Founders Harvest Ale - Founders Brewing Company

thebrood1987

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What an exceptional freshly hopped beer. It has that immense smell of that wet hop deep resinous freshly cut grass with very juicy smells with some sweet and maybe some mint smells from the hops as well. It smells how the Sierra Nevada Wet Hop Ale smells too. It has that same taste but it has that Founders taste. Which if you had their IPA's you can definitely tell its them making the beer.

It has a crisp taste with that herbal bite in the beginning a sweet honey like malt in the middle and ending with the grapefruit sharp wet resinous herbal piney hop taste that you get in the smell. What an excellent beer. All wet hopped beers have this certain smell and taste to them that I can't quite put my finger on and can only best explain it as take the regular taste of high alpha hops and make it fresher and add a wet taste to it. That's seriously the best way I can describe it. You can tell the difference between dry hopped ales and wet hopped ales.

I like this beer better than their Centennial IPA and has a more distinct hop taste than their Double Trouble IPA. Definitely not as bitter but this one definitely packs some hop bitterness on the tongue which is why they ended up calling an IPA intead of an APA. I know it can't be year round because its a Harvest Ale but they should definitely put this in 6 packs especially it being a pretty sessionable beer at 6.5 %.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 02:05:32 | More by thebrood1987

Flux

Michigan

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2011 Harvest. Poured in pint glass.

Don't know if it's because I had this beer super fresh or if it was just a really fantastic season for hops, but this years Harvest was pretty superb.

Poured golden orange with tight off white bubbles that last and a creamy white head. Clear to slight haze.

Definite upfront notes of pineapple and peach with subtler hop aromas.

Citrus notes in the hops come through with the bittering at the end. Malts are subtle but present.

Very well balanced mouthfeel. medium carbonation.

Overall a very crisp beer with a well rounded fruity flavor from the fresh hops. This is one of my favorites for a reason!

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 04:35:31 | More by Flux

Demer

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a golden yellow color with a one finger head and some slight lacing.

The nose on this beer is awesome. Its straight pine and grape fruit.

Taste is much like the nose. Its piney hops,resin and delicious grape fruit and citrus. It is really enjoyable.

Nice carbonation and medium mouth feel, bone dry finish.

I love this beer. The grapefruit is awesome and this is probably one of the best examples of wet hopping I have ever had. Drink fresh you wont be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 19:45:28 | More by Demer

Koufax21

New Mexico

4.97/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - looks vaguely reminiscent of Bert grants harvest ale... God bless.

S - wow... Heavenly. Hops on the olfactory.

T - this could quite possibly be the best beer I have ever had. Ridiculous.

O - I would buy this year round if I could 1 case a month for life. Fantastic.

I've had this beer before but, wow freshness certainly matters on this beer. Bottle says 9-22-11.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 03:16:52 | More by Koufax21

kdmcguire10

Michigan

4.97/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

bottled on 9/22

Appearance: Beautiful tangerine orange. Semi-transparent with a one-finger head that dissipates rather quickly.

Smell: Bright, ripe pineapple, orange, fresh lemon. Extremely fresh smelling beer.

Taste: A bit dry, bready to start and then the citrus hops just punch you in the face! So good. Crisp, clean, ripe fruit. Finish is a perfect balance between the malt and hops. Such a smooth, easy to drink beer.

Mouthfeel: Thin, light, airy. Perfect for Indian Summer, although I could easily drink this brew all summer long.

Overall: Such an incredible beer. Not what I expected for a "harvest" ale. Incredibly delicious, smooth brew. Founders doesn't make a beer I don't love, but this belongs up on the top shelf with CBS and KBS. Personally, I'd put it right next to Pliny, Hopslam and Zombie Dust.

Get it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 00:53:53 | More by kdmcguire10

schinebd

Massachusetts

4.93/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I liked this beer so much that I had to make it my first review

A- A nice light copper, with limited transparency

S - Before I even stuck my nose in the glass, I could smell the hops, which caught me off guard. In a good way.

T- Wow. Just wow. Great showcasing of the complexity of the hop here. The limited malt presence takes its proper place (in the back) lets the hops dominate. Pine dissolves to an incredible grapefruit aftertaste that last for a very long time after the last sip. Yeah, the are some malts there to give some balance, but who cares? If you're drinking this beer for malty flavor, you're probably better suited drinking something else.

M - Crisp feel, very carbonated, and dry finish makes me want to drink more.

D- I want more of these. 6.1% ABV? I could almost power hour with this. Almost. I polished mine off far too quickly. Why oh why did I only buy a single 12. oz bottle??

I think there is something to be said for a beer that stays within traditional concepts of what a beer is, but manages to be both unique, and incredible tasty. That is, this won't blow anyone's mind about what a beer can be (like a person trying their first DIPA), but it is still as enjoyable and complex as any "extreme" beer. Hence why I gave it such a high rating.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2008 03:57:12 | More by schinebd

ZAP

Minnesota

4.93/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-Too much head....that is a problem in this instance...half the glass is beer...half foam...probably more foam...not good...(2.0 originally)..upgraded to 4.0 as the 2009 version is perfectly carbonated and looks wonderful with a bright peach appearance..

S-Great aroma of citrus fruits...grapefruits....mandarin oranges...tangerines...

T-It says this has 70 IBU's and I don't question that but this is a good example of a well hopped beer that is juicy and flavorful...really not much raw bitterness....just some great juicy citrus fruit flavors (same as in the aroma).toasted malts..

M-Not particularly big in body...but for an APA it is right on...would work body wise for an IPA too probably but not a DIPA...

D-Very enjoyable except for the way it poured(in 08)....love the use of hops in this one... (09 notes) ..tough to find an APA much better than this..

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 05:42:23 | More by ZAP

OStrungT

California

4.93/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a golden yellow color, with a thick, fluffy white head that fades very slowly, leaving a massive lacing.

This beer smells of citrus hops. Very nice. Some floral hop aroma is present also, with a little grass.

This beer tastes much like it smells. Citrusy and grassy. Very good. Some floral flavor is present. It tastes great.

This beer is crisp and refreshing. It leaves a grassy, citrus aftertaste. Carbonation is great.

This beer would make a great session beer. Low enough alcohol, and a great flavor.

Overall: Thanks to TheodorHerzl for this great beer. I like it a lot. It is probably the best Harvest Ale I have had this year.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2009 01:17:24 | More by OStrungT

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.93/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer pours an orange color with golden hues. The head is half an inch in height, and recedes slowly into decent lacing. This is a sharp looking beer. The aroma is as green as I've ever experienced. I think I can accurately describe it as smelling as if there are hop cones still submerged in the beer. And I'm actually surprised that there aren't. The malt bill is reminiscent of that of Founder's Centennial IPA, and Pale Ale, and that is alright by me. The taste is akin to the aroma. The leafy, grassy, hoppy character is very sharp, while the malt profile is nice and soft. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, and a smooth texture. Overall, this is a great beer. If only someone could invent a hop that could be harvested year round so beers like this could be brewed year round. As is this will be one of my most looked forward to beers of the fall.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 20:40:48 | More by KarlHungus

brewmentor

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

When you look at this beer in the bottle, you will see a light haze. As you pour this ale, you can't help but smell the fresh hoppy aroma. Everything about this beer feels fresh. It is enjoyable on every level of the experience. It leaves a tail that makes you want more.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2008 04:20:38 | More by brewmentor

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.85/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I got this brew from tburkhart, Thanks Tim!

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - cloudy yellow color with a big fluffy white head that didn't quit despite leaving sheets of lacing behind.

S - a citrus hop blast to the nose.

T - incredibly balanced considering the aroma, the citrus hop taste hits hard upfront followed by enough malt to somehow balance it out before it gets too bitter, a terrific tasting brew!

F - medium bodied with a smooth feel.

D - extremely tasty and extremely easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2008 22:46:25 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

caskstrength

Minnesota

4.85/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A few 2009 4-packs.

Pour is what you would expect. Straw yellow. Clear with no haze. White head.

Smells are citrusy piney goodness. Some earthiness too. Getting excited here.

Taste: Juicy hops, earthy and fresh; wonderfully so. Raw and pungent, but not overwhelming or biting, just sitting there comfortably. I would also use crisp, bright, quenching as descriptors. I was not expecting this level of greatness.

Very easy drinking. ABV in a good range if you want to drink a few and still function.
After one, I want another, and another.
Really a pleasure to drink this, very refreshing.

I will be stocking up on this beer every fall from now on. Makes me want to move to Grand Rapids, MI, so I can have this as fresh as possible whenever released.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 16:20:31 | More by caskstrength

CHickman

New York

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a clear yellow gold color with a ½ inch foamy white that faded slowly and left great lacing and rings of foam on the glass and a ring of white foam on top of the brew; looks like a pilsner with an IPA head.

Smells very hoppy up front with a blast of floral hops and piney hops up front, followed by flowers, grapefruit, citrus hops, orange peel, mild grains, sweet malt and some light caramel; the floral hops and herbs dominate the aroma with such a fresh hop aroma that it smells like there's one floating in the glass. An excellent aroma!

The taste is very similar to the odor, with a blast of hops up front with floral hops, piney hops and citrus hops, followed by grapefruit, orange peel, sweet malt, flowers, mild grains, caramel, herbs, grass, lemon zest, biscuit and a nice slightly bitter pucker in the finish. The hops control the flavor and while the malt sweetness attempts to balance this beer it's really all hops, citrus and floral herbs, with a slight hop spice mixed in with the malt sweetness. Overall the flavor is excellent.

Mouthfeel is oily and silky smooth, with very light carbonation, and a very light, crisp body that helps this go down easy.

High drinkability, as this is very tasty and the alcohol does not show at all. I could drink this anytime and all night, and highly recommend this beer.

NOTE: 2012 Harvest Ale tastes like grapefruit juice, with a crazy citrus flavor that is so tasty that these bottles are flowing down incredibly fast. The wet hops are really pungent and once again make for an excellent beer and drinking experience. I notched up the overall review category from 4.5 to 5 because it's so good.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 04:08:10 | More by CHickman

HOPPYKC

Kansas

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 9/22/2011
This bottle pours a nice and golden pale color. It has an amazing pungent aroma right up front, grassy and full of pine and resin. It really almost seems to remind me of a wild yeasty and wheaty kinda of IPA. I will say that this is an amazing brew; i think founders did an amazing an here. I get the resinous of the hops and the overall freshness of the brew. The mouthfeel is great, a little heavy up front but goes down smooth making this an amazingly sessional beer. One thing i will say.. if this brew was made with another 3-4% alcohol content and made to an DIPA i would have so much more respect for this mammoth of a flavorful brew. I mean it has the feel and taste of a DIPA but i just feel like it would pack a bit more punch if an alcohol finish made the last impression.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 02:20:49 | More by HOPPYKC

JayS2629

Alabama

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a copper color with a rich white head that slowly fades into creamy rings of lace.

Fresh cut grass, floral bouquests of honeysuckle, orange blossoms and clover, pine, and citrus; grapefruit, lemon, and orange.

Nice bready backbone of toast and caramel with nicely balanced notes of grapefruit, fresh flowers and grass. Delicious.

Smooth, crisp, refreshing, medium body

Very nice balance and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 19:43:13 | More by JayS2629

threeviews

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Unquestionably, this is one of my favorite (single and sessionable) IPA's on the market...Lagunitas Daytime and Stone IPA are my secondary and tertiary choices...

A- Pours a beautiful, crystal clear golden (obviously filtered) with about a single-finger worth or fluffy white head.

S- Aroma for days! Huge floral notes along with tropical citrus...flowers, grapefruit, orange, mango, pineapple and peach all come to mind...amazing!

T- Considerable malt backbone is detected before the onslaught of a huge wave of citrus-rind bitterness...not overly astringent, but unmistakably an West Coast American IPA...absolutely brilliant!

M- Moderate carbonation does the trick as the hop oils simply coat the tongue and get you ready for the next sip.

O- This, Double Trouble and KBS are my top three brews that Founders offers...unfortunately all three are limited releases forcing me hunt and ration for these exceptional brews. Wow...only if one of these were year-round offerings. Founders never disappoints.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 00:26:44 | More by threeviews

CB_Crowe

Vermont

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ouncer bottled 10/4/12 poured into Lawson's Tulip on the evening of 11/14/12.

A - aggressive pour yields hardly any foamy white head. The color is a translucent orangey golden. Nice.

S - Wowzer. Fruity! Sweet pineapple and citrus with a bit of fresh hops; maybe a bit of grassy-ness.

T - This one tastes like it smells. Pineapple and citrus up front. A touch of sweet juicyness and a wonderful fresh hop finish. This is one tasty beverage.

M - crisp and fresh. carbonation works well as it doesn't seem too much or too little.

O - This beer rules. I'm glad I got to try this. I will look for this one every year when it comes out. It's a quick drinker though as the spectactular flavor kept inviting me to take another sip.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 14:40:02 | More by CB_Crowe

LilBilly666

Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Perfect blend of wet hops. Excellent aromas. I have had this one sitting for a few months and it is just as good as when fresh. Love the light mouth feel on this. Nice bite of wet hops with a wonderful aftertaste. You know what I'm talking about. When you rub your tongue over the roof of your mouth because you want more of that flavor!

I like it because it's a nice change of pace from the typical "pale ale" I get in Georgia.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 05:12:39 | More by LilBilly666

bsp77

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Mostly clear light orange-yellow with moderate white head which leaves nice lacing lines. Much lighter beer than I expected.

Smell: Exceedingly strong grapefruit smell, with some other citrus notes (and perhaps pine) buried beneath. The smell is quite simply hops personified, and is by far the freshest beer I have ever smelled.

Taste: Exceedingly citrusy with grapefruit, orange and lemon all present. Slightly sweet toasted malts are attempting to come forward and only halfway succeeding. The bitterness is persistent and remains long after each sip. While fantastic, almost too much grapefruit for me; needs a titch more balance. What am I saying, screw balance.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, relatively light body but somewhat oily from the hops, mouth suckingly dry.

Drinkability: Despite the bitterness, the fantastic juicy hop profile and dryness will not let me stop drinking. It also helps that I smell such fantastic hops every time I lift the glass.

Who the hell listed this as an APA? 6.5% and 70 IBUs, that is not an APA. More of an IPA, but I actually think there should be a Fresh Hop/Wet Hop category.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 22:00:26 | More by bsp77

sublimesipping

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Having found a new favorite micro, I am smitten. Everything I try from this brewery is simply delicious. this beer represents fall 09 for me. Piney, earty, great aroma of old growth forests, a beer that I want to curl up to the campfire with.
Poured into a tumbler pint, great color, and head retention and aroma to die for. Taste again of pine woods and citrus spioe. Very well balanced with and excelent finish. so easy on the palate. A lingering rememberence like the season, of of the best of its class, my harvest for 2009. Cheers to Founders!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 03:49:09 | More by sublimesipping

elgiacomo

Georgia

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottled Sept 29, 2010, enjoying this one less than two weeks old...very excited to crack this bad boy open!

Pours golden with a hint of amber and noticeable bits of haze, two finger white head that leaves a ring of drippy lacing and holds a light cap.

Aroma is all sorts of citrus hops, oranges, grapefruit, some pineapple, a touch of tropical fruits, not much malt, pretty much all hops. Good strength.

As impressive as the aroma is, the flavor is even better and is a punch to the mouth of super-fresh juicy hops, just amazing. There is a touch of malt to attempt to balance, moderate bitterness...real smooth drinker. Finishes nice and dry.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, medium carbonation.

Wow, fantastic, amazing, incredible. Lovin' the wet hopped stuff coming out this time of year and having a super-fresh bottle makes it all the better. Founders continues to impress.

I see this is listed as an APA here...thought it was an IPA...either way it is phenomenal for whichever category.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 00:41:24 | More by elgiacomo

Deingeist

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pretty clear amber/orange, with a finger of off-white head. Good lacing even though the head mostly dissolves.

Smells of grapefruit/citrus, pineapple, and a wet fresh pine cones from the hops, also as fresh wet hop beers go it also smells a but like marijuana but more crisp.

Tastes exactly like it smells with a bigger punch, more tropical fruits present, and the bitterness of the hops is wonderfully balanced. It's got a slight sweetness to it through the bitterness that makes it perfect.

Feels thinner than I expected, not as resiny or syrupy as an Imperial IPA, but it's actually more drinkable because of this fact. Nice carbonation, but not overpowering which is good. It allows you to taste the beer and doesnt just bite your tongue.

I will definitely be buying this one again. Great beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:28:08 | More by Deingeist

pmccallum86

Minnesota

4.78/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice golden hazy color with a small head that dissapates quickly.

The smell of this beer is great, earthy grass notes with floral hop aromas.

Great tasting APA, maybe the best out there. Tons of fresh hop flavor. Floral hop taste with hop flavor that lingers on the tongue forever. This beer is actually hoppier than many DIPAs. Some malt present in there but make no mistake this beer is all about the hops.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth with a medium body and crisp finish, very nice.

Very drinkable beer, almost too drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 22:42:06 | More by pmccallum86

Burl41

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Bottle into pint glass

Appearance- Clear pale color, not quite golden. Mild head, that lasts but very thin

Smell-Wow a very clear and potent hop profile hits you. Citris and pine up front, you can tell there is a variety in hops used. Smells like a DIPA for sure.

Taste- Great hop flavor, malt is somewhat mild, doesn't have that body that a simliar IPA would have and the bitterness is pulled back but still a great hop pressence.

Mouthfeel-A little weak, more a session beer. Boarding on watery.

Drinkability- Like I said, a session beer for a hop head, great drinkability, and full range of hop flavors to boot.

Would drink again, but it's too bad it's a seasonal. Would not be bad at all to drink on a fall day after some time outside playing football.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2009 06:38:50 | More by Burl41

Avantyawn

New York

4.78/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 ounce bottle dated 9/22/11, so about 6 weeks old , and tastes amazing!

A: Golden orange, small head, little retention, filtered, doesn't look too impressive.

S: Citrus bomb, smells similar to their excellent Double Trouble, freshly squeezed tangerine juice, grape skin, murky sweet malt hints. Fantastic!

T: Sweet and bitter, tropical candy fruits, tastes absolutely sublime. This is EXACTLY the type of IPA I like. I would drink this all day. Tastes much like Dreadnaught but lighter.

M: Puckering bitterness, but well rounded, not TOO extreme. Very zingy but understated carbonation. Awesome.

This is an exceptional beer. The sweetness at the close is poetic. The bitterness subtle yet extremely dry. I can't say enough about this IPA. Buy it at all costs and soon!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 00:56:21 | More by Avantyawn