Harpoon Black IPA - Harpoon Brewery

yesyouam

New York

4.53/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Harpoon Black IPA is a very dim reddish brown, almost black beer with a lumpy beige foam on top. The retention and lacing are outstanding. It has a bold, fresh aroma of pine and grapefruit with a hint of sweetness. It has a very smooth medium body with a slightly astringent finish. It's well balanced with nice grapefruit peel and pine resin bitterness along with roasted astringency and smooth, mellow, caramelly malt. It's tasty and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 15:05:55 | More by yesyouam

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a slick black, with a fluffy 3 inch cream colored head, with lots of lace, and nice retention. Smell is piny hops, citrus, hints of chocolate, and some bread. Taste is all of that with citrus and chocolate the dominant flavors, with a burst of pine in the finish. Body is medium, very easy drinking, plenty of life, and really lush for the style. I was really excited to find this today and be the first to review. A very nice version of a style I love.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 21:21:48 | More by SawDog505

Eeroomnhoj

Virginia

4.24/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Homemade pizza and beer. I don't have a fancy beer glass (yet) so I poured it into a juice glass.

Read the reviews and agree with tdm168 about the color and smell. Dark dark brown, almost black. We enjoyed the smell and definetely smelled citrus (can't detect chocolate yet, maybe I need to drink more beer). Overall I enjoy this beer and was surprised I found this at a Costco.

I would enjoy this in the summer or winter.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 21:50:22 | More by Eeroomnhoj

DavidST

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass, best before 5/15/12. This pours a light black color with a little red hues around the edges, along with a nice tan colored head which quickly dissipates. The smells are full of pine hops along with dark roasted malts. The feel is medium and full of bitter hop resin. The taste is pretty good, it follows the more stout ipa hybrid of this style, the hop presence is there full of that bitterness along with a nice roasted malt bitterness for extra goodness. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 02:52:30 | More by DavidST

threeviews

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle (Best By May 15, 2012) into a 13.5oz Libbey tulip glass.

A- An aggressive pour yields an almost-black exilir (light can make its way through if tilted in the light) with a full 3 finger creamy, beige/light brown head

S- Constantly changing...at times bitter and sweet citrus, hints of flowers, spice and chocolate all come and go. As the brew warms and head dissipates, the aroma seems to get more intense with orange citrus and chocolate blending together to create a delicious aroma.

T- As the label suggests a spicy, bittersweet chocolate at the front of the tongue and finishes with a pleasant (white grapefruit) citrus bitterness on the back of the palate. As it warms a piney resin flavor makes its entrance. Much of the 70 IBU's are contributing to the brews hop flavor rather than the finish (i.e. bittering hops).

O- Based on previous reviews, I am pleasantly suprised and think this brew is deserving of higher scores. However, Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Black IPA is complex and not as immediate and some others in the style and takes a bit of time to get acquainted. Regardless, this remains a really good example of the style both in profile and drinkability...I only wish I could have sampled this sooner.

Harpoon...please brew this one again!

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 21:14:04 | More by threeviews

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown, near black, with a good off-white foam head. Some lace.

Some nice charred notes and a pine/hop aroma.

Charred malt is not overbearing and does not kick in bitterness that knocks this beer out of balance. A little smoky and French roast coffee. Hops come forward - with restraint - and provide another wrinkle to the flavor profile. Hops are oily and tacky and fit right with the roastiness of the malt. Nice hoppy and light coffee finish.

Medium bodied, good carbonation, a bit mouth-coating.

I am not a lover of this brewery, mainly because of too many disappointments vs. successes. So, coming from a real skeptic -- they nailed this one. Hops are perfectly balanced with the malt, and even a hop-head would feel satisfied. Malt isn't overdone with raw bitterness. Instead, the stuff you want in this style shines. Good job fellas.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 05:21:44 | More by OtherShoe2

alexgash

Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle. Best by May 15, 2013.

Pours a dark cola brown. Clear, with amber maple highlights. Small finger of gauzy, light khaki-beige head. Some retention. Nice mix of roasted malts and hops on the nose, as I've come to expect from this style. Roasted barley, some coffee, licorice, and carob on the malt end. Pitchy, piney, citrusy hops break through and hold up pretty well.

Bitter roasted coffee up front. Smoother dark chocolate and roasted barley follow through. Hints of dark fruitiness. A little smoke and peat as well. Hop bitterness comes out in the latter half of the palate. Nice blend of leafy, piny, and citrus. Earthy tobacco shows up in the finish, along with some cocoa. Dries out a little. Medium-full body with a slightly syrupy feel. Nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 22:36:54 | More by alexgash

tdm168

North Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - blackish brown with reddish edges; soft, brownish head that fades quickly

S - roasted malts, pine, citrus, chocolate

T - huge, intensely piny hops dominate that front end; smooth chocolate and roasted malts follow through to the end; intensely bitter; some faint citrus and sweetness throughout

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a really nice black IPA. It has an amazingly forward hop character that should please any hop head. It also has a nice, well rounded malt character that balances nicely. It's also a very easy to drink beer that refreshes. It's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:08:23 | More by tdm168

greenengineer

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle into Notch 0.5L glass. First beer of the Blizzard of '13

A- dark brown pour with a creamy CO2 charged head
S- Malt more than hops
T-toasted malt with a bitterness after, nice balance. Hints of burnt malt, but a lot of sweetness is retained. Hops are there, but not out front. Almost a porter. Tastes a bit like the East India Porter Pretty Things made in their historic series.
M- a little sticky and chewy, maybe a little flat
O- very drinkable for 7.0% ABV, I could have a few more. In fact I will.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 21:42:27 | More by greenengineer

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.11/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Part of the Adventure IPA mixed 12-pack
Enjoy By 04/15/13

A: Pours a dark ruby/mahogany color with a fingers worth of tan head

S: Has a dark malt/coffee overtone, with plenty of citrusy goodness underneath. The malt has its way over the hops, though

T: Mor balanced than the nose, the hops shine a little more here. Starts off with dark malts again, but the hops come in and provide a nice earthy and spicy character. Some fruitiness also come through. Finishes with a slightly ashy maltiness with a light coffee character. Bitter throughout

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Again, slightly ashy

O: A nice black IPA without too much roast character but enough of a dark malt presence to make it into a good ABA. After the nose, this definitely leans more towards the IPA side which is a good thing. Solid brew, glad they brought it back

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:26:10 | More by BEERMILER12

mfigueroa713

New York

4.11/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Used a standard pint glass.

A- Black in color and pours with two fingers worth of off white head. Bubbles are medium sized and glass lacing was observed.

S - Very nice hop aromas. Floral and caramel smells emanated from head.

T- Bittering hops prevalent. Beer was more bitter than sweet which was a delightful surprise. Malty sweetness balances the beer well. Detected some roasted notes. Carbonation is good and allows for better alcohol absorption.

M- Medium body with slight tingling from carbonation.

O- Great black IPA, should try this one. The strong hop presence is what makes it stand out above other overly sweet black IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 14:45:27 | More by mfigueroa713

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I liked the total blackness of this brew. Almost like the darkest of nights. It could have been a porter or a stout, but instead a black IPA!
Instead of picking up the aromas of chocolate and coffee from most stouts, this Black IPA gave you an complete overload of HOPS... but not overdone. Instead it was really balanced. The fullness of the black beer combined with the hops and malt made this one very good interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 22:40:06 | More by rdilauro

erosier

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L: Pours a nice black color with a short and medium bodied tan colored head that laces the glass nicely on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet roasted malts layered with a strong citrus and earthy hop aroma.
T: Tastes of sweet roasted malts, darker roasted malts with a hint of coffee flavors and then a big citrus and slightly earthy hop flavor. Clean finish too.
M: Crisp, fresh, perfect amount of carbonation, medium bodied.
D: Overall a really nice beer, nice mix of flavors, and it was quite drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2012 11:52:13 | More by erosier

Onenote81

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one on-tap with lunch today at First Street Draught House. They poured it into curved-pint glass. Dark black with a rich, creamy, tan head on top. Very thick. Leaves lots of spotty lace on the glass. Nose is sharp and hoppy. Lots of pine needles and trail-like scent.

The mouth is creamy as well, but with a crisp carbonation bite at each sip. Wonderful citrus in this one. Bitterness is moderate, but man does it keep me sipping. Mild roasted characteristics, but this is mostly bitter and citrusy-sweet. The "black" in this one, is relegated mainly to the color, rather than the flavor profile. Still, this is one I would have time and again. Good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2012 19:39:51 | More by Onenote81

jdaelhousen

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour produces an almost opaque colored body, with a small amount of tan head on top. Aroma contains notes of floral hops with a trailing roastyness of grain. Flavor contains a center of flowery and citrisy hop bitterness, caramel malt mingles well with the hop flavoring. Tobacco mixes in. Finish provides increased spice on the palate, increased carbonation bite, and black patent malt roast that lingers into the aftertaste. Aftertaste also leaves plenty an abundance of spicey hop flavor on the palate. Overall, quite a solid brew from Harpoon's 100 barrel series.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 22:10:58 | More by jdaelhousen

far333

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chestnut colored with ruby highlights at the edges, a fluffy oatmeal colored head of many-sized bubbles lingers long and recedes slowly. Inviting aroma of citrusy hops, mild malt character.

Rich and roasty dark malt flavors intertwined with strong hoppy goodness, full of citrus and floral notes, morphing to pine in the finish. Roasty bitterness emerges, mixing well with the hops. Nice balance of very rich flavors that work well together.

Creamy and full mouthfeel, slight suggestion of tannins. Overall a tasty and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 14:18:34 | More by far333

diamondc

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark, with a ruby tint held up the light. Good head retention and lacing. Looks great.

S: Mainly citrus with a roasted, slightly chocolatey note in there.

T: Chocolate, lite coffee malt flavors, then a wallop of earthy, citrus peel hops afterwards.

M: Creamy mouthfeel, almost feels like its from nitro tap. Those roasted malts really dry out my palate. Could use a bit more body since it does feel 'light'.

O: Another good black IPA, nothing earth shattering, but well-worth the money. Might buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 08:06:03 | More by diamondc

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at Crabapples in Cheektowaga NY, poured i into a pint glass.

A: Deep Opaque Hue, Passes Almost No Light, Off White Head, Great Lacing

S: Dark Roasted Malts, Black Bread, Mild Chocolate

T: Dark Roasted Malts, Black Bread, Piney, Mild Chocolate

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Semi Dry, Semi Bitter

Overall, a pretty solid black IPA, definitely in my top 3 black IPA

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2012 04:23:16 | More by merc7186

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.91/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-Pours a clear, dark brown. Thin, creamy, tan head. Head stays with the body throughout the glass. It also leaves long drapes of lacing.

S-A pleasant combination of roasted malt and grassy/piney hops. Lighter notes of hoppy citrus and soft chocolate with light char. Balanced and it maybe even leans more towards the malty side of the spectrum

T-The hops are grassy and sudsy but finish with clean pine. Subtle citric notes too. The roast is a bit toned down here as are the other malty flavors. The nose stresses the malt but the flavor stresses the hop. Still, there is good balance.

M-Buzzing carbonation with moderate bitterness. Surprisingly crisp. Booze pipes up ever-so-slightly. Quite drinkable due it its rather light body.

O/D-Another solid IPA variate from Harpoon. They keep their beers intriguingly hoppy but their brightest spot is the high drinkability found it all of the hoppy brews. I enjoyed it.:-)

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:11:52 | More by VelvetExtract

jimmy82063

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Was lucky enough to get this before it went on the shelves, thanks Dan!

Poured into a brandy snifter.

The appearance is a nice opaque black, the nose is a dominant pine and the taste follows up on that with some slight cocoa and coffe. Very easy drinking!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:22:46 | More by jimmy82063

Billolick

New York

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Typical Harpoon 100 BS bomber bottle.

Pours pretty much black, larger then average and lasting darker tan head, leavesa thick collar, ample low sheeting and bits and bars of sticking lace.

Earthy, grassy hopped up nose

Pleasant black ale, with hops some what on the tame side for an IPA. Tastes more like a slightly hoppy stout, with minor roasty character.

Finish is where the hops start to come into their own, however in a subtle and reserved fashion.

$6.99 for the bomber makes this a decent value.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 02:59:46 | More by Billolick

smakawhat

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Thanks for the extra ToasterChef! Best by May 15th 2012 we are off!

Out of the bottle the head forms quite evenly. Strange color to the top, sort of a dirty light tan tobacco brown? Foamy in character. Body color is a classic dark walnut brown, to dark to see through, although a little light on the edges shows some ruby red. Pretty nice overall.

Nose has a mild mix of hop and milk chocolate. Pleasant, but very subtle, a little bit of dirt but not much.

Palate hits with a good punch, finishing with mild carbon char and porter like richness. A bit of spicy citrus grapefruit on the finish hits and melds nicely with the malts. Faint chocolate, almost arid and powdery, mixing in with hop bitter. Feel has some silky character to it slightly.

Overall quite enjoyable. Could have this again no problem.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 02:52:54 | More by smakawhat

mttaylor1066

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a lightly hopped IPA with a dark coffee look and taste.

This seemed a little flat-tasting for an IPA, even for a black IPA. Perhaps it is the hops the brewer chose. I drank this 6 weeks before the expiration date stamped on the neck.

Overall, it is a pleasant ale and worth drinking. But it is no "knock your socks off" representative of a new style.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 19:51:28 | More by mttaylor1066

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best by 5/15/2012. Pours crystal clear very dark brown color with a 2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange, pine, herbal, citrus rind, roasted malt, biscuit, toast, and earthy spiciness. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big grapefruit, pine, orange, herbal, floral, grass, dark roasted malt, char, citrus rind, chocolate, and earthy spiciness. Fair amount of spicy bitterness on the the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pine, toast, grass, roasted malt, chocolate, char, and earthy spices on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance of roasted malt with hop flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and crisp mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed on the finish. Overall this is a really nice and quite robust Black IPA. Nice balance of citrus and piny hop flavors; with a very nice and prominent roasted malt backbone. Really well done, and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 03:23:43 | More by superspak

hosehead83

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a smart-looking "bomber" bottle into a wine goblet.
Pitch black in appearance, with a nice thick head of tan foam.
Aroma-Faint coffee and chocolate, spicy, grassy hop note
Taste-Medium roast coffee, chocolate, some citrussy hops thrash about. Nothing super-complex here, but a pretty tasty offering that would pair well with some grilled fajitas or a thick cheesburger.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 18:11:25 | More by hosehead83