Harpoon IPA

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale
Location: Boston, MA
Brewer Homepage
Rating: A

At the intersection of hoppiness and drinkability we find Harpoon IPA. To many New Englanders (including myself), this is the gold standard to which all IPA's are compared. On a personal note, this was the beer that introduced me to the world of microbrews. I never really enjoyed beer until I realized that beer could have such distinctive flavor.

In the glass, Harpoon IPA has a golden-copper color. Fine, prosecco-like bubbles continue to rise long after the beer has been poured. The nose has a powerful hop-flower aroma.

On the palate hops again takes the center stage. Bitter hops are well balanced with floral/fruity notes. There is a long, crisp finish as the hops slowly fade away. There is a pleasant, almost fizzy mouthfeel that really compliments the crisp hops notes. Despite the dominant hops character of this beer, the bitterness never gets to the point where it affects the drinkability. This is a perfect beer for a warm summer day.

Please feel free to share your own tasting notes for this beer in the comments section below.