At robust 8% alcohol strength, reddish brown dry-bodied barleywine-styled old ale retains heady liqueur resonance, wood-burnt hop inflection, fluctuant prune-fig souring and lilting burgundy finish. Yet plural adjuncts are messy.
All posts by John Fortunato
HARVEY’S CHRISTMAS ALE
Heavily alcohol-fueled garnet-hued winter cheer gains barleywine insistence, butterscotch spicing and prune-dried raisin hint to syrupy coughdrop finish, but musty malt astringency denies its greatness.
HARVARD LAGER
HART CROSSCUT STOUT
Dry black coffee stiffness will addict strong beer fans equally enamored by the chewy chocolate malting and chalky mocha thicket sweetening sinewy maple resolve. Could use richer syrupy residue, but recommended as fine crossover to pilsner-lager fans ready to move onward and upward. Brewery defunct: 2007.
HART AMBER ALE
Thick up-front maple malting gains hop-spiced bitterness by sour fruited finish. Oak bark hint resonates below vigorous caramel creaminess. Serve to dark ale fanatics. Brewery defunct: 2007.
HARPOON WINTER WARMER
Enticing X-mas treat with immediate nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon tea spiciness coating the tongue for discrete brown sugar/ piney maple sap follow-up, hitting all the right sweet spots to relaxing full-bodied finish. Cereal graininess, strong mocha-malt influence, and sly fructose sweetness fortify dry raisin backdrop of robust exhilaration. On tap ’06 version secured tinny-hopped pumpkin-allspice zeal.
HARPOON UNION STREET REVIVAL ALE
Unfiltered 100-barrel ’05 Extra Special Bitter opens with spry red apple tang, gaining caramel stickiness, barleymalt toasting, and wheat biscuit whim before metallic finish procures a cinnamon cinder.
HARPOON UFO RASPBERRY HEFEWEIZEN
Dull musty-fruited ’06 ‘Unfiltered Offering’ with lazy hazy amber translucence retains soapy raspberry sourness that never takes hold. Parched cranberry-grapefruit pucker and green apple tartness linger faintly above frail white breaded wheat-grass base. Dismal carbolic hop fizz jeopardizes latent blanched rosé illusion. ’12 re-tasting: washed-out Seltzer fizz immensely disrupted orange-dried raspberry theme.
HARPOON UFO PALE ALE
UFO stands for ‘un-filtered offering.’ This refreshing pale ale combines lively citrus hopped bitterness with roasted barleymalt sweetness. A slight dryness envelops moderate-grained finish.
HARPOON UFO HEFEWEIZEN
Vacuous unfiltered wheat with colorful novelty label, musty crystal malt flow, and mild sourdough inertia. Unfortunately, brisk water texture and mild citric hop finish turn metallic while blanched wheat presence subsides. However, softer sessionable 2021 version improved flavor profile as lemon-dropped banana tartness gained marginal clove-coriander spicing and distant whiskey nip.
HARPOON SUMMER ALE
Reliable light-bodied Kolsch-styled brew with pearly white head and pale golden hue highlights ripe peach-grapefruit tang over dry lemony wheat backbone, but watery finish abruptly abandons fruity nuances after a few sips.
HARPOON SPRING MAI BOCK
Though lacking true wine-like mai bock essence and strength, fruity hop zest and herbal touch provide summery red ale appeal. Crisp mineral water, spry carbonation, and mild grain protraction a tad reminiscent of finer Canadian ales.