Harpoon IPA

Harpoon Brewery in located in Massachusetts. It started making beer in 1986 because the owners had a love of great beer. They were inspired after traveling to Europe and seeing how important local breweries are.

Their Harpoon IPA is a take on a classic English style. The IPA (India Pale Ale) style originates from English brewers needing a beer that could handle an unrefrigerated trip from England to India. To do this they took advantage of two natural preservatives, alcohol and hops. This beer has a strong hop smell and finish with a ABV of 5.9%.

Appearance (3.5/5): I really like the label on this bottle. The beer inside is crystal clear and golden amber. The head starts out about half inch thick then fades to a thin layer.

Smell (3/5): The dominate smell is a crisp hop aroma with a hint of something flowery sweet. There might have be something else there but that is what stood out to me.

Taste (4/5): It has a strong hop taste that is surprisingly smooth. It’s not a bitter as other IPAs and these something a little sweet in the after-taste.

Mouth Feel (4/5): This feels very satisfying in my mouth and it’s a tad fuzzy. (Keep your dirty jokes to yourself. )

Drinkability (5/5): I usually don’t drink IPAs but this one was very drinkable. If your not an IPA fan this one would be good for you to try. You might be surprised.

Overall, I give this beer 3.75 out of 5 bacon strips. You can read other reviews about this beer at BeerAdvocate.com.

Feel free to comment with your own review of this beer. Also remember to check out my other reviews of Dominion Oak Barrel Stout, Yuengling Traditional Lager, and Pittsburgh’s Penn Pilsner.