Harpoon Grateful Harvest Cranberry Ale - Harpoon Brewery

chinchill

South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle, dated "enjoy by 02/15/13", served in a Sam Adams lager glass.
A: The beer has a complementary reddish tint in the otherwise deep amber, clear ale. Decent, renewable tan head.
Cranberries evident in the fruity flavor and aroma, as well as in the not-so-subtle tartness. The flavor more clearly reflects cranberry than does the more vaguely fruity aroma.
Some hop bitterness is apparent. Crisp, slightly astringent feel with near medium body and medium carbonation.
My favorite aspect is the rather marked transition from momentarily sweet to tart and, with different timing, from tart fruit flavor to a more balanced and bready/malty aftertaste. Well crafted, and perhaps a bit better than expected, but there may be only so far one can go with a cranberry ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 22:22:07 | More by chinchill

mcewesr

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

04-22-2013 20:55:54 | More by mcewesr

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

03-22-2013 01:00:19 | More by RoryOMoore

MAbeerNE1

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -24.2%

03-14-2013 13:23:17 | More by MAbeerNE1

Brenden

Ohio

3.46/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A rusty red-orange-brown colored brew grows a thick, creamy head roughly one finger tall. It shows great density and retention, as it remains thick and its same height for some time, even making a nicely dense and thick island of foam. More lacing could have been left, but certainly no complaints overall.
There's a nice balance with an emphasis on malts in the nose. Cranberry tartness is as advertised. Hops are lighter and offer mostly floral notes. Lots of bread and toastiness come out. This seems to be a red ale-type base, and a pretty good one. It's interestingly sweet against the tart and floral aspects.
The flavor showcases the sane malt-forwardness but with a bit more bitterness from the hops than in the aroma. The cranberry is likewise strong. Unfortunately, toward the end of each sip, something about the tartness and the bitterness clashes to make a pithy sort of sour bitterness that's less pleasant on the back of the tongue and throat.
Both crispness and smoothness come in moderation. The body holds up with about medium strength, but feels (not terribly, but somewhat) thin particularly at the middle of the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 23:37:08 | More by Brenden

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +13.6%

03-02-2013 01:39:30 | More by scottbrew4u

Ankur

Maryland

3/5  rDev -9.1%

02-22-2013 02:29:27 | More by Ankur

rorjets

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -9.1%

02-10-2013 02:04:36 | More by rorjets

ShippinUpToBoston

3/5  rDev -9.1%

01-30-2013 00:02:05 | More by ShippinUpToBoston

Rusty_Pabst

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%

01-29-2013 19:11:24 | More by Rusty_Pabst

CyBEERooster

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%

01-25-2013 06:00:55 | More by CyBEERooster

archero

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%

01-24-2013 07:39:21 | More by archero

cliff1066

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

01-23-2013 05:20:32 | More by cliff1066

Thorpe429

Illinois

3/5  rDev -9.1%

01-17-2013 23:39:18 | More by Thorpe429

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a beautiful ruby brown with a nice light fluffy head that sits as a quarter of a finger width with almost-eggshell white coloring. The beer’s body is clear of any particles and quite translucent, despite its darker red-brown coloring. On the nose, this beer smells tartly fruity with some underlying stale grains. It’s not an overpowering smell, but the cranberry does tinge more towards the artificial side of the smell. On the tongue, the beer tastes light on the flavors with some light tartness from the cranberry, some bitters coming through, and a touch of bready yeast. The beer begins with slowly growing tart fruit which comes to a fuller, though still light, flavor in the middle of the taste and then mingles with light and stale bready malts for a while, the finish is nicely fruity, almost like a juice, while the aftertaste rings with a light tart tingle. On the mouth, the beer feels a little fierce with effervescence. The beer is light to medium in body, and fizzles off the tongue into a foam, which is odd… The mouth is left slightly puckering with tart, and definitely dry all over the tongue. Overall, I think I may have an old bottle of this beer, between the stale malts and the subdued flavors, something felt off. The beer is definitely light and easy to drink, and some of the cranberry juice does come through stronger after the beer has left the mouth, but it is a little too off in flavors for my taste. I’ll try to give this one another review with next year’s version.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 01:01:32 | More by Maxwell

mth44sc

South Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -24.2%

01-01-2013 00:21:42 | More by mth44sc

genovm

New York

3/5  rDev -9.1%

12-28-2012 23:06:59 | More by genovm

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a crystal clear red-orange color. The creamy white head retains well. Thin rings of lacing.

S: A whiff of tart cranberries, a biscuity and slightly bready malt aroma, and a light scent of oily hops. Maybe a pinch of cocoa.

T: Tart, slightly puckering and astringent cranberry nestled in amongst understated malt tastes of biscuit, bread crust, and a pinch of cocoa and nuttiness. Hops additions are restrained, as they should be, and add oily and floral tastes with a very slight herbal backing. Very dry finish of biscuit, crust, and fading tart cranberries.

M: Medium bodied, slight firmness of malt texture. Somewhat creamy. Crisp bite of aggressive carbonation off-sets the cranberry astringency somewhat. The mouthfeel is right for this beer.

O: I thought I remembered this beer being darker and more malt forward in years past, but maybe I'm wrong. At any rate, it's as good of a cranberry beer as I've ever had, though I guess that isn't saying much. It feels a little too restrained, in the malt department specifically.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 23:05:25 | More by ryan1788a5

mattkoon

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

this grateful harvest from harpoon pours a really nice looking golden brown. not much head or lacing. the smell is not very prominent, it smells like a decent ale with hints of cranberry mixed in. the taste of this beer is a good bitter ale, and the cranberry bitterness you get at the end is a nice pairing. this beer has a really full flavor that i like. it fills your mouth up. the cranberry is not over whelming at all just a hint of flavor on the back of a strong ale. i always look forward to harpoon's pumpkin ale in the fall... now i can drift from that one to this one, the grateful harvest is another solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 19:42:19 | More by mattkoon

drabmuh

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tick provided by Thorpe and Thorpette, love you guys. Bad but in sort of a bizarre way, I don't get a lot of cranberry but some, it is sweet and dry but with this odd flavor throughout that is off putting, not a repeat.

Beer is amber / reddish and clear, whitish head of small bubbles. some lacing, low retention.

Aroma is sweet, no cranberry, mostly just yeast and malt at this point.

Beer is medium to light in body, sweet but dry on the end, leaving this odd aftertaste that lingers. Not a fan, not a repeat. Glad I got to try it but I'm gladder I didn't buy a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 03:07:55 | More by drabmuh

retreminy

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

12-23-2012 23:26:39 | More by retreminy

Huffs

New York

3.64/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a pint glass, developed a decent head which lasted a short time and did lace. Appearance was a dark, clear amber with a biscuit froth. Aroma was mils, of bred and spice. Taste was a bit grainy with hop and fruit notes, almost like a lager. Mouthfeel was medium and a bit carbonated with a mild, dry aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 01:39:19 | More by Huffs

barczar

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliant reddish amber with a half inch ivory had that leaves sheets of lacing.

Sweet caramel malt and toffee are accented by a hint of cranberry on the aroma.

Flavor reveals more sweetness throughout, with a hit of cranberry early, which disappears mid palate and resurfaces weaker at the finish. There's a touch of bitterness and pepper at the end, but the balance is decidedly sweet.

Body is moderate, fairly worty, with moderate carbonation and a touch of astringency.

Overall, not as much cranberry wallop as anticipated. It's slightly cloying, but the cranberry flavor is well represented. The finish is a bit odd and abrupt.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 07:12:29 | More by barczar

Gavage

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: pours a crystal clear reddish orange color and a short 1/2" head. No lace here at all.

Smell: a very faint fruit aroma is all you can detect here.

Taste: grassy malt profile with some very mild cranberry flavor that is tough to discern. Bitterness is mild too.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Crisp to start, a bit less crisp at the finish. Aftertaste is short lived.

Overall: this beer didn't have the cranberry flavor I expected. The beer was very easy to drink but didn't satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 00:48:41 | More by Gavage

bshiban

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -31.8%

12-09-2012 01:44:00 | More by bshiban