Harpoon White IPA - Harpoon Brewery

oberon

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a small tulip glass a slightly hazed peach tinged lighter golden with a half finger lacey white head atop.The aromas really don't jump out at ya but the citric hops are there,lemony and orange notes over top of a healthy yeast shot.Lemon oil and grapefruit flavors give a bright and sharp flavor some breadiness underneath,the lemony notes linger nicely.The yeast is held in check well and the hops are bright,a solid BIPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 22:24:43 | More by oberon

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap 9/2/2012 at Julian’s in Providence, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a large white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains wheat, citrus, light caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a burst of grassy hops. Then some mildly sweet flavors of citrus and caramel come in. Then a thin malt character comes in followed by the return of the hops bitterness providing a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, it’s a solid beer but there are better choices within the style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2012 00:46:00 | More by TheManiacalOne

Gavage

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a hazy yellowish orange color with a 2" head that slowly falls. Some light lace develops.

Smell: citrus and some floral bitterness is very pleasant on the nose.

Taste: mild grainy malt profile with some orange, grass, pepper, and a nice floral bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Crisp from start to finish, with a mild dryness arriving late. Aftertaste is long lasting as citrus and bitterness linger in the mouth.

Overall: a very tasty beer that is easy to consume and refreshing. Well worthy of a try if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 20:07:38 | More by Gavage

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Moderate head with some ring lace left behind. Cloudy, naturally. Yellow, gold color.

Excellent fresh hop upfront. Peppery. The malt is hidden.

Traditional IPA flavor. I can't detect the "Wit" portion of this beer--no wheat in the flavor. This is a dry beer. Also, I don't detect any Belgian styled yeast. Still, this is a good IPA. The body is predictably average, the carbonation slightly elevated.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 00:53:33 | More by smcolw

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz brown bomber w/ a batch number on the label

LOOK: Hazed golden color, great lacing down to the bottom of the glass

SMELL: Mildly dank hop, spicy, fruity, yeast, peppery, coriander faint alcohol, citrus zest

TASTE: Citric bomb, smooth, semi-slick, medium body, grainy, coriander, hop bitterness, tobacco, ruby red grapefruit, spicy, mild alcoholic esters, minty, herbal, earthy, yeast, marmalade, finish spicy and dry and bitter

More complex than I anticipated, a lot going on with the hop profile and as it bounces off the Wit side of the brew it does well but comes back in a different way as it was to compliment and somewhat clash at the same time. The most interesting White IPAs brewed that I have tried, the UFO brand should take this beer on it is that good.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 02:44:13 | More by Jason

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.99/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle bought at Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA as part of a mixed 12-pack.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" bright white head over the cloudy golden amber brew. Head deflates rather quickly down to an even skim, with leggy lacing. Aroma is earthy yeast and citrus hops.

Taste starts with sweet pale, citrus in the middle, and sedate pine hops character feathers into the close. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is good. Nice brew, too bad label says it is limited.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 20:54:16 | More by ppoitras

plaid75

New York

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at the Blind Tiger, NYC.

Poured a medium copper hue with a half finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured full citrus hops but not too many esters. Strange for a white IPA.

The taste consisted of upfront peppery and citric hops with a round caramel malt and trace esters.

The mouthfeel was toward the fuller side of the style.

Overall a tasty IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2012 20:58:02 | More by plaid75

Brad007

Vermont

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a whitish-gold hue with a thin head into my glass. The color is the best part so far.

Spicy notes with with a good dab of citrus in the nose. Clove too. Does not seem overhopped in the nose.

Dry, crisp with spicy yeast and acidic citrus twist. The hops shine through here but do not overwhelm the palate.

Lingering crispy spiciness with a touch of butter at the back. Good balance if a bit bland.

I'll second the bland part. It just doesn't feel "right" but that could easily be carbonation level, etc.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 23:26:28 | More by Brad007

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Big thanks to Slatetank for gifting me with a bottle of this. Poured into a spiegelau IPA glass, the brew pours a clouded pale golden color with a rich 2+ finger cap that is slightly off-white. The cap fades leaving a webbing of stringy lacework on the glass. A swirl effortlessly revives a finger of yellowish stained cap back to the surface. Perhaps I misunderstood the meaning behind the "white" aspect of this brew as I let the sediment creep into the glass and it is evident with chunks stuck in suspension that come to rest in the bottom of the glass.

The smell of this brew is citrus-like with notes of fruity rinds like lemon moreso than the advertised orange peel. Some herbal hop component leads the way after the citrus and mild fruity tones fade away. Overall the composition of the aromatics is quite nice blending back and forth between fruity and herbal with a mild grainy quality providing a supporting role throughout. As it warms up, the nose on this gets a bit weedy to grassy, not bad.

Tasting this brew provides a bitterness front and center that is mildly rindy and zesty with the flavoring of grapefruit, oranges and lemon that blends into more of an earthen to herbal flavor of hoppy bitterness. Again a mild grain presence is felt faintly suggesting wheaty sweetness to contrast the oily bitterness of this brew. It has a solid balance and plenty of character to take in. The blending of white ale citrus character into this IPA was done very well.

This is a light bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. The feel is lively, uplifting and very easy drinking. The IPA portion of this "blended style" is much more focused than the white aspect. Having never had a "white IPA" before, I was not really sure what to expect. I think this was done pretty well and would not mind trying other examples of this if given the chance. Thanks again Matt!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:04:05 | More by stakem

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from growler into a sampler shaker. Poured a slightly hazy golden yellow with a one finger white head that subsided to a half finger slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, coriander, spice, citrus, and citrus hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, wheat, citrus, earth, fruit, and coriander. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. I really like what I found on this brew if I am honest. There was a nice touch of complexity and balance going on in both the aroma and the flavor. The coriander note I got was a really nice touch for the style, but the citrus notes were what made the beer for me. It added just the right amount of sweetness to the brew to keep me smelling and tasting it as long as my sample lasted. Could easily crush a pint of this and maybe a few more while I was at it. I suggest you take a chance on this one as well.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2012 12:09:21 | More by thagr81us

avalon07

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a yellow color and a cloudy texture. There was a small amount of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Pretty good lacing.

S: A surprisingly hoppy aroma, with hints of citrus in it as well.

T: Tasted of hops, orange peel, light malt, and some coriander. Seems much hoppier than the typical Belgian IPA, but this isn't a bad thing. A vibrant, well rounded, and focused flavor.

M: A highly carbonated beer with a sharp, bitter finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Definitely not your typical beer. It's kind of a hybrid of an IPA and a witbier, but it seems to work very well. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 23:38:42 | More by avalon07

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I had this from the IPA Discovery sampler case, poured chilled in a cervoise.

The color is peach nectar with hazed wheat beer look and thick tan cream with fine bead and good retention. The smell is great a mix of orange and tropical fruit with light spice ester from the yeast and mild hint of tangerine zest with a light floral accent. The feel is great smooth resins in the hop texture combine with light peppery spice and smooth wheat adds a light body with moderately high carbonation and moderate bitterness with semi-dry finish.

The flavor is great it has the orange zest and slight tangy citrus from the hops with a mild pine accent and slight tropical taste with yeast adding a light peppery phenolic element and wheat giving a gentle tanginess which adds to the citrus from the hops. Overall I loved this all the best elements of an IPA combined with the belgian Wit style a very nice hybrid from Harpoon!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 14:10:48 | More by Slatetank

alexgash

Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle. Enjoy by 05/15/13. I am.

Partly hazy. Golden orange body. Lighter edges. Tall, frothy, cobwebby, bright white head. Great lacing. Tropical fruit juice malt base aroma. Plenty of citrusy notes. Grassy strawberry and light banana-yeastiness. Nice.

Toasted grains and herbal bitterness up front. Hops become peppery and spicy as sweetish fruit juice malts fill in. Slightly tropical with a bit of strawberry and banana. Grassy, herbal, slightly citrus hops into the finish. Lingering spiciness and Juicy Fruit. Medium to moderate body. Another nice IPA iteration from the Harpoon mix pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 22:57:45 | More by alexgash

tdm168

North Carolina

3.94/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - cloudy, hazy orangish yellow with some sediment floating around; huge, soft, foamy, white head that has great retention

S - straw, faint clove; very faint aromas

T - orange peel, citrus, pine, herbal, straw, peppery

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a nice White IPA. This has an intense citrus character similar to their UFO beers, but this has a nice, herbal, piny hop character that rounds out the flavor nicely. There is good balance and drinkability here. This is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:28:54 | More by tdm168

lordofthewiens

Maine

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In a tulip glass this beer was a hazy orange color with a small white head. There was a little bit of lace.

Nice aroma: floral, citrus, and spice. I thought the aroma worked well, with complimentary but not competing aromas.

Taste of orange, lemon, and grapefruit. A bit of clove. Again, everything complimented each other.

Pretty mellow, maybe more of a wit than an IPA. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 19:18:20 | More by lordofthewiens

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber from Wegman's Dewitt NY for 6.99$

Appearance - Slightly hazy gold colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some great lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, caramel, apricots, peach

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel and malts mixed with hops. There is also some grapefruit mixed with some peach/apricot. It ends with a slightly dry yet fruity and hoppy aftertaste.

Overall – Doesn't really taste like a Belgian IPA (as it's listed as on BA) - but regardless it's a great beer. Reminds me more of a APA with some nice fruity notes. I'd buy a 6 pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:36:53 | More by spinrsx

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 12/19/2012. Pours hazy golden amber color with a 2 finger fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Good foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange zest, lemon, mango, pepper, herbal, grass, pine, earth, floral, and yeast spices. Fantastic aromas with good balance and complexity. Great hop profile as well. Taste of big grapefruit, orange zest, lemon, pineapple, pepper, herbal, pine, floral, earth, grass, and yeast spices. Good amount of spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pepper, herbal, pine, earth, grass, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance and complexity of hop flavor and Belgian character; with a good bitterness/sweetness balance as well. No cloying flavors at all after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with nearly zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent White IPA! Great hop flavor profile with nice complexity; extremely smooth to drink. Highly enjoyable offering; might get more if it is still around.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 03:45:11 | More by superspak

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was my pick for the father vs. son beer battle.

Cloudy gold with a thick but brittle pristine white head. Lace like sea foam curtains my glass.

Smells like wet, juicy hops: bright, sharp grassy orange and lemon vanilla frosting. The bottle claims Citra, Cascade and Simcoe. Smells about right. Wheaty hay underneath.

Soft, malty body with more orange lemon meringue hops.

I'm fairly new to the style, though I guess the style is new in general, but I like it. My un-biased pick as the father vs. son beer battle winner.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 23:13:43 | More by donkeyrunner

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A-Pours like a cloud set before the rising sun ; its both glowing and foggy. A thick, white dollop of fluffy cream sits atop the brew. It leaves wiggly and spotty scars along the glass-line.

S-A bright combination of citrus, spice, wheat and tropical hops. The citrus mixes with the coriander notes quite well. The cracked wheat hugs the surprisingly vivid tropical hoppiness. Enticing.

T-The flavor delivers too. Hops are citrusy, tropical and even a bit floral. The wheat keeps everything in context. Sprinkles of spice accentuate the more dynamic flavors. Very bright, very vibrant.

M-Drinks incredibly easy. Moderate bitterness. Feels juicy then it dries out. No booze.

O/D-This Harpoon brew is stellar. Quirky and complex. This is one of Harpoon's best hoppy offerings. This one should be a year-rounder.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:09:02 | More by VelvetExtract

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a tulip

A hazy orange body with a foamy two-finger ecru cap. The cap fades slowly, revealing some spider web lacing. The nose is of oranges, wheat, candied grapefruit, and some spicy pepper. On the palate, candied grapefruit and oranges dominate the palate. A clean bed of hay and spicy pepper with some soft apple and grape laying low. Even some sweet vanilla and grassy notes in the finish. Medium body with soft carbonation. The finish is sweet and dry. White IPA's work if they are clean and tight. The candied grapefruit/orange and sweet malt are just too dominant to let the base wit flavors poke through. Decent, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 20:45:58 | More by ColForbinBC

Kendo

New York

4.48/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from the bomber into a Duvel tulip. Body is slightly hazy golden-orange with a 1.5-finger bubbly white head. Leaves good lacing.

S: Nice - Citra hops are in the house: citrusy and lemony but with a nice wheat twang to it too. Touch of spice.

T: The first descriptive word that comes to mind is "bright." Wheat foundation, a bit of spiciness (coriander, I think, though at times I'm reminded of rye) and then pleasant hoppiness - citric grapefruity (both peel and rind) and then finishing with nice lemony bitterness that really lingers on the palate well into the aftertaste. Heat from ABV surprisingly felt in the belly, but not noted otherwise.

M: Carbonation is modest and softly prickly. Call it light-to-medium in heft.

O: This is a fine White IPA. I'm giving much of the credit to the Citra hops, though the bottle says there are others (I think Simcoe and Cascade) in the mix as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:43:34 | More by Kendo

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A slight haze, flowing activity on a pale golden color, rich and fluffy head, sticky and full.

The aroma is very impressive with an abundance of herbal-citric, hay and wheat, mild yeast effect, slight hea with lemmon zest and pepper. Rich.

The flavor is very bold with three big hop varieties giving a strong citric, zesty, earthy flavor, all in great balance. The mild Belgian-ish yeast gives nice earthy tones with sweet fruits on sour and citric layers. complex but damn easy to slam...or even put down!!

I treated this one like a session brew, gulp, gulp, gulp! but it's nice n complex and well worth sipping. This is easily of the very best from the small batch collection!!

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 22:12:11 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

shand

Florida

4.04/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Harpoon White IPA pours out a hazy orange color with a tiny head that laces well. The aroma is big on citrus hops that are very well rounded by the Belgian yeast. The taste follows with a very nice hop character for the style that actually works with the yeast as opposed to against it, as tends to happen with Belgian IPAs. The mouthfeel is light and crisp, and the drinkability goes. As far as Belgian IPAs go, I actually like this one. It's basically a solid IPA with just a little bit of Belgian character.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 17:38:15 | More by shand

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by Decemeber 19, 2012:

In a chalice:

A: hazy golden body yields a foamy, one finger white head. No carbonation is seen rising. Some nice light foamy lacing speckles the sides of the chalice.

S: hops, citrus with some light peppery notes, slightly subdued Belgian yeast

T: crisp rye/pepperiness mixed well into the citrusy/hops.

M: medium with a crisp yet somewhat wet feel. I would say this is fairly drinkable.

O: I'm impressed, I'm not sure if this is really a witbier as some say, but stands up to Harpoon's "Belgian IPA" more so as it is labeled under. I would definitely come back to this.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 17:55:07 | More by kangarooAdam59

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance is a hazy golden color. The head is white but small. Carbonation appears light and gentile.
Aroma is quite pleasent with scents of Beligum wits and thier corrinder and yeasty spiciness.
Hops are in abundance with a peach and apricot aroma.
Taste leans quite a bit to the wit side, spicy yeast pale malts and corrinder come through nicely. On the other side the hops that were so enticing in the aroma are absent in the taste except for a mild bitterness towards the end. Drinks smooth soft and clean.
I think it's a pretty desent beer and easy drinking. Has summer written all over it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 11:25:04 | More by micromaniac129