Tawny amber hued ‘wee heavy’ bestows honeyed wheat continuance upon roasted nut and cocoa hints. Sweet Scotch malt finish picks up creamy lactose luster absorbing bright orange-apricot tang, sugarplum delicacy, and leathery peat nuance.
All posts by John Fortunato
HARPOON RAUCHFETZEN
Wispy moderate-bodied German-styled rauchbier places beechwood-smoked peat malts ahead of peppery Hallertau hop spicing and faded salami-bacon singe. Latent lemony orange sourness desiccates nutmeat illusions ’til rye bread finish picks up herbal dusting. On second passing, fizzy lime Seltzer soaping overwhelms any true German rauchbier character.
HARPOON PILSNER
Tannic cranberry tartness and tangy apple-peach fruiting provide up-front thrust. Easy and smooth on the tongue without interrupting full-bodied bite, as maple-sweetened malts and casual sharp-hopped spicing form core. Robust and adventurous for pilsner class, leaving pleasant (if not truly distinct) dry finish that could be mistaken for fine red ale.
HARPOON OCTOBERFEST
Pedantic coppery seasonal lathers faint brown-sugared caramel malting above harvested grain earthiness. Minor spiciness imbues dwindling vegetal-pumpkin midst before astringent alcohol finish picks up nasty diacetyl dearth.
HARPOON MUNICH TYPE DARK LAGER
Broad-ranging reddish amber Bavarian posts dry roasted frontage, fruited malt midst, and deep port resilience. Tangy cherry-berry-currant reinforces orange peel bitterness as blackened whiskey seeps distant burnt wood tone.
HARPOON MAIBOCK
Superb deep-grained medium-to-full-bodied spring-to-summer quencher loads tart raspberry-cherry-quince souring and acute pecan-raisin embellishment to bright hop splotch. Wheat wafer sweetness embeds suitable cereal midst.
HARPOON LEVIATHAN BALTIC PORTER
Preferable mahogany-hued Baltic porter benefits from creamy lactic frontage contrasting leathery port-bourbon elegance. Soft hop-charred toasted oats vault brown-sugared coffee, espresso, and caramel latte nuances. Vanilla, molasses, and burnt caramel sweeten tertiary raisin-prune-plum illusions and latent anise-sarsaparilla tease. Aged two years, ’09 version gained wood-smoked hop roast and chocolate-cocoa intensity over thicker molasses sapping.
HARPOON I.P.A.
Up-front spiced hop thrust and spry aromatic fruiting power bubbly-headed, Brussels lace-laden, copper-bronzed moderation. Creamy maple sappiness clings to grapefruit-peeled orange tartness and minor berry tinge. Mild wood-singed hop bittering caresses crisp cereal-grained citrus finish. Way lighter than hophead’s would hope, yet undeniably accessible.
HARPOON IMPERIAL STOUT
Copious sugary chocolate sweetness and creamy lactose aggression infiltrate limited edition single batch ‘100 barrel series’ invigoration. Clean water flow depletes some cocoa bittering and burnt caramel residual, but milky coffee segment brings enough oomph to mocha finish to please robust thirsts.
HARPOON HIBERNIAN STYLE ALE
Complacent tan-headed bronze-bodied Irish-styled red ale succumbs to slick malt souring, slack grain starkness, musty maize murk, and floozy floral fling. Rusty tinniness at oily finish undermines bittersweet orange-citrus tang.
HARPOON FRANKENFEST LAGER
Robust limited edition ’06 lager brings hefty 6.9% alcohol strength to jaunty red-orange fruitiness and sturdy cereal grain depth. Emergent cherry-grape-apricot thrust picks up biscuit-y wheat influence, supple vegetal sway, and minute pumpkin tease as sugared corn malts swerve into toasted hop base. More please!
HARPOON FRAMBOISE
Limited edition pinkish-headed magenta-bodied ale brings up-front raspberry puree notion and oak-dried cherry tartness to dissipating peppery hop sequence. As soda-like carbonation thins out, raspy cranberry dryness heightens.