Last year (2014), Harpoon introduced a new beer: Harpoon Maple Tap Imperial Porter. I, of course, bought a bottle as soon as I saw it gracing store shelves. As often happens with me, though, I didn’t drink it right away. Instead, it got socked away for a future date’s imbibing, same yet to be determined at that time. Fast forward now about a year later to a Sunday evening watching the Patriots play the New York Giants on Thursday night football. Seemed like the perfect time to me to pop the bottle, and so I did.
So yes, the beer was a bit over a year old at the time, this being November of 2015. If you can’t age a strong imperial porter, though, what can you age? I didn’t know it when I bought it, but this beer is part of the “Harpoon Helps: line of beers, too. Perhaps if I had known that I would have bought a few more bottles. Be that as it may, part of the proceeds go to charity.
From the label:
In 2014, we visited our friends at the Scrag Mt. Sugar House in Waitsfield, VT to source over 100 pounds of local, organic maple syrup to brew with a hearty porter in this rich addition to our occasional releases. Local ingredients combine with brewing tradition to make for one enjoyable tribute to the change of New England seasons.
Harpoon Maple Tap Imperial Porter has an alcohol content of 9.1% by volume with 34 IBUs. The brewery lists hops used as Willamettes. I paid an amazing $5.99 for my bottle at Bullocks in Woodstock.
Harpoon Maple Tap Imperial Porter pours to a jet black color with a medium creamy tan head formation and a robust roasty nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a full rich mouthfeel up front packed with lots of roast. The beer is laced with soft sweet sugary maple notes yet still manages to finish dry with warm alcohol and plenty of roast at the last. I don’t get a lot of hop bitterness or aroma, perhaps a function of the aging, but the beer is delicious and quite drinkable with age on it. Then too, the maple notes accent subtly and don’t overpower, amking this one beauty of a beer I’m glad I picked up.
Harpoon calls this an “occasional release”; I hope they have occasion to release it again. With all this beautiful flavor going on and at such a bargain price. This is a top-notch beer buy that I would run, not walk, to buy again.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft