pours a moderate brown & settles darker, with a murky bent. Held to the light, it gives off a rusty amber appearance. Lots of small particles float slowly; they almost seem suspended. Two fingers of billowy tan head formed initially. While retention has dropped considerably, lacing looks good so far. Retention is decent throughout but lacing gets sparse.

A solid backdrop of caramel, toasted bread & biscuit support doesn't quite seem up to par. Floral hop notes are apparent but on the whole seem muted. A few undertones of dark fruit linger. Something in here smells rather medicinal; not quite like cough syrup but leaning in that direction. Not much alcohol to be found in the nose.

The taste leaves a lot to be desired. Thankfully the hops are more appreciable than in the nose, with a decent bit of piney bitterness upfront. This quickly gives way to the malts which are dominated by a burnt taste that basically overpowers all else (the exception being a faint toastiness). The burnt qualities are such that it lends an ashy taste that seems out of place. Combine that with medicinal notes & now-apparent alcohol & this starts to get messy.

Leaning in the direction of full bodied with reasonably low carbonation. It's dense, with a lot of grittiness & some alcohol slickness. It's very sticky. Under most circumstances I'd call these admirable traits considering the style but all this does nothing but accentuate that blasted ashy taste. Of course, it lingers well on the finish.

This was the last bottle of the four pack; I've been drinking them over time & can say this has gone downhill quickly. I honestly don't recall the ashy taste with the other bottles; I actually enjoyed the other bottles quite a bit. Apparently anything other than fresh is a disservice for this beer. I'm bumping the drinkability a little since this -was- a good beer at one point.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 23:56:46 | More by Ryan011235

GregSVT

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle at the Addison Flying Saucer into a snifter.

A: Pours an amber color with a big off-white head that fades to a ring and leaves a lot of sticky lacing on the glass.

S: The aroma was all hops in the form of grapefruit and pine. Pretty one dimensional but excellent as far as Imperial Reds go.

T: The taste was huge on the hops as well with a grapefruit flavor that lasted until the piney hops took over and lasted for a long time. The finish was extremely bitter and really let you know there was a lot of hops in this thing.

M: The feel was nice and creamy with a good amount of carbonation...about medium bodied.

D: I couldn't drink more than one of these without having something to eat due to the bitterness left on the palate. The ABV really kicks your butt too but that goes without saying in a 9% beer.

Glad I got to try it but I wouldn't want to drink more than 1 in a sitting. Not sure I would buy a 4pack from the store either. Worth a try if you like the Leviathan series though.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2010 05:37:05 | More by GregSVT

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

2.17/5  rDev -43.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 4 | overall: 1

3rd and final lazy Saturday beer. Hoppy red is my favorite style btw.

Clear amber with a large beige head. Thick, rocky retention and slow, glacial foam lace. Looks great.

Aroma is an aggressive and mouth-watering mix of citrus and pine hop. I love the way this smells. There's a little bit of Munich-y sweet malt in there but not enough bump up to a 5. I wish I could give it a 4.75. I could sniff this for hours.

Surprised that with all the hop aroma my first impression is "wow, that's malty and....egad!" Yes, it's full of so much crystal malts that it tastes like a tankard of thick caramel and yes, it does have some sharp pine hop bitter but gadzooks is it boozey. What the hell? It's like some one poured a handle of grain alcohol in my beer. This is terrible.

Really, what am I supposed to do with this? If I age it I lose the hop aroma which is perfect the way it is and in it's current state it's far too hot to finish (yeah, I drainpoured it). What's a boy to do? A terribly crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 00:46:32 | More by donkeyrunner

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Extensive rocky head. Good Belgian lace on the glass. Cloudy, dark amber color, almost light brown.

Nice fresh hop smell; reminds me of an Double IPA--lots of Grapefruit and some pine. This overwhelms any chance of a malt nose.

A very bitter brew--makes the beer one-dimensional. Even as a hop head, I miss the balance. Strong alcohol presence, makes the mouthfeel a bit oily. The swallow and aftertaste is a combination of these two elements: bitter hop and a medicinal alcohol.

This is on the extreme end of beers. I would compare this in a flight of DIPA's.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 19:50:02 | More by smcolw

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. The beer is a blood-orange color with a 1.5" foamy creme colored head. Plenty of citrus hops dominate the smell. A hint of pine lies underneath.

Whoa, this has an aggressive bitterness that betrays the sweet citrus smell. Creamy malt smothered on hops rolls across the tongue, with bitters spiking the back of the tongue as it washes down the throat. The air in your mouth after this beer leaves for your gut has a faint taste of pine.

The mouthfeel is thicker and smoother than you'd think. This could be due in part to the fact that I let it warm before pouring.

I would definitely have this beer again, but just not tonight.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 01:20:16 | More by TheHoppiest

donteatpoop

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice amber red color full of floaters with a nice thick cap of white foam. Nice thick coating of foam clings to the glass.

The scent is a nice citrus hop, cascade and warrior (?); refreshing and inviting.

The malt character, practically non-existant on the nose; makes it's presence known on the tongue. Carmel and earth tones compliment the orange citrus and dry bitter tones nicely. Washes with a slight alcohol burn.

This was a good beer, though not as magnificent as I had hoped. Still though, a good effort that I'm glad I tried... Though I'm not overly likely to purchase again, this has more to do with the price than the taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2010 02:03:14 | More by donteatpoop