Portsmouth Hop Harvest #2 - Portsmouth Brewery

Damian

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Drank on-tap at the Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH
Served in a pint glass

The beer poured a deep, hazy, copper-amber color with a small, frothy, beige head. Quite dark for the style. As the head faded, thin sheets of lacing cascaded down the sides of the glass.

The aroma was hoppy and pleasant yet not as intense as I anticipated. Fruity and florally. Faint tropical fruit notes (mango and pineapple) were noticeable. A touch of caramel sweetness was detectable as well.

The taste was simply an onslaught of piney, resiny, citrusy hops. Super dry and bitter from start to finish. The hops were raw and oily, like they should be in any good fresh hop ale. At times, the citric "bite" from the hops felt like it was burning my throat. The finish was ultra dry and bitter. Almost chalky. Notes of grapefruit peel dominated, lingering on my palate for what seemed to be an eternity.

The mouthfeel was simply extraordinary. Although the liquid was medium bodied at best, it was amazingly creamy, frothy, silky and slick. The beer felt like a pillow on my tongue.

Drinkability was mediocre. As much as I love hops, the raw, bitter edge of this brew was almost too much to handle. Only the most devoted hop heads should dare to tackle this unabashed hop bomb.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2009 01:47:50 | More by Damian

cleeze

Maine

3.83/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Talk about a Hop Bomb. I recently picked up a growler of this brew last week. And spent a night getting thrashed by this ultra hopped up beast.

Poured a dark and cloudy copper with a nice frothy head with some great lacing to go along with it.

Smell was loads of floral hops mixed with some citrus notes. I did indeed pick up on some lingering sweetness. Smells delicious!

This hop bomb jumps outta the glass a smacks you in the mouth for sure. Overload of hops upfront followed by some balanced malts. Very drinkable and nice mouthfeel. Another winner from Portsmouth Brewery

Serving type: growler

11-24-2009 17:05:36 | More by cleeze

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very deep dark amber/chestnut brown with dark golden ruby/amber edges when held to a light source and a one finger foamy off-white head that coats the glass with soapy lacing.

Fresh earthy floral hop aroma with some nice citrus notes and slight dry pine. Pretty big malt backbone with some toasty biscuit and caramel malt notes but this doesn't take much away from the dank bud oily hop notes.

Extremely fresh earthy bitter floral hops up front with a chewy dank resinous mouthfeel. There is a pretty strong toasty caramel biscuit malt backbone but the hops are so dry and fresh that they sustain there flavor throughout and last into dry bitter finish. There are some nice citrus notes, mostly grapefruit and citrus peel but the freshness of the hops provides a luscious dry pine flavor that is oh so tasty. Normally I dislike any kind of hoppy beer that has this much of a malt backbone but this is an exception. Plenty of fresh dank hops to overcome the maltiness, resulting in an extremely flavorful and drinakble harvest ale. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 08:03:31 | More by corby112

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is the Citra Hop Harvest. I had this on tap too when I got my growlers.

The beer springs up large sticky bubbles for a head. Not really any head retention. Carbonation seemed to be on the lower medium side for an IPA. Smell is like a big candied tangerine and hawaiian punch. More tangerine and orange in the flavor. I love that fruit punch flavor that comes from citra hops it makes for a tasty and refreshing IPA. Resinous herbal hop flavor in the background. The malt is bone dry and has a tolerable astringent finish. Hop flavor finishes too quickly.

Funny thing about citra hops is that they are so one dimensional that you need to pair them with another hop to get it to that next level. There's great things about this beer but it has a few issues that can easily be tweaked.

Serving type: growler

10-06-2010 18:59:43 | More by BearsOnAcid

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a pint glass.

Pours medium/dark amber. Light foam top with some around the ring. Grassy pine smell. Malty taste with a light bitter taste - not as much as the smell might suggest. Smooth, well balanced, hop blends in easily. Easy drinker with lots of flavor. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 13:47:01 | More by KTCamm

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Round two of the fresh hops beers. This was a hazy dark amber color with a thick white head and some really impressive lacing. A strong citrus aroma gave way to a strong grapefruit taste. This was a pretty hoppy beer, one that will give your taste buds a run for their money. It did go well with the chili I ate.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2008 22:18:18 | More by lordofthewiens

blitz134

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up last weekend. According to the Portsmouth blog this one is loaded with Simcoe hops.

Solid dark copper colored beer. Nice and clear. Good carbonation and head retention supports a good 3/4" light tan head that drops slowly. Nice rings of lace are left behind.

Not an overwhelming hop aroma but there is a lot of it. Nice pungent pine sap aroma of Simcoes. Light malting underneath, but not much.

Flavor is a like a pine needle tea. Not really sweet like a Double Simcoe, so less pine sap and more bitter needles coming through. Some pungency finishes, something I've noticed in wet hop beers. Fairly smooth flavor really, with a little bitterness kicking in at the end. A touch of toasty malt comes through as well as hints of mid-level crystal malts.

Medium bodied, smooth, carbonation is middle of the road too. Coats the mouthwell and the flavor lingers. A bit oily from the hops.

Overall a good beer and a good showcase of Simcoe hops. Lots of pine though, so that could wear on you after a while. Goes down easy with no hints of alcohol. Between a single and a double IPA in my books. Definately worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2008 23:11:07 | More by blitz134

koopa

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler received in a trade with portia99 thanks!

Appearance: Pours a deep auburn with honey orange folds. The head is minimal and off white. It shows little retention and lace but a nice hop oil sheen remains like a film across the top of the glass!

Smell: The warrior hops aren't as dank as the summit hops used in the Harvest #1 variation and they mask the malt a bit.

Taste: Much more bitterness than HH #1 and not as much "red" malt flavor. It almost tastes like a copper ale with more bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with just enough carbonation to get by but I would like some more carbonation!

Drinkability: I'm going to go against the grain and proclaim I like HH #1 more!

Serving type: growler

11-13-2009 22:08:27 | More by koopa

MrRetardedMonkey

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark copperish amber with a lot of visible carbonation supporting more than a finger's worth of off-white head. Good retention and decent lacing.

Smell is mostly spicy, floral hops with some minty herbs and a touch of biscuit.

Taste begins with some dry crackers and toasted biscuits before giving way to the spicy, floral hops. There's some resinous pine and just a hint of a caramel malt backbone before some herbal hops and a dry, bitter finish.

Medium-bodied, crisp mouthfeel with just the right amount of carbonation to prevent the resinous hop oils from getting too thick.

Bitter throughout, but never over the top. Easily drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2009 18:27:30 | More by MrRetardedMonkey

andrewinski1

Maine

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass (so I get more than Ben). Nice amber almost red color, no head on this one; just a couple bubbles around the side. Slight haze.

Smells delicious. A little bit of citrus, lots of tropical fruit. Maybe a scotch of pine. Yum.

The taste is very crisp and hop forward. This is very dry and only a bit of the malt flavor comes through.

Decent mouthfeel. Portsmouth growlers rarely maintain the carbonation very well.

This is a nice, light bodied beer. Hope to get more before it runs out.

Serving type: growler

09-24-2010 03:19:24 | More by andrewinski1

Brez07

Maine

4.08/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing from notes. Had this last week at Novare's cask fest. 10oz pour into a pint glass. It was listed as an ESB with citra hops and dry hopped with Athanum

A: Pours an orange/amber color. Limited amount of head, no lacing

S: Impressive amount of floral and citrus hops. Didn't expect that from a cask beer

T: Follows the nose's lead. Lots of citrus hops, some pineapple and other various fruits. Finishes with a grassy taste

M: A smooth beer, medium bodied. Some lingering bitterness

D: This was one of the highlights of the evening for me. Originally poured by accident, I found it to be a wonderful accident. Very impressed with how much hop character came out

Serving type: cask

10-01-2010 21:21:12 | More by Brez07

bort11

Missouri

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

22 oz bottle poured into a standard shaker pint glass. Tall fluffy white head rises all the way to the rim. Starting at an inch and half, the head clings to the glass in sticky chunks with each sip. Color is a dark amber with good clarity.

Smell is a green leafy hops. Strong tea tannins. Taste is equally hoppy, but not so bitter that it attacks the senses. There is some biscuity malts that tries to balance the hops.

Mouthfeel is a light medium body, and finishes very clean. Solid IPA, and I would imagine it would be awesome on cask.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 16:17:17 | More by bort11

srandycarter

California

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

A - Short, thick off white head, dark amber body, somewhat murky. Some tight bubble lace.

S - Mostly malt. Tea like too. Hops peek through.

T - Taste escalates smell. Lots of hops, tea like tastes, malt shines.

M - Medium body, somewhat creamy, good carbonation and fair coating.

D - Tasty, easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 04:57:01 | More by srandycarter

gibby

Pennsylvania

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

Growler received through trade with portia99.
Poured a deep orange color with a nice head that only stuck around for a few minutes that left some sticky lacing on the glass. Nice big citrus nose with a bit of orange, some tropical fruit and a bit of grass. Very nice taste that stuck with the citrus theme. You could really taste the citra hops but it was not a bitter beer at all in my opinion. Great mouthfeel, not light but not heavy at all. I split this growler with my wife and neighbor so we each had about a 16oz pour..I was looking for a second glass for sure. I really enjoyed this beer and wouldn't mind snagging another growler if they do a HH # 3. Thanks a lot Bill!!

Serving type: growler

10-03-2010 12:57:42 | More by gibby

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap@ the Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth, NH) on 10/1/11. Served in a pint glass. ABV listed as 5.5%.

Pours a clear copper, with a ½ finger of off-white creamy froth. This retains with a thin richness that throws up a foamy cascade of lacing, which hangs in a robust smattering on the sides of the glass. The aroma smells fresh, floral, and herbal, with a zesty citrus character and is punctuated with notes of pine and spice. A grainy sweetness adds some support underneath. All those delicious hops flavors are just all jumbled up in the nose here and the overall freshness of this literally has them just blasting up your nose with each sniff.

The taste is fresh and juicy hops the whole way through the profile, being very flavorful, and only getting really aggressive toward the backend, with spice, resins, and pith all lingering with a moderate dryness in the finish. More malty notes of lightly sweet caramel and toasted bread round out the edges and help keep this balanced while simultaneously keeping the focus of the profile on those hop flavors, with the fresh robustness of this really coming out strong across the back of the palate after each sip. The mouthfeel is medium bodied; with a lively sharpness up front that then smoothes out considerably thanks to huge amount of underlying oil slickness from the hops. The body feels more like Pale Ale strength to me but there is no doubt that the overall package is extremely easy drinking.

This was a pretty darn excellent Fresh Hop Ale. One that you could really feel those vibrant hops literally just jumping out of the glass at you. Delicious and refreshing, I could have gone at this all afternoon long. This is definitely one of the better beers that I’ve had form here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 12:30:01 | More by Kegatron

rpstevens

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a pint glass. This is 2009 HH2, wet warrior hop.

The beer pours a murky amber orange with a thin soap white head. As the head fades it leaves behind a nice amount of oily lacing.

The smell is mostly pine and resin hops, with some zesty citrus and a slight caramel tone in the background.

The taste is a blast of piney hops, accompanied by fresh cut grassy hop and some light citrus, like a lemon rind. There is a nice undertone of caramel malt that balances the flavors out, and the strong bitter resin comes back at the end of the flavor.

The beer is well carbonated, and the bitter dry hops invite you back for more after each sip, something I have enjoyed multiple glasses of and will be sad to see go. (but the 09 HH1 was better).

Serving type: growler

10-30-2009 01:12:57 | More by rpstevens

sethmeister

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hop Harvest II on cask dry hoppd with Magnum hops at Portsmouth Brewery 10.12.08.

Clear copper with a creamy one finger head. Excellent retention and lace panels decorate the glass.

Scent is an immediate hot grapefruit hop aroma. Other citrus notes follow. and then tropical fruits.

Taste is amazing: grapefruit, lime, orange/tangerine. Tropical fruits. Rum. Soft hop bitterness lingers nicely. Hint of alcohol warming. Warm smooth malt is present but is eclipsed by hops.

Mouth is creamy and smooth. Mouth coating and somewhat chewy medium.

Drinkability is fantastic. I couldn't wait to have another.

As with Hop Harvest I, the moniker of Double IPA is a bit misleading. This is a celebration of hops undoubtedly, but the lack of a sturdy sweet malt background and the relatively low ABV call the classification into question. Regardless, this is truly a fantastic beer. Complex and vibrant with a vivid spectrum of flavors, yet soft and easily drinkable. I have to give this an A at the very least.

Serving type: cask

10-12-2008 06:19:11 | More by sethmeister

Bendurgin

Maine

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up the growler this afternoon at the brewery. Poured into a pint glass. The appearance is a deep amber color with no head at all. Must be because of the growler. Smells like orange with a slightly bitter hop finish. Slight remnants of tea and floral aromas. Smells like autumn. The hop flavor is a lot more intense than what the aroma. Big piney hops with a bit of citrus sweetness. This has nice bitter hop finish, I'm really digging this. The mouthfeel is light and this seems to have lost a bit of carbonation but it's not biggie at all. This is super drinkable, I'll probably go to the brewery and get a couple glasses on tap.

Serving type: growler

09-24-2010 03:04:03 | More by Bendurgin

joepais

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is 2009 HH2, wet warrior hop. I will start of by saying I liked last years simcoe bomb better.

It was served in an imperial pint glass with a wonderful white head that lace's perfectly. The body of the brew is cloudy and murky amber. The aroma is hop forward floral and citric for sure but balance with a nice caramel sweetness. The flavor is not the typical hop bomb mouth puckering bitter but an easy to drink hoppy mouthful. It had good carbonation with a medium feel in my mouth.

I have drank this beer more than once and enjoyed every drop. It is easy drinking enough to grab a few of these brews a night

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2009 01:09:57 | More by joepais

gtn80

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at Novare Res's Caskfest.

Appearance is great, nice copper color, crystal clear.

Aroma is incredible, tons of floral hops in the nose.

Taste was great, lots of fruity, citrusy hops. Bitterness is incredibly well balanced with the malt, but the hop bite does linger into the aftertaste, in a pleasant way.

Great IPA, definitely want to try this one again.

Serving type: cask

09-27-2010 14:27:27 | More by gtn80

Durge

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A crystal clear yellow amber colored ale with a healthy white foam on top with plenty of lacing. The aroma is whoa Nellie cat piss and skunky cereal. Wonderful to any hop head! The flavor is true to the aroma with sweet lemon/grapefruit grass and a thick grain base that coats the tongue. This is probably pretty one-dimensional to some folks but who’s complaining? Hop bite abounds in this medium bodied brew with understated carbonation that supports the bright, somewhat eye-opening hops. There’s a slight chalky feel in the finish but through it all is this bold pissiness that mellows into a hop heavenly blend of harvest grains. A hop sessionable brew that further boosts my respect for Portsmouth Brewing.

Serving type: growler

11-16-2011 04:11:02 | More by Durge

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Round 2 at lunch today was an Imperial Pint of Hop Harvest 2... Set in front of me by my server, Kristen ( a cute redhead, fwiw...), was 20oz of a deep copper-colored bier. It was somewhat hazy, with a creamy-smooth light beige layer of foam topping things off, steady at about 1/4 to 1/8". Lacing was quite nice, leaving stick all the way down the glass. A top-shelf aroma follows up here, laying some healthy, citrussy hop action on the olfactories. I get a little peach and apricot as well. They jump right out at you. I like the mouth feel here, too. Body is well-entrenched in the medium range, with a medium smoothness laying itself upon the tongue.

Flavor hits the palate first with some light malt, checking in with a bit of laid-back sweetness and lurking-in-the-background caramel. What do you think is next? Hops? Nice guess, Einstein. Yes, loads of 'em, laying a thick layer of citrussy, resiny, piney-ness on the palate and down the throat. Hot-damn!! They linger long and hard, leaving a kick-ass impression on the taste buds. A little apricot makes a guest appearance here also. Good stuff cheap!! Gots me a growler to go, for the weekend.

Zum Wohl!!

4.35
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

1091

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2008 21:35:37 | More by Bierman9

mshallah

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fresh hop beers have been an obsession the last two years. Hop Harvest 2 is something to get excited about. The beer arrives and looks absolutely sticky. Head and unfiltered liquid invite one to imbibe immediately. Full on smack of grapefruit in the nose with an underlying note of ammonia(cat piss). Malt is sticky sweet and big to even be noticed under all the hops. This brew is mouth puckering and makes the drinker salivate til the next sip. Alcohol is warm to hot and acts as a background for the hops in the aftertaste. After two of these the lupulin effect is in full swing. Loved this one.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2008 04:26:57 | More by mshallah

joe1510

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz Bomber

This harvest ale is one of the many that joepais has sent me in a couple great trades, thanks again Joe! This IPA pours surprisingly dark and actually comes across more amber then anything. There's enough haziness in this beer to make it tough to see through the body. The head is the cleanest of white and settles from two fingers to a thin skimming but leaves some great lace behind, sheeting and patches.

The nose of this IPA is oozing with resin hoppy goodness with generous squeezes of citrus. Resin is first and foremost while the caramel malty base sits in the background where it should be. The citrus brings mild grapefruit and orange oil along with a solid dose of broken pine needles. This beer just continues to open up.

The flavor follows the aroma nicely. Caramel malt surrenders itself to the citric bitterness. Oranges and grapefruit wash over the tongue. Pine needles coat the tongue mid-palate and bring they're own bitterness before those big resinous qualities come through big on the finish. This is one quality harvest IPA! I can't get enough of this dense resin hoppiness.

The mouthfeel is smooth with a moderate body. The carbonation picks up enough mid-palate to speed this beer up and the finish is semi-dry allowing the bitterness to pop.

This beer goes down quick but the bitterness will do a number on your tongue. For that the drinkability stays where it's at even though all I want to do is bump it up.

This is a damn good IPA. I wish I could have gotten my hands on a few of these before they were gone. I would hoard this beer if I found bottles at the brewery. Thanks for another excellent beer Joe!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 04:30:10 | More by joe1510

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a hazy, dark, muddied dark orange color. It poured with a large bubbled, sticky head.

s: Big fresh hop aromas that smell a little lemony and grassy with a lot of pine. There is also some sweet, prickly brown sugar and caramel malts.

t: Mirrors the smell. The layer of sweetness under the hops is spot on. The lingering hop bite provides a pleasant tickle.

m: This has a resiny, almost buttery body. The carbonation is gentle and unobtrusive.

d: Another in a long line of great Portmouth brews from joepais. I need to get up for a visit sometime.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 10:39:15 | More by DIM