Harpoon India Pale Ale – Beer Review

I am an India Pale Ale fanatic. I don’ know how I went so long as a casual drinker of beer without discovering this, but now that I’ve pinned it down I’m hooked and I don’t know that I’ll ever go back. Sure I love all types of beer, even the darkest stouts every now and then. But there’s something about the intense bite of quality hops, the faint burn in the back of the throat from the higher than average alcohol content, and the aromatic perfection of a great India Pale Ale that really gets me going. I am always on the hunt for a great IPA that doesn’t kill my wallet, and I have a few in particular that I can safely alternate between to meet me in the middle. The Harpoon Brewery out of Massachusetts is responsible for one of these.

I can usually find the Harpoon IPA for sale in my local grocery store. A six pack runs between $7.99 and $9.50, which is pretty reasonable for a tasty beer with 5.9% alcohol content. I’ll admit that I normally only choose the Harpoon brews when they a little cheaper, because it’s not the greatest IPA out there, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s solid enough to stand on its own.

The pour on this beer is very nice. It’s a beautiful copper color that culminates in a thick head that dissipates with nice lacing. Its scent is fairly light for this style, but pleasant because it’s not overwhelming like some others. I detect mostly floral hops. Once it hits the tongue the fun really begins. This is a truly balanced example of an India Pale Ale. The hops are intense for just a flash of a second before being slightly subdued by toasty malt flavor and just a touch of caramel sweetness. It finishes crisp and smooth, just how I like it, and leaves me wanting another sip every time. This is a highly drinkable beer, primarily because of its achievement of equilibrium between hop intensity and the perfect touch of other necessary flavors. I’ve been known to put away a six pack in a single sitting.