Harpoon IPA

Ok class, pull up a chair. Oh, and a glass too. Today we're discussing India Pale Ales. What? You've never tasted one? Wellyou're about too. Grab that bottle of Harpoon IPA over there. Yes that's the one, with the blue label and orange flowers. Ok now tilt your glass slightly and pour the beer down the side. There you go. See the bright orange color? The nice, full head formation? Sniff the top of the glass. Do you get that perfumey hop aroma? You do? Good! Ok take a sip now. There's a biscuity malt body, more perfumey hop flavor, a light fruitiness, and a spicy and subtle bitter finish. Congratulations! You've described Harpoon IPA, passed IPA 101!

Seriously now, Harpoon IPA is definitely a beginner's India Pale Ale. In the bottle it is pretty much as I have described above and is underhopped for the style. I have enjoyed it on draft at times when it was much hoppier, but in the bottle I have always thought this beer on the light side as an IPA. But wait! Is this perhaps intentional? Consider that Harpoon IPA is a very good selling beer for the Brewery, and that Harpoon is perhaps the most successful brewery on the East Coast aside from Boston Beer. Harpoon had to add a second and then a third shift at their small Boston brewery. Still, that wasn't enough to satisfy demand for their beers, the India Pale Ale included. Hey, they must be doing something right.

I wrote this on 8/17/98 about a draft glass enjoyed at the Mews Tavern:

Harpoon IPA: Fairly good hop bitterness, some aromatics but they were more
subdued than in past tastings, still a good hop presence (and good hop
burps). Excellent complement to a cup of the Mews spicy Cajun Scallop soup.

So what did they do? They bought the financially beleaguered Catamount Brewing Company, rescuing their brands from extinction and setting the stage for further expansion of the Harpoon line of beers. Harpoon IPA may be on the light side for the style, but it is a flavorful, accessible beer that just might open the door to further craft beer studies to many beer drinkers who might have otherwise flunked out.

Class dismissed.

Update October 13th, 2006:  Or is it? As I type this little addendum to my review, it appears that Harpoon has partnered with Cabot cheese to release a true beer cheese, which Cabot makes with, you guessed it, Harpoon IPA. This is a truly New England concoction since Cabot is made in Vermont, a neighboring state to Harpoon's Massachusetts (and Harpoon has a brewery in Vermont as well).

The cheese is delicious, smooth and creamy cheddar that melts in your mouth. I was surprised at just how much of the beer flavor comes through, especially the hops. This is a real treat for beer enthusiasts, just be sure to allow the cheese to warm before serving. As with beer, serving cheese too cold detracts from the overall flavor. Perfect with a glass of (what else?) Harpoon IPA.

Dare we offer a class on pairing beer and cheese?  

Update November 13th, 2020: Harpoon IPA has a new label (again), and I'm enjoying a bottle fresh from the 2020 "Tis the Seasonal Winter Mix sampler 12-pack. It's as delightful as ever with a respectable caramel malt backbone infused with herbal, spicy  and citrusy American hops. The Cascades come through nicely here, but this is not an in your  face hop blast; rather, it's more of a gentle but delightful hop breeze. I've enjoyed this beer since it's inception in 1993, and I am so glad Harpoon beers are available in Georgia. My current bottle is stamped PKG 09/21/20, and the 12-pack runs $19.99 at Total Wine. You can get a 12-pack of Harpoon IPA alone for three bucks less. The beer has an alcohol content of 6% by volume with 42 IBUs.

Update July 5th, 2020: This year, Harpoon turns 40 years old, and need I add I've been in since the beginning? I remember my first Harpoon Ale in 1986, and although Harpoon IPA didn't come out until 1993, I was there for that too. Tonight, I am enjoying a floral, hoppy Harpoon IPA once again and it is still one of my favorite beers. It's a bargain, too at $10.49 a six-pack these days at Total Wine.