Founders Harvest Ale - Founders Brewing Company

Thickfreakness

New York

3.53/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours crystal clear and golden into my DFH glass. Nice chunks of bright white sticky lacing hang on here and there for a nice spider web appearence. Really nice carbonation.

S- Nice and citrusy! Fresh orange segments and pink grapefruit peel. It has a subtle buttery biscuit graininess and a hint of sweetness lying underneath. A touch of basil, mint and freshly fallen pine needles. Nothing over the top, nicely put together.

T- Nice pink grapefruit/tangerine citrus bite. Some subtle sweetness and lightly toasted whole grain breadiness. Picking up some pine as it warms. This has plenty of citrus, but it really plays well with the light malts letting them in to add just a hint of sweetness. Notes of lemon, basil, white pepper and mint along with all that tangy citrus in the finish.

M- Dry and crisp with a nice bitter citrus finish that lets in more sweetness than overbearing, mouthstripping hops.

O- I think "Decent" best describes this brew. Very well done and subtle. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it's not really a beer to brag about having. Still wishing we had a 1/4 point rating system for reviews. This is probably more of a 3.85 than a 3.5.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 20:53:10 | More by Thickfreakness

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.68/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear clean light looking beer. Sort of lures you into thinking you are going to be having just an average light beer.
The nose is outstanding. Not by anymeans over the top , but just nicely balanced.
The initial taste was even cleaner and crisper that I imagined. While this was a light appearing beer, it pack tons of flavor.
This was totally enjoyable. I could see this easily as one of my great summer beers

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:37:08 | More by rdilauro

beerbully

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz bottle into snifter

A-golden white slight white head not much lacing little head retention

S-Citrus hop bomb, lemon, mango, grapefruit, orange, grassy, piney

T- bitter hops, follows the nose, lemon and grapefruit standout. very tasty

M-Crisp, a bit of a dry finish, lingering grapefruit / pine

O-tasty fresh hop bomb that is a good drinker

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 19:38:25 | More by beerbully

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle, bottled on 10/4/12.

bright blond body. head is white with good retention. aroma is a blend of citrus and pine in an american hop symphony. body is sweet enough to provide some backbone to a lot of bitterness. hop flavor is super piney. solid carb on a medium body. everything you would want and expect from a wet hopped brew. certainly worth picking up if you can get it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 02:37:22 | More by Jimmys

jeonseh

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a pint glass

A - Golden with light amber hues. Has a quarter inch soft white head comprised of many small bubbles. Decent amount of carbonation trailing upwards

S - Smells of lemon and grapefruit hops with a backbone of bready malt that gives it a nice sweetness as well to keep the nose balanced.

T - Up front there is a grapefruit, lemon and slight orange / tangerine that hits you up front. There is a slight bready malt in the middle. Grapefruit lingers on in the finish that leaves a slight bite in the finish. The lemon gives a nice clean, slightly astringent flavor. So much fresh hop flavor in each sip makes you want to just keep drinking these

MF - Nice slight carbonation and a creamy smooth mouthfeel. Leaves a nice resin hops on the tongue that lingers on in the finish

O - This is a great use of the fresh, wet hops to give the beer a nice clean bite that hopheads will love. I like the nice thick resin that remains from using these hops and wish more breweries took the foray into this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:21:35 | More by jeonseh

chugalug06

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Foggy, orange brew. White cloudy fluffy head. Lacing is on the rim only.

Crisp, yet unrefined aroma. Soapy, musty, and apricot.

Very wet, moist, crisp, bitter yet sweet. It hits the tongue in a odd way.. It doesn't finish clean or crisp. Very average flavors; nothing amazing or earth moving.

Very dry from the hops and doesn't excite too much. I'll take an Odell.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 06:17:46 | More by chugalug06

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from the brewery, 12oz into a tulip. Bottled on date is smudged.

Filtered lighter orange, white head of a finger or two. Good lace and a decent bit of retention. Nose has some sweet malt with some piney/herbal hops right up front. Some citrus and grass. Taste has a sweet sugary, biscuity malt before more bitter citrus, pine and grassy bitterness. Juicy and good fruit notes. Lighter medium feel which is nice for the ABV, medium carbonation. Bitterness is moderate. A tasty, and relatively light harvest ale - very nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:10:06 | More by liamt07

falloutsnow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: Friar Tuck's, Savoy, IL
Date: "Bottled 10/04/12"
Glass: Tulip glass

Beer pours a 1cm head of bone white foam with average retention. Head leaves significant lacing in various patterns along side of glass as it fades to a thin ring around the perimeter. Body is a light copper orange color, slightly hazy, with visible carbonation streaming from the center of the glass.

Aroma of stale sweat (mine at least?), implying dank green hops. This is mixed with a citrus edge (grapefruit), pineapple, black peppercorns, and a bit of old kale. While complex and interesting, I do not necessarily find the peppercorns and kale scents to be particularly appealing: good, but not exceptional.

Taste opens with sweet pale malts tempered by hop bitterness and citrus flavors, most notably grapefruit and its rind. Mid-palate finds continued, amplified hop bitterness alongside thick grapefruit flavors, with lesser orange, pineapple, and spicy pepperiness. Back of palate continues grapefruit bitterness with like fruit flavor and a faint malt backdrop. Aftertaste of heavy, lingering bitterness and grapefruit flavors.

Beer is medium to medium-light in body, with moderate carbonation that foams the liquid slightly on the palate, creating a generally smooth flowing sip. Finish is dry.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 08:13:13 | More by falloutsnow

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an almost clear gold color with a bit of haze. There is an inch of white, fluffy head. A moderate amount of lacing is present that is loyal to the glass.

The nose is packed with an extreme hop snap. Some tropical fruits are present among notes of grassy hops. The hops are smelling ripe and the brew leaves some heat in your nostrils.

The flavors are amped up with wet, dripping, citrusy hops. Much more citrus fruits are noticed while tasting Harvest Ale. There is still a slight boozy element to it, despite the low ABV. This is a very hop forward brew with a zero amount of malt. I can dig it.

The mouthfeel is light bodied and crisp. There is a moderate amount of carbonation that suits this one just fine.

Overall, love it. Probably my favorite hopped up beer from Founders.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 06:59:53 | More by ChugginOil

DrinkMoreBigBeers

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Date on bottle is smudged

A - Poured out a one finger white head with a clear slight hop hazed bright golden brew.

S - Fresh grapefruit hops, lemon rind, earthiness, bready caramel malts with a sweet smell.

T - Like the nose its grapefruit, orange peel, lemon rind, slight mint, earthiness, not much of a malt balance mostly hops leading this one with some bready caramel notes in the background which go throughout. No trace of alcohol. Can you say freshly hoped up. Leaves a wonderful bitter aftertaste like no other ale. Gets more pleasant tasting as the hops build.

M - This one is soft medium to light bodied and really goes down easy. Carbonation light and keeps this one slightly crisp. Pretty dry in the mouth and makes you want more even though you just had a drink. Not a thirst quencher.

O - I do not believe this is the freshest bottle but it still is a great hoped up harvest ale. Slides down almost to easy and I want more. Oh my these could get dangerous. Its worth a try if you like harvest ales, and you will not be disappointed with the hops profile because the flavor stands out the most, Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 23:01:09 | More by DrinkMoreBigBeers

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Probably my last fresh hop ale of the season, and really looking forward to it. Bottled 4 October 2012, nice and fresh. Tasted 23 October 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours clear golden yellow, bright and glowing. One finger of spongy white head, okay retention, fantastic lacing. Looks pretty darn good.

Smell is outstanding, and in the top tier of IPAs I've encountered. Huge juicy citrus and tropical fruit, more like oranges and pineapple, with grapefruit and pine on the back end. Wow. There are a few IPAs that I find just stunning, and this is one of them.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly light, and incredibly refreshing. Crisp, dry, and light on the palate in a way that few IPAs are. Really interesting, and really nice.

Taste is good, but it's hard to measure up to that smell. Mildly bitter, primarily pine here, a bit astringent. Finishes dry, bitter, and moderately persistent. Not bad, but after those amazing aromatic hops it's a bit of a let-down.

An excellent IPA, and probably the best fresh/wet hop one I've had. IMO, Surly Wet is the only one that even holds a candle to it in that regard.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:13:09 | More by zeledonia

thedoubler55

New Jersey

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

A: A clear light amber color, a very minimal head at the top that left a little lacing around the glass.

S: Very Tropical nose on this one, pineapple, mango, oranges, nice floral and grassy notes as well.

T: Same as the nose, some hints of caramel and breadyness. A very great tasting IPA, so refreshing and leaves you wanting more.

M: Medium Bodied, and perfect amount of carbonation.

O: I dont think Founders can do any wrong, this beer proves it again. Perfect balance throughout, fantastic tasting brew.

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Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 19:09:38 | More by thedoubler55

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

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a four pack of Founders Harvest Ale last week for $10.99 at The Lager Mill. This is the only seasonal from Founders that I haven't tried, it seems like whenever I saw this beer it was always pretty old so I made sure to grab a four pack when I heard it had hit the shelves, I've been wanting to try this beer for a long time, so lets see how it goes. Bottled 10/4/12. Poured from a shorter brown 12oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- The label has a nice drawing of some hop cones letting you know that this beer is all about the hops, I like it, it's simple yet well done. It poured a nice golden yellow color that took on a nice amber hue when held to the light with three fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down to a thick ring that stayed till the end and left lots of nice rings of sticky lacing. This is a very good looking beer, the color is on point and the head and lacing were very nice, I have no complaints at all this beer is a looker.

S- The aroma of this beer is utterly dominated by the wet hops and they impart a range of different aromas there's some grassy and piney aromas followed by a nice dank weed like aroma, but it's the tropical fruit that's the highlight with some nice grapefruit, mango, and pineapple aromas. There's also a light grainy and cracker like malt aroma that sticks out just enough to know it's there. The aroma was pretty much perfect, this is the fruitiest and freshest hop aroma that I have ever encountered, it smells like a glass of tropical fruit juice, one of the best aromas i have ever encountered.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts off with a nice resiny and slightly piney hops flavors that's followed by just a slight bit of malts that impart a slightly sweet, grainy, and cracker like flavor. After that comes loads of juicy tasting citrus fruits, all those citrus fruits that I got in the aroma show up in the taste but are slightly lighter with no one fruit overpowering each other, it makes for a taste that is similar to some tropical fruit juice. On the finish there's a higher amount of medium bitterness with a nice fruity and slightly resiny aftertaste. This is a great tasting beer that's full of lots of fresh hop flavors that dominate the taste of this beer, it's got everything I look for in a wet hopped beer, no complaints at all.

M- Pretty smooth, slightly creamy, a little crisp, on the thicker side of being medium bodied with a good amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was good and it worked well with this beer.

Overall I thought this was a very good beer and a very good example of a wet hopped beer, it's all about the fresh hops as it should be and the hops speak for themselves , you can tell that Founders used some high quality hops while brewing this beer. This beer had good drinkability, if I was really in the mood for hops I could see drinking two of these, they were pretty smooth and not overly bitter with more then enough flavor to hold my attention, I wish I could drink this all year round. What I liked the most about this beer was the aroma, it was spectacular, it had that dank and resinous hops aspect combined with a great bouquet of tropical fruits that seemed to steal the show, one of the best aromas I have ever encountered. What I liked the least about this beer was nothing, after drinking a few of these I can't think of one single thing I didn't like or would change, this beer is great just the way it is. I would for sure buy this beer again, it's a little pricey, but it's worth every penny, if this was available year round it would be a regular in my fridge, I highly recommend this beer to anyone who likes hoppy beers, I don't think fresh hopped beers can get much better then this one, it's for sure worth seeking out. All in all I was very impressed with this beer, it really delivered that huge punch of fresh hopped flavor and aroma that made this beer very enjoyable. Founders Harvest Ale, is now my favorite wet hopped beer, it's so damn good it's now my favorite hoppy beer from Founders, they really did an awesome job with this beer, it blew my mind with just how tasty this beer was, great job guys, with beers like this it's no wonder that Founder's is one of the best Brewery in the country, I highly recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 05:01:12 | More by StoutHunter

AmitC

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

So here it is, Founders harvest ale.

Poured a 12oz bottle into a 20oz snifter. Slight head of white color, less than half a finger thick. Decent lacing, slight bubble spree rising through the glass. Excellent golden amber color.

Smell : Devilish weeds, with grassy and earthy hops. very herb like. Striking and subtle. Excellent use of aroma. No malt presence whatsoever.

Taste: Good amount of bitterness upfront. Definitely feels like more than 70 IBUs. All fresh, american hops of strong beta and less alpha acids. Falls on the palate and disappears quickly. Extremely oily and vapor like presence. No amount of sweetness, whatsoever. Has a huge effect inside the stomach, just within 2 ounces of it going in. Love it.

Mouth feel: Hits the palate and evaporates. Medium to medium light body feel. Moderate carbonation.

For the style : 4.25
Personal bias: 4.5

I love this IPA, overwhelmed me, when i was expecting just another fresh hop IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 23:39:33 | More by AmitC

secondtooth

Indiana

4.58/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This treasure (finally found some bottles) pours a clean golden-amber. Thick white head. Lace is detailed and uniform around the glass. Spectacular.

Aroma is pungent and spicy hops. There's accents of tropical fruit and pine here. Stunning.

Taste is rich and pungent hops, with more pineapple, grapefruit, and orange goodness. A firm malt counterbalance is in place here, too, resulting in a deliciously balanced IPA. As good an IPA as I've had. Will track down more of these!

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 19:05:37 | More by secondtooth

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish snifter. Bottled on 10/4/12

A- pours a nearly transparent shade of yellow with a one finger pure white head. Looks pretty damn solid IMO, very clean

S- ridiculously heavy citrus aroma from the wet hops. Oh man, it's awesomely pungent

T- slight bitterness, plenty of juicy citrus. I kind of expected more, but still really good

M- on the thick side. Almost syrupy

O- damn good wet hop. Founders delivers, as usual

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 03:26:39 | More by bigfnjoe

suspect

New York

4.58/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Dogfish Head Snifter. Bottle date (yay) 10/04/12 - a little over a month.

A: Crystal clear, golden color. Aggressive pour leads to a 1 finger thick pure white head. Lacing is present but not ultra consistant.

S: Like sticking my face into a barrel of hops. It's extraordinarily delectable. If I could be the mayor of Hopville, I would live in a hop cone house that smelled like this beer. And I would never grow tired of it.

T: The hop oils are the dominant flavors, most certainly but the malt backbone is nicely present as well. All in all this is an excellent IPA and one of the better wet-hopped ales I've had.

M: Big bodied, creamy finish. Perfectly carbonated.

O: A wonderful beer and a top 5-er for IPA lovers. Wet-hopped ales are such happy-sad beers for me because I love them so much but I hate that they only last a month or two.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 02:04:36 | More by suspect

davewlfpckfan29

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

So this batch is now about one month old.. It took me a while to finally get my hands on this. Other states like Mass and Vermont had it before Connecticut did. However, I am just happy to try it.

Harvest Ale has a similar hop build to Double Trouble. It shares some similarities for sure. The hops in here are really a great example of what a wet hopped beer should taste and smell like.

This beer smells way better than it tastes. Such a good smell! Those wet hops!
Not too too bitter, but still bitter. It really just has an oily taste to it that wasn't too pleasant in my opinion.

I have now had Port Brewings wet hopped harvest ale (high tide) and Surly Wet.
This beer is on the same level as High Tide, but is definitely a step down from Surly.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 01:11:54 | More by davewlfpckfan29

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle with Bottled 10/04/12 on the neck. Pours a translucent golden yellow color with no head. Minimal lacing. Outstanding aroma of juicy tropical and citrus fruits. Pineapple, sweet orange, and mango. The taste is more of the fruits with some nice hop bitterness. Insanely drinkable. The ABV isn't that high (6.5) but I would have thought it was even lower than that. Some malt and floral hops at the finish along with bitter orange peel. Overall, damn good IPA worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 01:20:48 | More by PicoPapa

macrosmatic

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to maximumu13 for this one! Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into pint glass.

A: Light gold in color, essentially clear. A lower amount of visible carbonation with a thin white head.

S: Cracker malt aroma under big notes of tropical fruit, grassy, and dank hops.

T: Dank, grassy, fruity and melon hops with the light cracker malt. Very tasty.

M: Light body, good carbonation sensation, minimal alcohol presence.

O: Very good beer. Easily the best fresh hop brew I've had this year.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:51:05 | More by macrosmatic

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

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.65/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 9.98/ 4 pack. Bottled 10/4/12. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours brilliant orange with a half finger near white head.

Smells of sweet wet citrus, pine and cat urine. Much nicer than my description may indicate.

Sharp crisp flavors of grapefruit, pepper, pine and a little biscuit. Delicious!

Medium light body with bright tingly carbonation.

For me this is the epitome of fresh wet hopped IPAs. Crisp, clean, hoppy and refreshing. Truly outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:16:16 | More by ThickNStout

hoppytobehere

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First time having this one. Bottled 10/04/12, so about a month old.

A: Light color, clear body. 1 finger head with really nice lacing.

S: Fresh piney hops dominte, some tropical fruit in there as well. Great aroma, IMO.

T: Very hoppy, loads of citrus. Low levels of malt, but this works well for a beer like this. I'm here for the fresh hops.

M: Pretty standard for an IPA. Not as syrupy as I expected.

O: Excellent beer. Really enjoyed this one. $12/4-pack but worth it.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:27:51 | More by hoppytobehere

madtrixter787

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a dogfish pint glass. Nice slightly hazy burnt yellow color, head dissipates rather quickly. Wonderfully citrusy smell, I know it will be good. I think wet hop IPAs are my new favorite style, why only once a year?!?! Just a great balanced and hoppy taste. Pretty light malt to let the nuanced hops really shine. Not a hop bomb, but just perfectly highlighted in this beer. I know founders has some solid beers, but this is definitely one of my favorites from them. So glad I was able to pick up 2 four packs of it. Can't wait to get more next year!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 03:04:06 | More by madtrixter787