Harlan IPA - Hill Farmstead Brewery

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.29/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a light, very hazy wheat yellow, large nearly white head with lots of large bubbles, and lots of thick lacing.

Aggressive hop aroma, pine and bitter citrus, grapefruit and some grass, definitely smells like Columbus. Really big aroma and not much here except hops, smells great.

Taste is aggressive hops too, big grapefruit and tangerine, some pine and grass, a little weed character. Columbus hops are really dominant here again. Pretty bitter, but also a hint of fruity sweetness. Delicious.

Carbonation level is perfect, soft and creamy mouthfeel that keeps drinkability very high despite the fairly high bitterness. Excellent.

This is a wonderful IPA. Great aroma, great flavor too of course, great drinkability.

8.7/10

Serving type: growler

04-28-2013 01:09:29 | More by AlexFields

Resuin

Massachusetts

4.44/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 mL growler into a Hill Farmstead stemmed tulip. This beer was poured fresh 6 days ago.

Appearance: Pours a hazy blonde and leaves a finger or two of white head which leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: Nice earthy tones as well as some pine and citrus notes/lemon rinds. Definitely a hops dominant IPA, but the hops are well balanced and create a very nice aroma.

Taste: The taste matches the scent well - pine, earthy tones, citrus. A nicely balanced hop dominant IPA with a nice, light (but hoppy) finish. The piney hops really come out nicely in this one. Very refreshing IPA.

Mouth-feel: Nicely carbonated with a nice light body. Finishes supremely smooth with the alcohol hidden.

Overall: A nice and refreshing IPA with some huge hop character - delicious. This is dangerously close to a perfect awesome session IPA, but may have a bit too much flavor (not a bad thing). A great IPA.

Serving type: growler

04-26-2013 00:49:23 | More by Resuin

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a light medium orange gold color with a fluffy two fingered, frothy white head and lots of nice carbonation.

S - Dank citrus and delicate floral aroma.

T - A massive wall of grapefruit bitterness foremost followed by floral bitterness that dominate throughout and ends with a healthy mouth coating of red grapefruit and floral bitterness. Light biscuity malt underneath doesn't stand a chance with the hoppy punch of this beer, it's the to keep the hops in check, is a very hop forward beer.

M - Light medium body and a very dry, long, lingering bitter finish.

O - Nice low alcohol and nice bitterness, overall taste is bigger than the ABV of the beer which is refreshing for a change.

Serving type: growler

04-25-2013 21:09:31 | More by jzeilinger

Skrip

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml growler poured into a Founders snifter.

A~ glowing neon yellow, with a nice head and slight lacing.

S~ a little floral, slight citrus and lots of earthy pine. a little HF funk as well.

T~ lots of hop bitterness up front, followed by a little lemony citrus and tons of pine on the finish.

M~ a perfectly carbonated IPA, very full and pretty dry.

O~ not my favorite hoppy HF, but still great as always. i'd go for something else if you have the choice but still definitely worth it. i love how that HF "flavor" comes through in all their brews. it must be the well water ;]

Serving type: growler

04-16-2013 03:28:03 | More by Skrip

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I was lucky enough to get a glass of Hill Farmstead Harlan IPA at Armsby Abbey in Worcester, MA. Served in signature Hill Farmstead Brewery stemware. Nice.

Appearance (4.75/5): Harlan pours a brilliant golden yellow and is topped by a luxuriant, creamy 2.5 finger white head. Hill Farmstead's IPAs have what is in my opinion the ideal look for the style. The color and towering head on them, presented in a beautiful glass, are close to perfect. Harlan is in the same class as the other IPAs in the HF lineup.

Smell (4.25/5): Deep dankness from the hops and sweet malty pale malts flex in the odor. Harlan is quite lemony, grapefruity, and piney. Classic West Coast hop profile, but with a sweeter edge. True to Hill Farmstead's style, the aroma is a successful balancing act between fruity hoppiness and sweet malts. This isn't an aggressive smelling IPA; but that's not what the guys at HF do.

Taste (4.25/5): Dank, very juicy loads of pink grapefruit and a bit of tropical fruit. Harlan is not highly bitter. The malt plays a quite significant role in the flavor profile of this beer and the finish is just as sweet as it is bitter.

Mouthfeel (4.5/5): Very balanced, well carbonated, and medium body. This is an easy drinking IPA–the bitterness is there and definitely does stab the tongue with some grapefruity astringency, but it isn't a palate destroyer, so it's quite possible to have a couple, perhaps more, glasses of this beer. A final note on mouthfeel: like so many Hill Farmstead IPAs, Shaun Hill has been able to coax a creaminess out of Harlan that really is impressive.

Overall (4.25/5): Harlan is a very, very good IPA. This citrusy, piney, golden-orange beauty is an easygoing, highly drinkable beer with a sweet malt profile that really plays a strong role in this beer. That said, Harlan isn't my favorite IPA by Hill Farmstead–it could have been a little more aggressive and dry, but these are minor quibbles. Another great beer by Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2013 18:13:41 | More by hagbergl

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A:Pours a slightly hazy copper orange with a nice white cap. Head settles very slowly leaving some bubbles, a little collar and spotty lacing

S: Grapefruits and pine needles with some underlying Earthiness

T: Immediate freshly cut grass and grapefruit with some pine resin peaking in and out. It has a very nice, clean taste as do most HF IPA's. The finish is long, subtle in bitterness and dry

M: Light to light-medium body, well carbonated, crisp, refreshing with loads of flavor bombarding the palate

O: Very nicely done. No omplaints here.

Serving type: growler

03-31-2013 14:37:45 | More by barleywinefiend

neophilus

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazy golden amber pour with a fluffy white head. Aroma is a strong blend of bright citrus fruit and dank pine resin, a wonderful balance on the nose.

The first sip punches your mouth with more dank hop resin laced with the fresh orange citrus taste. Rough around the edges in all the right ways. Firm hop bittering is forgotten behind the heavy flavors of hop oils dominating the brew. Meduim body with a silky finish.

Each mouthful of this ipa is drenched in aromatic hops. The rough edge keeps the hop oils in a check a bit and refreshes your palate for more hop indulgence.

Serving type: growler

03-24-2013 20:10:12 | More by neophilus

mobius387

Wisconsin

4.11/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

poured into a HF branded stemware

appearance: milky crisp yellow, thin white bubbly head. opaque, bubbles very noticeable on sides of glass and in middle. does HF make a bad looking IPA? its the standard in my opinion of how an ipa should look

aroma: very light notes of dandelion, and honey. i get some kind of chemically tinted smell too tho. falls way short of the more aromatic ipas HF makes like susan, abner, edward

palate: silky smooth, dont notice any booziness, nice hop kick and fairly bitter which i like

taste: a nice balance of sweet and hop, citrusy tangerine and honey dominate

overall: again, HF can do no wrong. not quite as good as the heavy hitters HF makes, but just all around a great beer. its unique enough tho to distinguish itself from their fleet. really enjoyed this

Serving type: growler

03-21-2013 22:23:55 | More by mobius387

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Harlan has a light yellow honey color and is quite cloudy. On top sits a rather dense head and leaves alot of lacing.
The aroma is quite a pungent and dank hop smell.
The taste is lively with a bold hop flavor. Though the taste is like the nose, pungent I think I detected hints of citrus maybe.
Drinks smooth with a light dryness and semi bitter. A fine offeringf from the folks in Vermont.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2013 19:31:40 | More by micromaniac129

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 mL growler poured into my new Dogfish IPA glass! Let's take this bad boy for a test drive.

Appearance - Nice white head with decent retention and nice lacing. Golden yellow body that's a little hazy.

Smell - Lots of grapefruit and grassy hops. All hops. Pungent and a little bit of onion to it.

Taste - Very hoppy. Bright citrus with a touch of sweetness right up front before becoming more grassy than the nose. Not much malt. Low bitterness, but there's almost no sweetness to it from the malt at all so it lingers.

Mouthfeel - Clean and easy to drink. Light to medium body with a dose of bitterness at the end.

Overall - I had a small pour of this and wasn't enthused. Split a growler with someone and now I really like it.

Serving type: growler

03-12-2013 00:08:20 | More by Alieniloquium

PennsportHophead

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Pint glass at the Barrel House, Philadelphia. Hazy
yellow orange with better than average lacing.

S: Very floral, orange rind, dank resiny Columbus hops

T: Tangerine, slight tropical fruit, muted pine cone. Pale malts are pretty dominant. Creamy mouthfeel. Thick, lingering hoppy finish. Kind of muddled

O: kind of a one note beer. While better than your average IPA, this one lacked complexity for me and I was bored of it about halfway through.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 00:11:08 | More by PennsportHophead

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml to HFS sniffer

A: light yellow honey colored with a bit of orange in the middle. A big fluffy tan head that dissipates but leaves a thick lacing. It is also about as cloudy as you can get completely opaque some would say thats a bad thing I think its an awesome thing.

S: orange citrus fresh floor hops I think I can even smell some pine resin in there too just at total hop bomb with nothing else there but its very powerful for a single IPA and pretty much all I need in an IPA.

T: Just as it smells a total hop bomb. Way more resinous in terms of flavor then smell not nearly as much citrus as initially smelled but it is somewhat there. The resin is just totally dominant flavor and stays on the palette for a really long time after even a small stick. Good but there is no balance in mind here.

M: as the taste was this thing is just sticky with resin in the feel as well it sticks to your tongue for a long time. That being said it is still very crisp which makes it very drinkable, the alcohol as well is totally hidden being high for a single IPA.

O: The smell and look were more appealing then the taste and feel as they were overwhelming but this is a really delicious IPA and I am really nit picking if I wasn't blessed enough to have HFS all the time. I highly recommend this beer if you can get your hands on it, unless you don't like hops then definitely pass.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2013 01:45:02 | More by Pinknuggets

cfrances33

Illinois

4.71/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Growler poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Hazy light orange with a dense, sticky white head. Lots of foamy lacing lingers the entire glass. Body has a really nice radiance to it.

Smell: Grapefruit and mango up front, accompanied by a light resinous pine. A bready sweetness comes through mid-nose, and finishes with bright citrus.

Taste: Grapefruit up front with citrus to follow. Slightest honey maltiness and a touch of bready sweetness. Mildly bitter citrus fruits characterized by grapefruit and tangerine. Finishes with some cracked white pepper and lingering citrus bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Very juicy, but finishes dry. Nice carb, and very drinkable.

Overall: Delicious. Really straddles the line between Abner and Edward, and the Columbus dry is a nice addition.

Serving type: growler

03-04-2013 20:00:46 | More by cfrances33

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured out as a hazy orange color, very nice white soapy head on top. The retention is a little clumpy but the lacing sticks to the glass really well. The smell of the beer is floral, big piny notes and sweet malt in the faint distance. The taste is nicely balanced between sweet and bitter, more bitter than sweet obviously. The mouthfeel is a bit heavier than most HF beers. Nice solid carbonation gives this beer a lot of life on te tongue. Overall very good, glad I got the chance to try this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2013 22:49:25 | More by Knapp85

DevilsCups

New York

4.39/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml Growler filled at the farm 2 days ago.

A - Murky bright orange, beautiful fluffy white head. Lacing is fantastic.

S - Bright, clean citrusy hops. Sweet citrus, tangerine.

T - Super clean hop taste. Citrusy up front with a nice light malt backbone.

M - Carbonated perfectly, like most Hill Farmstead IPA's. Great smooth mouthfeel. Not overly aggressive on the carbonation but not dull at all.

O - Can't go wrong with any of the Farmsteads IPA's. They're all world class. In fact, all of their beers are. Go get some. This one drinks similar to a fresh Alesmith IPA if you're looking for a comparison, just better.

Serving type: growler

02-27-2013 02:58:37 | More by DevilsCups

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4

$6.75 for an imperial pint glass
Sampled 06FEB13

[A] Hazy creamsicle orange with finger high of white loosely compacted head. Retention is well above average. Lacing is fantastic.

[S] The blend of hops covers the gamut. From the light tropical notes, to the blend of sweet orange and bitter grapefruit, all the way to the melon qualities reminding me of both cantaloupe and honeydew. Some spicy/stinky hop character adds balance to the fruit suggestions. A little caramel comes through as well.

[T] Fresh hop flavor first and foremost - same characteristics as above. Integration is a bit lacking. The balance between hops, malts and mouthfeel aren't working for me though as the hops completely dominate the malt (I know, it's an IPA), but more importantly, the mouthfeel almost completely dominates the flavor.

[M] Sharp carbonation that bites the tongue fiercely on all sides. The assault finally fades giving the flavor a chance to poke through before the bone dry finish.

[O] If the flavor and mouthfeel portions of my review seems harsh, let me put it in perspective: I would order this beer 9 times out of 10 on most taplists. It's a great beer, in my opinion, it just falls short of the phenomenally high bar Mr. Hill has set for himself.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 14:40:39 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Cloudy yellow, white head has some retention and lace.

S/T - Can't help but compare this to Edward since its described as a hopped up version of Edward. While I remember Edward being heavy on the pine resin hop side of things, Harlan is brightened up considerably with notes of lemon and tangerine. Still finishes with pine resin and is bitter. Some grassy, hay yeast mid palate.

M - Medium/light body, lively carb, crisp finish, slightly abrasive hops.

O - Another solid HF beer. Easy drinking, yet it maintains depth of hop flavor and moderate bitterness while not being palate-wrecking.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2013 20:19:34 | More by garuda

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at the Black Back Pub. Lace, soapy head. Funky aroma,and hops. This is a dirty blond.Honeyish smooth mouthfeel. The taste, tangerine orange citrus and juicy and fruity,piney, resiny,hits the spot. Suitably carbonated.Something I couldcome back to.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 23:12:16 | More by northyorksammy

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler personally retrieved from the farmstead.

Cloudy yellow-orange body. Light frothy head.

Clean, crisp hop nose.

Clean malt, lightly sweet, bitter hops. A perfectly balanced brew.

Crisp, clean, scouringly strippy mouthfeel.

Great drinker, perfect with pizza.

Serving type: growler

08-08-2012 02:08:42 | More by ghostwalker

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.48/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml Growler 6,0% ABV.
Served chilled in an over sized wine glass.
Filled on: 13 July 2012
Consumed on: 30 July 2012

A massive thanks to Futura123 for sending this one out to me!

Appearance: Harlan pours a cloudy, but bright golden-yellow. A gentle pour yields a fairly small white head that lasts well and leaves some beautiful lacing.

Smell: Ah man, this smells fantastic! There is certainly no sign of deterioration due to shipping! The nose is dominated by dank, leafy hops and strong grapefruit. Other notes include: Pine, lemon, mango, peach, light grassy and floral notes and an unexpected whiff of banana (the yeast maybe?).

Taste: As with the nose, the flavour is superb! Notes include: Dank hops, pine, citrus peel, grapefruit, an earthy note, peach, a hint of mango and a grassy note.
The finish displays a solid bitterness, but one that never hinders drinkability.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with a medium level of smooth carbonation. The balanced nature of the bitterness and this mouthfeel certainly make Harlan a fantastically drinkable IPA - I almost regret sharing this with my friends!

Overall: This is my first Hill Farmstead beer and I must say, I am very impressed! Harlan is a fantastic IPA and one I wish I could have as a summer staple. I am particularly impressed at how well it has held up on the trip to South Africa.

Serving type: growler

08-06-2012 13:35:05 | More by Thehuntmaster

largadeer

California

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

Dunno what's up with the review below me, this beer was hoppy as shit.

Appearance: Pours like every other Hill Farmstead IPA: cloudy and unfiltered pale amber with great head retention and lacing.

Smell: Really dank, intense hop aroma for the modest strength. This one is all hops. Columbus is blatant, giving the beer a big orange pith and grapefruit character with some spiciness and marijuana beneath. There's a touch of mango buried beneath the citrus. No malt character to speak of, and with a hop aroma so intense, it's really not needed.

Palate: This stuff is huge on the palate, very high IBUs matched by equally huge hop flavor. Bitterness is clean and resinous. The hop profile is largely citrus, namely grapefruit with some orange peel, pine and a touch of sweet tropical fruit that grows as the palate acclimates to the intense bitterness. Malt is largely absent. Bitterness is just slightly more abrasive than I'd like.

Overall: No surprises here, this is another killer hoppy beer from Shaun Hill.

Serving type: growler

07-31-2012 04:11:24 | More by largadeer

lurpy1

Minnesota

2.78/5  rDev -34.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Dear Hill Farmstead brewery,

I have always hoped to try your beer, and I was very excited to see a bottle of Harlan show up at a recent tasting. However, I was disappointed to find that it did not contain any hops in it. The ingredient list clearly shows that hops should have shipped with the product. Additionally, Harlan is an IPA, and anyone would agree that an IPA with no hops is pretty much useless. Harlan was consumed alongside a decent but fairly forgettable IPA, and even that IPA remembered to include some hops.

This beer was consumed in Minnesota, which is a long way from your Vermont headquarters, so perhaps the hops all fell out en route? Regardless, you may want to check your QC processes to ensure that when a beer like Harlan leaves the brewery, it always has some hops in it.

I do want to say that Harlan is an attractive, hazy, vivid orange beer, and I could almost smell and taste just how good it would have been, if not for the missing hops. I am quite surprised that of all the reviewers I'm the first to comment on the missing hops, I guess an omission like this doesn't happen too often.

I look forward to trying your other beers, but after such a disappointing experience, it will be tough for me to give a positive recommendation to Harlan.

Sincerely,
lurpy1

With the sarcasm-dial turned to zero, let me say that most people at the tasting were stunned by the lack of hop character. I for one wondered if the bottle was mis-labled.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 15:44:51 | More by lurpy1

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml growler filled in-person at the Hill Farmstead bottle release on Saturday. Poured into my HF glass and shared with a couple of friends.

A- Pours a hazy pretty much non-translucent slightly brownish yellowish orange with a slightly reddish hue and a thin layer of white head, very tiny carbonation bubbles slowly rising to the top, definitely below average carbonation. A tiny bit darker in appearance then most IPAs.

S- Dry hops with just a slightly dank smell, oranges, grapefruit, and a little bit of lemon. Above average aroma strength.

T- Hops, grapefruit, orange, a little bit of pine, finishes with a nice lemony/orange aftertaste that lingers on the palate. The lingering sweet aftertaste is definitely the best part, overall could have used maybe a tiny bit more flavor compared to their other IPAs.

M- Smooth, light, crisp, well-balanced, not too much carbonation, goes down very easily.

O- This was another damn good IPA from Hill Farmstead. Nice citrusy hoppy smell + taste that has a very nice finish and a very refreshing mouthfeel perfect for this hot summer day. Without a doubt one of the better IPAs that I've had, maybe not as good as some of the other IPAs/DIPAs from HF but definitely well above average. Keep up the good work Hill Farmstead, I wish I brought back a 2L of this.

Serving type: growler

07-17-2012 23:56:35 | More by jaasen64

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-07-04 in Paoli, PA at TJ's

A - Cloudy orange with a 1-finger head and mild lacing.

S - Citrus, dank, grassy/herbal, light tropical hop floral. Pleasant but not overpowering.

T - Spicy/herbal, orange and grapefruit citrus, light pine and orange zest. Certainly influenced by the Columbus hops.

M - Light-medium body and medium carbonation. Soft and lightly oily.

O - I enjoyed it although I like Edward better.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2012 11:04:05 | More by Tucquan

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Teresa's, Wayne, PA

Seriously, how many different IPAs can one brewery make? Well, apparently a lot, as we see HF seemingly bang out a new one every few months or so. And you don't hear me complaining.

Harlan is described as Edward dry-hopped exclusively with Columbus. I was a little leery on trying this one, after recently having HF's questionable Columbus IPA, but I can't let one bad experience ruin the hop for me altogether.

Surprisingly served in a full pint glass, Harlan poured an impenetrably hazy golden orange color with a moderate white head that receded to a thin layer, leaving some soapy lacing behind. Typical aromas of citrus and tropical fruit I'd expected in a good AIPA, and also a distinctive herbal quality to the nose. Taste follows the aroma, hop-forward, but a little less fresh and fruity than some of the other HF IPAs. More of a piney quality, grapefruit pith, lots of earth, herb, and a definite mustiness that pervaded right through to the aftertaste. Ok, but just not as great as Edward or some of their other beers. I guess I'm just not a huge fan of Columbus when not proportioned "correctly." Medium body, fairly chewy for an IPA, decent overall.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2012 00:11:01 | More by Rifugium