Harpoon Rich & Dan's Rye IPA - Harpoon Brewery

tdexterc

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I nabbed a free bomber of this fine elixir from my local harpoon rep. Being in charge of the beer at a little store with a big craft beer selection certainly has its perks!

A- Poured into an over-sized beer mug, this made for a super robust head. I mean, it hasn’t budged in 10 minutes! Great sticky lacing, a steady stream of carbonation, and an amber/orange body sets this beer up as one of the prettiest looking IPA’s I’ve seen in a while.

S- I think the full scent has a bit of a hard time breaking through this super dense head! The smell seems to be slightly subdued, but I’m picking up hearty citrus, sweet honey, and some background piney notes.

T- More of the same here, citric, piney, resiny hops take hold of the reins. I can detect a little bit of the spicy rye characteristics poking through (more-so in the aftertaste), but the hops seem to play a much larger role in this brew.

M- A creamy mouthfeel with an attractive and well-rounded bitterness makes for an easy drinking, IPA.

In conclusion, this beer seems to be yet another great option for IPA lovers, but for people looking for more of a rye profile, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 02:15:26 | More by tdexterc

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz brown bottle. No freshness date. Served in a standard pint glass.
It pours a brassy yellow color with a firm white head and tons of sticky lacing.
The smell is very much like Harpoon's IPA with a dry resinous hop hit along with dried hay, mixed citrus and a bit of alcohol fuminess. A faint smell of spruce is noticed in the background.
Rye and caraway spice tastes cuts through the resinous and citrusy hops and dried malt clearly and cleanly. The hop resins have a somewhat minty and piney taste that fills the mouth.
Very good cookout ale, especially with game meat.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 01:36:36 | More by BeerResearcher

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a bright, medium reddish gold color with mild carbonation, and a thin white head that subsides to an even lacing ring around the glass.

S - Mild spicy fruit aroma (grapefruit, pineapple, and mango), malt is crisp and very subdued. Not much more going on in the nose, but I am liking the hop forward fruit aroma.

T - The taste remains a little subdued on the palette with a mild spicy and fruity character, crisp malt, with a dry and lingering bitterness. The malt is present to keep things in check, but graciously enough to let the hops come through and assert their bitterness. I'm not describing things well, but for some strange reason, the beer still comes across as balanced.

M - Light medium body and dry.

O - I'd buy this one again, Rich & Dan's has some really nice qualities and for hop heads, it would be interesting if Harpoon dialed up the intensity of the aroma and flavors. This one is worthy of adding to the regular rotation of Seasonal or Year 'Round brews in their line-up. The 100 Barrel Series hasn't been "as" appealing (compared to the Leviathan line), but this beer is solid. Then again, I'm biased because the Leviathan Imperial IPA is by far my most favorite Harpoon beer...hands down.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 23:13:46 | More by jzeilinger

Dotcubed

Arkansas

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The bottle poured a lovely glass of clear yellow abd a massive head which became a creamy thick pudding top.

Rye makes a good beer but here there's a problem.
A good idea but the hop profile obliterated the rye.

An oily creamy bitter brew. Clearly a west coast beast.

Stunning for an IPA as it's quite drinkable. But rye bother for the price?

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 23:27:38 | More by Dotcubed

allengarvin

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a nonik glass, this is a fairly pale beer with a small head. The aroma is full of citrus hop notes--pretty normal for an IPA. Flavor is hop-dominated... in fact, there's really not any malt detectable. I can't pick out any particular rye notes, but it's very tasty none the less. It makes me think of a very clean wheat IPA as much as anything.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 04:24:20 | More by allengarvin

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass a Copper/red with a minimal amount of off white head. The aroma has a lot of the rye but also an equal amount of tropical fruity hops. A earthy/hay aroma is subtle after jostling the glass a couple times. Starts off lightly toasted malt with a hint of fruity hops on top but finishes off with a tangy rye bitterness. Medium body with a smooth transition of malty, fruity and bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 15:34:39 | More by DrinkingDrake

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear deep golden almost copper color with a stingy beige head that dissipates slowly before attaching a fair amount of lace to the sides. Smells of grapefruit and citrus fruit mixed with a spicy rye twang. Lots of toffee and caramel in there to provide a backbone. Taste is pretty much what I expected from the aroma. Sweet caramel and toffee up front mildly spicy rye followed by less grapefruit and citrus than I expected. Finishes kind of dry with a long lingering citric bitterness. Reminds me a whole lot of Harpoon IPA, but a little creamier and a little rye added. Creamy smooth mouthfeel, medium body and carbonation level. I enjoyed this one there's really nothing wrong with it, but there's not really anything spectacular about it either. Good beer, but not great, glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 02:08:32 | More by johnnnniee

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Moderate head that leaves very good ring lace after each sip. The liquid is neutral amber with a very light haze.

Dry and earthy aroma. Good hop as I pull my nose away.

Okay, this is strange, the first flavor I note is...pate. It's a meaty taste with a note of oysters. The hop takes over in the swallow without much more than a bittering effect. The body is as expected and the carbonation is mildly elevated.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 19:58:23 | More by smcolw

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears a slightly hazed copper in the body with a billowing off white cream head rising above the edges of my Gulden Draak chalice. Chunky sporadic bands of lacing are left behind with each sip. This is a nice beer, full on citrus and spicy rye interplay going on in the nose. Enough base malt provides some bread/crackers balance to it, but big alpha hop brings the grapefruit pungency. Flavor wise it's banging with citrus hops and a bit of earthiness, which is blended nicely with a bready/spicy rye notes bringing out an herbal/grain note to it. Bitterness lingers in a good way on the palate, with nice slick hop oils flowing along, ample carbonation carries the body just fine. Overall between a nice brisk bitter IPA and interesting rye spiciness, this was one of my favorites I've had from the 100 barrel series in some time, pretty rock solid offering so solid that the founders of Harpoon threw their names on it.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 02:14:03 | More by WVbeergeek

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

on tap at devils den in philly

Pours a clear golden color with amber hues, really nice fluffy head retains well. Clouds of lacing left behind on the glass.

Scents of hoppy bitterness with rye spice, but a little subdued overall. Some biscuit malt and sweetness as well.

Biter up front, decent hop attack which starts to dry out the tongue. Rye adds some spice, followed by biscuit and toasted malt backbone. A touch of caramel sweetness. Finishes dry and long with barely any alcohol.

Medium body, a bit higher carbonation, prickly and dry. Not a particularly great rye beer, but drinks pretty smoothly. Definitely not in the same league as Nelson, Righteous, or Red's Rye.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 23:23:30 | More by xnicknj

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$5.99 bomber from Sommerville SuperSaver.

Bright brass colored body, topped by four fingers of snow white level foam, with terrific lacing.

Pleasant citrus aroma, oranges perhaps, but nowhere as strong as I would have liked.

Good firm semi-sweet caramel beginning. Undercurrent of the rye. Juicy fruits follow.
Mild bitter nip at the swallow. Aftertaste continues the bitter with a lingering trace of the rye.

Solid light-medium mouthfeel.

Overall, a tasty ipa which uses the rye as seasoning, not a dominate characteristic.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 03:48:27 | More by RonfromJersey

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.08/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Relatively forgettable if decent bitter rye ale.

Presentation: 22 oz brown bottle. Simple front label design with a loose attempt at a limited release image with signature of the brewers. Includes a small paragraph noting the name of the ale and intent. Shows best by date (09/15/11) Notes IBUs (34), OG (15), and Alc. by Vol. (6.9%) Served in a tulip glass.

A - Clear deep gold pour, didn't the label promised an unfiltered experience? good frothy head and retention with solid lacing.

S - Shy nose, light hop bitterness and touch of caramel with a minimal hint of spices.

T - Bitterness dominates the sense without much of a range, there is a touch of imaginary spicy rye feel to it, but hidden under the coarse bitter and lightly grassy sense, malty touches in the undercurrent, and while the bitterness is not awful it is quite bland.

M - Medium to medium/light body with medium carbonation and a bitter-dry finish.

O - Bitter blah, not much of a stimuli, it can be drank, but all in all it is a bit boring as it progresses.

Notes: The most forgettable 100 Barrel Series I have tried. I do understand that rye can be unforgiving and difficult to brew, and I have a slight weakness for it. But this goes neither here nor there. And while not something to send back the brew is quite forgettable for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 18:36:04 | More by Daniellobo

avalon07

South Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a golden yellow color and a clear texture. There was an inch of creamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: An interesting aroma of rye, hops, and some citrus.

T: Tasted like it smelled: Floral hops, rye, a little citrus, but all of these elements are very mild and a bit on the thin side. Could have been better.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a slick finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is a wildly uneven beer. Not terrible, but not all that great either.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 12:04:14 | More by avalon07

david18

New York

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

I've had a number of drafts of this beer recently at the Amsterdam Ale Hose on Manhattan's upper west side. The rye definitely adds a nice spiciness to an otherwise very good IPA. Overall, a winner.

Color is typical of an ipa with a lot of haziness and good, persistent carbonation.

Aroma is both citrusy as well as spicy, a great combination of the hops and rye.

Flavor as well combines the all of the elements very well to a great, balance beer that's a lot more interesting than the standard ipa and/or many other rye beers I've tried.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2011 20:33:02 | More by david18

vtblackdog

Vermont

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz into a pint glass.

A - a light amber almost golden. A medium head forms and hangs around a while.

S - I get a sweet banana upfront and a sweet pineapple backing it up. Awesome!

T - A bit more hoppy bitterness than expected given the nose. Still a good taste.

M - A bit thin in the mouth, carbonation was average.

O - The nose is awesome and the drink is above average.


O -

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 23:19:36 | More by vtblackdog

pburland23

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into my Harpoon IPA glass.

Beer pours a nice light reddish orange. A touch hazy with thin white head recedes to some nice sticky lacing. Good looking pint.

Aroma features spicy rye malt with some citrusy hops bitterness. Perhaps a touch of caramel malt as well.

Taste starts off with some slight spiciness from the rye malts then a little sweetness from the caramel malts. Those flavors are then replaces by some nice hops bitterness. As others have said, there is a slight metallic flavor which is mildly off putting but does not detract greatly from the taste.

Mouthfeel is medium. The carbonation is slightly prickly. It combines with the bitterness well to create a fairly robust mouthfeel. Drinkability is pretty good as well.

Overall, a decent IPA. Not spectacular but good. I really like the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series. It's interesting to see what there brewers come up with on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 02:00:24 | More by pburland23

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Looks nice, clear gold with a fluffy, off-white cap. Lots of clumpy lacing, decent head retention. I got a whiff of grapefruit and grassy hops during the pour and wasn't disappointed once I had more time to contemplate the beer in the glass. There was a slight pine resin edge to the hops as well, plus mild nutty and bready malts. Solid bitterness, citrus pith and grassy hops in the flavour, some spicy hops in the finish, with mild malt bready/rye presence, minerals, and slight alcohol. Good texture, medium light in body with moderate carbonation, but it felt light and creamy. Overall, I enjoyed this one. The rye didn't add a lot, but I did like the hop character.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 20:59:41 | More by DrJay

metter98

New York

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is crystal clear yellowish amber in color and has no signs of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin film of bubbles covering the surface and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of spicy rye malts along with some notes of citrus and pine resin hops.
T: The taste is both malty and spicy; the spiciness from the rye particularly stands out in the finish while the initial taste has some hints of malty sweetness. There is a mild to light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some dryness towards the finish.
O: The beer isn’t that difficult to drink for the style because the spiciness from the rye is not overpowering.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 12:08:07 | More by metter98

Brad007

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light amber/golden color with a one-finger head into my glass. Looks about right.

Tangy, grassy and citrusy hop essence greets the nose. Very fresh with just a bit of bread.

Rich, grassy and citrusy hops greet the tongue. Very strong on the bitterness combined with the spiciness of the rye.

You know a beer is well hopped when it lingers at the back in a definite manner.

I like this IPA. It has a lot of potential.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 03:05:34 | More by Brad007

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to my friend Paul for sharing. This reminded me of Harpoon IPA for better or worse. The body was relatively light for the style, but it was by no means watery and on a summer day, I didn't mind. The hops and rye blend into a spicy bread floral citrus mix that's quite pleasant, but should be a bit richer for an IPA. It just didn't have the same kick as most ~7% hoppy ales.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 03:14:40 | More by tempest

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap 6/7/2011 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color with a short dense white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains fruity citrus, caramelized rye malts and grassy hops.

T: The taste starts out with sweet flavors of citrus followed by a strong but not over-powering hops bitterness. The rye malt character is hearty and there’s some spice faintly in the background creating a pretty good balance. The after-taste is slightly bitter.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, decent kick, very good representation of style, this is a very nice beer worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 16:08:34 | More by TheManiacalOne

claspada

New Jersey

2.17/5  rDev -43%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Aromas are initially quite interesting. I get the spicy rye malts up front, then I dive back in and get citrus hops and a metallic/minerally odor. I little caramel maltiness in the background.
The taste begins with slight pale and spicy rye malts, not much though. The hop bite hops in soon after dominated by grassy, floral and cat pee hop flavors. Metal, old-school canned beer flavors as well. I really am not enjoying this.
Mouthfeel is sticky and full yet the finish is harsh and unforgiving. The rye and hops are too out of balance for my preferences. I love good rye beers and this is not one of them. If your going to mail in the malt bill you have to at least have late hops additions for nice hop flavors, but this doesn't have any. After making a lot of great beers in this 100 Barrel Series, Harpoon seems to have mailed in the last couple. If I was Rich or Dan, I wouldn't want my name attached to this beer... I haven't had a good drain pour in a while, adios #37!

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 22:35:29 | More by claspada

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Rustico in Alexandria. Served in a tulip.

Pours a moderate golden color that is mostly clear. Good white head and a nice bit of lacing on the way down. The nose carries a good portion of rye along with some floral and spicy hops. The flavor carries the same with the rye really taking a step forward and bringing a bit of spice. Mostly floral hops with a bit of an earthy feel as well. All is very well integrated into a medium-bodied brew with a nicely-bitter finish. Some alcohol detected afterward. This was a thoroughly enjoyable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2011 00:06:18 | More by Thorpe429

Kendo

New York

3.4/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from the bomber into a pint glass. Body is golden honey-amber with a small white head. Nice rising bubbles give a solid appearance. Leaves good lace behind.

S: Spicy malt - the rye is evident - with a bit of hop bitterness.

T: Whoa - first impression: metallic. Impression was confirmed by two others, including my wife, who said it was "tinny." After a few sips I could get past that metallic onslaught to appreciate the rye spiciness underneath and the grassy bitterness at the back end, but all in all I wasn't enamored with this one.

M: Medium in heft, sharp carbonation.

O: OK at best. Won't buy it again, though it did improve after the palate adjusted to the metallic impression.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 00:11:20 | More by Kendo

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear and crisp orange color with a frothy white head that leaves a lot of sticky lace behind. Really a pleasant looking beer.

Rye malts seems to overpower the hops at first with a strong bread and spice note. Floral and piney hops come through more as the beer warms.

Bitter hops up front until the spiciness of the rye seems to pronounce an otherwise absent malt profile. Plenty of bitterness to go around but late addition hops seem to be rather underwhelming. Pine resin and a grass/herbal note dominate the hops flavors with just a little bit of a fruity citrus note in the finish.

Crisp and bubbly medium body mouthfeel. Overall, this is a fine beer but I do feel that Harpoon could do better. Something about the hop bill just doesn't work for me. Still though, I have no problem drinking it even if it wasn't quite what I expected.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 22:45:16 | More by Kinsman