Harpoon IPA - Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

dcrawlins

2.15/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had a Harpoon IPA on draft at Red Robbin last night and I couldn't even tell it was an IPA or even a Pale Ale. There was no hop aroma and barely any taste. It was a bit cloudy also It reminded me of Bud American Ale which has no noticeable hop aroma either . I don't recommend it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2012 20:38:48 | More by dcrawlins

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a great ipa, enjoyed in a can for the first time today. pours crystal clear light brassy color, almost glowing in the sun, with a bigger than one inch off white head. smells like floral hops and english bready malts, balanced but hop forward. flavor matches. this is the classic summer ipa to me, its got just enough body to be an ipa, but its down easy with a drinkable but flavorful malt support cast. the hops are bitter but not challengingly so, just sort of crisp in the finish. also this is very well carbonated, lovely in the mouth. overall one of my go to summer ipas, so much flavor in a drinkable body, this is everywhere for a reason.

Serving type: can

06-20-2012 20:40:27 | More by StonedTrippin

RyanGoodman

Bolivia

4.2/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams Boston Lager glass. Full inch+ of off-white head that never completely disappeared throughout session. Copper, golden color that is completely and intensely clear. Nose offers bready malts, and faint hop aroma. Taste is malt and hop balance perfected, which is not exactly preferred in the American IPA style. So I'm not taking issue with the beer, just the genre that it's listed under here, according to BA's definition of an American IPA. The brewery brochure simply says it's an IPA, so this may be more accurate. Flavor is certainly floral, some definite cascade hoppiness, and finishes with an unexpected sweet/malty appearance. I can't put my finger on it, perhaps ?mead? which would go along with the floral nature to the beer. Mouthfeel, again, is lighter than one would expect from an IPA. If it were styled as a Pale Ale I may have given it a perfect rating across the board. All this being said, I more than thoroughly enjoyed this beer. So much so that I could drink it all day long. Beer substitute for water? Thank you very much Harpoon!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 02:46:33 | More by RyanGoodman

ThomasMetal75

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Just the standard IPA copper color. Not real standout to me because the head isn't all that thick. It is soapy, but it's thinner than most IPAs I've had. Also, there is quite a bit of lacing from this beer.

S- VERY MILD SCENT! Light floral hops with a ton of malt! Very standard, run-of-the-mill, scent for an IPA. Doesn't smell like a west-coast style at all.

T- Just like the scent. You get a mild, floral hop bitterness. The malt to me seems to balance the hop bitterness real nice! The bitter aftertaste is gone pretty much as soon as you swallow the beer. I would prefer a hoppier beer and a slightly long finish, but not an extremely long finish.

M- Light-to-medium. The body is not too sweet or sticky. Very easy to drink.

Overall, this is a good beer. It's nowhere near my favorite IPA. I just wish the Harpoon IPA had a bigger hop taste and smell. I live in Massachusetts, so this beer is very easy for me to find. This is one of the beers that everyone from New England has/should have tried at some point in their craft beer journey.

Serving type: can

06-15-2012 01:01:59 | More by ThomasMetal75

metter98

New York

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear light amber in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that died down, but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of grapefruit hops in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of citrusy hops (grapefruit stands out in particular) along with some hints of caramel malts. A moderate amount of bitterness is present.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Nothing stands out about the taste of this beer compared to other India Pale Ales but it is a very easy-to-drink beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 01:55:54 | More by metter98

irrgalaxy

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from tap into Harpoon Brewery IPA glass, slightly broader at top.

A: Light brown color, very clear, little head.

S: Crisp, scents of citrus

T: Nice and hoppy, with most flavors coming on the backend.

M: Little obvious carbonation in the glass, although it does fizz in the mouth.

Nice and reliable IPA, although not distinctive in the flavor profile.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2012 21:49:59 | More by irrgalaxy

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle served in a standard shaker pint.
best before stamp: 03/15/11

pours a clear dull gold/copper color with a finger or so of fizzy while head. so-so retention; bits of lace in patches but nothing to write home about.

nose is definitely on the subdued side (not one of those aromatic IPAs that flood the oflactory senses); floral hops and some toasted malt characters. flavor is an improvement. at the risk of showing my bias - this was one of my "gateway" craft brews - you get a nice hop/malt balance with a crisp, slightly bitter finish. not exceptional by most measures but a reasonably drinkable, tasty IPA.

medium-light bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation. again, not an upper echelon brew but it drinks well enough to suffice.

originally reviewed: 02-18-2011

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 04:28:17 | More by BostonHops

Dools9

Massachusetts

3.79/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle to pint.

A: Very nice copper orange. Two fingers of slightly off white, laundry soap head hold steady and leave moderate lacing.

S: Not very aromatic for the style but theres a nice floral, earthy fragrance, a bit of citrus as well. Nice sweet, toasty caramel malt lingers in the back.

T: Floral hops, some light citrus tang, not overly bitter but nice and easy to drink. Good bready, toasty malt balances things nicely.

M: Very crisp and refreshing, relatively low abv makes for a very refreshing beer. Light to medium bodied, nice and easy drinking.

O: Great intro for the style. Not overwhelming, decently sessionable, and very refreshing and balanced. However, those looking for a hop bomb will be left dissapointed. Still, a solid beer and a great alternative at a bar when options aren't very good.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 20:28:34 | More by Dools9

irishevans

Alaska

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a medium golden color with a soap sud white head that was 2 fingers at the pour but settled down to a little better than half a finger (to be fair though, I'm a Bass player and have the stereotypical Bass player fingers), it pretty clear, very little haze. not anything crazy special, but certainly no disappointment either.

N- Mostly citric hop aroma, though it does have a bit of a floral/herbal hint in the background. the grain is there, but enough to really remark on. It seems to mellow the hop aroma more than lend it's own smell.

T- the Hop character is the reverse of the nose, very Floral, with a citric back note. grain is not really noticeable, but the hop flavor isn't overdone. much more boldly hoppy than most other east coast IPAs I've tried but still more mellow than your average West Coast palate-wrecking hop bomb. a bit of a grapefruit hint in the middle to finish of it, but mostly it's dominated by the floral hop flavor. in a good way.

M- rather dry, or perhaps "pale" throughout, and especially on the finish. the carbonation is on the lighter side, but more than amply crisp, and it works well with the floral flavor.

O- I'm a fan. I really like the floral flavor, and the aroma is very pleasing to the nostrils when in that IPA mood. the mouth feel is pleasantly dry like a pale ale should be, and it accomplishes all this without killing your palate for the night. as far as East Coast American IPAs go, I really like this one. wonderfully mellow, without being boring, or bland.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 00:24:22 | More by irishevans

calicaliente

3.23/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light copper color with a big foamy white head and good retention. Decent lacing as well. Aroma of citrus and floral hops with a bit of caramel malts in the back. Citrus hops up front; slightly juicy. Astringent tartness followed by rough wheat and corn husks. Medium bodied. Pretty average IPA, but drinkability is Ok.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 21:16:17 | More by calicaliente

schuim

Netherlands

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very aesy going IPA, could have been a little more hoppy in caracter.

A blond to amber

S light hoptones and some fruityness in the aroma.

T Accessable with light hop taste. More a blond than a IPA in my opinion. Could do well as a beginner IPA.

O Nice but a little more hops would make it better.

Serving type: can

04-23-2012 13:15:47 | More by schuim

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I got a bottle of Harpoon's IPA that my brother brought back from his trip down south. I haven't had good luck with this brewery, I thought their Winter warmer was pretty bad, so I hope this beer turns out much better, lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks good, it's got a good floral background and the font is nice. It poured a pretty clear slightly amber color that took on a nice darker gold color with two and a half finger worth of white head that died down to a thin layer that stayed till the end and left a little lacing. This was a good looking American IPA, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma is pretty fragrant. The aroma started off with a little bit of that malt base that imparts some lighter grainy and bready aromas. After that comes of very strong marijuana aroma, it smells very similar to some top shelf buds, it imparts some nice floral, citrus, earthy, and dank hop aromas. After that comes a slightly sweet and lightly skunky aroma that only further makes the aroma smell like some good bud. I really liked the aroma of this beer, it was nice, unique, and ir had the most weed like aroma that I have ever encountered in a beer.

T- The flavor has some aspects from the aroma but all together they seem much lighter. It starts off with some pale malts that have a slightly higher then normal amount of sweetness that impart a grainy. bready, and slightly biscuity aroma. After that comes the hops which seem to have faded a little and impart some grapefruit like flavors along some piney and grassy flavors that were a little lighter then I would like. After that I get a slight skunky flavor with a lower amount of bitterness for an IPA, and it had a bready and earthy hop like flavor. The flavor was nice but I wish the hops were a little more flavorful, but they did taste a little faded so this might be an older bottle.

M- Pretty smooth, crisp, on the light side of being medium bodied and it had a nice amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was good, but I thought it could be slightly thicker.

Overall I thought that was an Ok beer and a slightly above average example of an American IPA, if the flavor was as nice as the aroma was then this beer would be able to hold it's own against some of the better American IPA's. This beer had good drinkability. it went down smooth, wasn't filling, and it wasn't too bitter, I wouldn't mind drinking a few of these. What I liked most about this beer was the aroma, it was pretty good and fragrant, there were a lot of things going on and it turned out to smell pretty weed like which wasn't a bad thing with this beer and was actually one of the highlights. What I like least about this beer was the lack of hops in the flavor, more hop flavors and more bitterness would be much more appealing, but it feels like this was much hopier at one point and it tasted like the hops have faded so this beer might be old, but with no bottling date I can't be sure. I would buy this beer again if I can find a fresh bottle, I think Harpoon is available in Michigan, but I have only seen it once and it was their Winter Warmer and I haven't seen anything else from Harpoon since. I recommend giving this beer a shot if you are an American IPA fan. This beer was much better then their Winter Warmer, and I'm sure if it was fresh it would be even better, but as it stands out now it's pretty close to being an average American IPA, if it wasn't for the aroma, it would be below average. This wasn't a really impressive IPA, but it wasn't bad by any means, I would like to try it again and I would like to try more from this brewery to get a better feel for them, because as it stands now I am not that interested in them.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 01:47:07 | More by StoutHunter

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the Uno Chicago Grill, Orlando FL - International Drive. Served in a flared pilsner glass (looks like a Hefeweizen glass with thin bottom, large top).

Appearance: Clear gold to amber color. Off-white very thin skin of foam across the top. Persistent sheets and strands of lacing here and there.

Smell: Remarkably odorless. Barest hint of citrus hops when first brought to the table, but nothing after that.

Taste: Citrus, mild pine bitterness with a good malt backbone. Well balanced - a good, if not overly flavorful, simple AIPA. What I mean is that it's not a hop bomb, it's not an extreme AIPA - it's just a simple AIPA - classic AIPA bitter flavors, straight forward malt to balance it all out.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation with a nice thickness. Sticks a little to the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: Plenty drinkable, went well with the deep-dish pizza. In the end though, nothing special - perhaps an average example of an AIPA. Good simplicity in the flavor, but a letdown in aroma so not an outstanding AIPA overall.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2012 23:33:32 | More by damndirtyape

rarbring

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A clear dep golden brew, an off-white head that leaves good lacing and some curtains.

Smells of oatmeal, lemon and grape-fruit.

Some brown bread, grape-fuit juice and peel.

Little carbonation, small bubbles, fresh and smooth, a dry finish.

A nice clean standard IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2012 19:00:30 | More by rarbring

kemoarps

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Pours a very clear and pale amber, with a pillowy white head that lingers a little bit, but doesn't leave as much lacing as I had anticipated.

The nose is mostly sweet; malty yes, but almost a flowery caress that I don't typically associate directly with the malt profile of a beer. Considerably sweeter than I expected from an IPA. Almost a hint of harvest season in an orcahrd.

As I let it roll around the tongue, I am again surprised by the sweetness. It finishes with an ode to the bitter hoppiness for which the american version of this style has become famous. A couple more sips in, the hops start to hit earlier, and add a decent balance before the aforementioned sweetness and the citrusy hops. Overall it's somewhat understated and kind of blunted.

So, I had never had this beer when I bought it. I bought it to be used in a super top-secret Pulled Pork recipe that called for a hoppy beer. I figured; American IPA, should be hoppy...
So my initial disappointment is pocketed in that backstory. If you take away any expectations it is a decent beer. It's well balanced, and can be used to introduce newcomers to the idea of an IPA, as it is not overwhelming and is fairly smoothe to drink. If you are familiar with the microbrew community/are looking for a strong American IPA, though this isn't going to be what you're looking for. Approach it with an open mind and remove labels such as style and you might enjoy it. Speaking of florid...

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 05:29:35 | More by kemoarps

BillH200174

California

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep golden color with a medium thick white head that lasts a good amount of time and nice lacing on the glass. Slightly sweet hoppy aroma with lemony accents and a good maltiness. Sweet hoppy flavor with a good malty background. Light to medium bodied and slightly dry.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 20:58:54 | More by BillH200174

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz fresh from the botting line.
Brilliantly clear straw-amber color. Frothy white head. Clings to glass a bit but won't hold. Smells piney and sweet. Very mild aroma.
Flavor is simple with a bitter heavy mouthfeel. Fairly clean yeast character, what I can taste is fruity. Very moderately bitter, although it lingers. Thin mouthfeel. Easy drinkin for an IPA. Kent hops? Respectable ABV. So much better fresh.

When I first started drinking, I thought this was over the top bitter. Now it borders and pale on my palate. I don't drink it as much, but I respect it as a transition beer. From mega-swill 30 racks to craft beer and flavor. Always pleased to see Harpoon as the flavorful option at a bar with a otherwise atrocious lineup.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 01:57:28 | More by mlazzaro

socon67

New York

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Orange\amber pour. Decent foam retention and lacing. Clarity is good.

S - Scents of hoppy spice, and a bit of fresh apples. But the smell was tame and didn't increase as it warmed a bit.

T - Good crisp flavor. Has a decent ratio of sweetness to bitteress. Overall it is mellow on both counts which makes it a solid IPA.

M - Very sessionable. Slight hop bite at the end. This is a great option to see on tap if you want a few cold drafts.

O - a solid IPA for any season. I didn't find it all that exciting, but I would easily go back to this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2012 19:40:34 | More by socon67

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best by 4/15/2012. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of pine, herbal, floral, citrus, grass, caramel, and a bit of honey sweetness. Decent aromas that are on the weak side. Taste of big pine, citrus, herbal, floral, caramel, biscuit, grass, and graininess. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of biscuit, pine, herbal, citrus, and grass on the finish for a bit. Some good malt and flavor balance with bitterness. Medium carbontion and body; with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Some prickly carbonation present as well, but it still drinks very smoothly. No alcohol presence in the taste or finish. Overall this is a solid and pretty enjoyable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 04:43:48 | More by superspak

Labeerfinder

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Orange color with a white head that fades, and a moderate to good amount of carbonation. The nose on this beer is fragrant with some nice flowery and citric hop aromas, paired with some fruity estery aromas of apple jelly, and just a touch of sweet caramel aroma. The palate is soft with some good pale and caramel malt flavors, with a back drop of estery fruit. Harpoon IPA finishes with more fruit and malt up front, then ends with a mildly bitter, citric hop bite that slightly lingers.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 04:58:28 | More by Labeerfinder

maxk

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured chilled into a tulip.

A crystal clear copper with steady bubble streams making their way up to a foamy eggshell colored head. As the head settles, it leaves thick trails of lacing down the glass.

Pine, citrus and some caramel malt jump out at first. The lightly roasted grains sit in the background and slightly remind me of toasted marshmallows.

Grapefruit upfront, quickly followed by the caramelized sugars of the malt. All of that gives way to pine and grass. Properly carbonated and the body that an IPA should have.

Balanced and mild, no flavors are overly extreme. It's a decent IPA, especially for the price, however I'd say it's more of a starter IPA. It is palatable to those sensitive to much more invasive hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 02:33:39 | More by maxk

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on draft at Ghazal in JP- poured a very clear yellow golden color with a half finger head. Very little retention and a little bit of lacing.

Generic smell- a little citrus hops a little pine. Ale yeast (it's something I recognize only from my own brews really).

Tastes pretty good- again nothing l exciting but nothing bad. Same citrus and pine hop tastes neither really dominate.

A light to medium bodied brew with medium carbonation. This a fine session ipa but not anything to ring home about. There are better ones.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 19:31:34 | More by Hopdaemon39

dtivp

West Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy light copper gold with a a nice foamy white head that fades into a thin cap, little lacing.

Aroma of floral hops, citrus and light malt.

Taste of light floral hops, grain, grass and hints of citrus. Not over-ally bitter, a very nice balanced taste.

Mouth Feel was medium body, moderate carbonation, crisp with a slight bitter and dry ending.

Overall this a good well balanced IPA, very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 17:44:31 | More by dtivp

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear bronze, white head, stringent lacing...Weak biscuits and sweet grassy notes round out the nose. A light amount of honey, sweet but not cloying, followed by mild hop bitterness. It reminds me of a better version of Saranac IPA. Weak in IBU's but balanced well with malty hermit cookies.

I would probably call this just a pale ale, but hey, I didn't brew it. For a pale it it is pretty darn tasty, for an IPA it is still tasty but missing out on the strong hop points.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 01:22:58 | More by JoeAmerican77

CowsCanBark

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear dark gold/orange hue with a one-finger pinkish-white head. Moderate lacing left on glass.

Smell: Very floral and fruity, almost detect a peach-like odor. Hop dominant.

Taste: What a lovely brew! Moderate floral and citrus hop flavors mold together, forming a beautiful taste. The end note is especially flowery, and there is a slight bitterness throughout. Not overly hoppy, but extremely well-balanced and delicious!

Mouthfeel: Light/moderate body with moderate to high carbonation, it's crisp and refreshing and an easy drinker. Would be great on a hot summer day.

Overall: An awesome IPA, one that I'm definitely going to be grabbing way more often. Very floral, which I love.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:31:28 | More by CowsCanBark