Sunday, April 3, 2011

Harpoon IPA

During my last trip to the grocery store, my usual beer choices were out of stock, much to my disappointment. Time to look around the aisle. I spotted Harpoon IPA, a beer that I've seen, but passed by, usually in deference to a Virginia beer. I'm familiar with the seasonal Harpoon Celtic Ale from this Boston brewery, so I decided to give their IPA a shot.

Harpoon IPA is lighter and more transparent than I would expect from an IPA. The thick white head is short lived. I found the aroma to be faint and somewhat floral, with a hint of fruit. The flavor is mild as well. It tends towards piney and grassy hops with a hint of sweetness coming through. There's a lingering, grassy, bitterness at the end. Overall this is a milder beer than I expect from an American IPA. It is easy to drink and doesn't overpower the taste buds. The ABV is also on the low end of the IPA range at 5.9%.

While not what I expected for an IPA, I found Harpoon IPA to be a refreshing beer. Despite being on the "mild" side, the flavors are crisp. In a blind taste I might not have pegged it as in IPA, perhaps a pale ale, or even a hoppy red ale. That's okay though, Harpoon's interpretation of the IPA style creates a beer that would probaby appeal to a wide range of beer drinkers.

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