Harpoon Imperial IPA (Leviathan Series)
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It’s hard to imagine the same brewery that came up with last night’s ho-hum Brown “Session Ale” could create such an in-your-face beer as tonight’s Imperial IPA from the Harpoon Leviathan series.
So instead of imagining, let’s trace how it happened.
Back in 2005 and with the help of guest brewers Jason and Todd Alstrom — the guys behind BeerAdvocate.com — Harpoon brewed a strong, dark wheat “wine style” ale called Triticus — part of their 100 barrel series.
Last summer, Triticus resurfaced when Harpoon released the big beer as the first of its new “Leviathan Series”. The Series is billed as “an exploration in brewing big beers for adventurous palates” and an excuse to “experiment with stronger flavors and bigger beers”. They’re still limited release brews; each beer in the Leviathan Series will be brewed in 120 barrel batches.
Drinking a beer was the last thing I wanted to do this evening.
I’ve nursed a headache most of the day, and this evening it erupted into a full-blown migraine. For the past few hours, I’ve been flat on my back in the dark.
So for a couple of hours tonight, the integrity of this year-long project rested on my wife’s shoulders, who delicately checked to make sure I didn’t nod off for the night and forget to drink my beer. Everyone should have such a caring partner, especially one who reminds you to drink beer.
I grabbed a Harpoon Brown “Session Ale” from the refrigerator because 1) it was already cold, and 2) I wasn’t expecting much from this beer and therefore wouldn’t feel bad if the article you’re reading came across as thin and lifeless as I’ve been feeling this evening.
The Harpoon Brown Session Ale poured a dark amber color, with a soft but fluffy head. The aroma was flat, a one-dimensional caramel malt. The taste is also fairly light, but not bad. It actually reminds me of a mass market brew — watery and sweet, with caramel malt as the dominant flavor.
The Brown Session Ale is simple, drinkable, and light bodied. I think I grabbed just the right beer for tonight. It lives up to the label “session ale” because it would be easy to drink several of these without getting silly or tired of the taste.
But for my purposes, Harpoon Brown seemed to help with my headache. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to write this much without the headache shifting into the background.
Restorative power of beer? Not likely — it feels like my brief reprieve is coming to an end. See you on IPA Monday.
Over 1000 different beers at Julio's Liquors!
It’s safe to say the BeerADay.net challenge wouldn’t be possible without Julio’s Liquors, in Westborough, MA.
To explain, let’s go back in time a bit.
When I first socialized the idea of drinking one beer a day only, with no repeats throughout all of 2009, the first question I heard was almost always something such as:
“Are there actually 365 different beers? Won’t you run out of beer to drink after a couple of months?”
That question helped me understand that most people — even many avid beer drinkers — have no idea how much great beer is out there. Hearing people ask if this project was even possible simply rededicated me to the importance of discovering new beer and sharing the experience.
But the question that loomed most ominously in MY mind as I planned this project was: “Where can I buy a robust variety of single bottles of beer?”
Brumaire Belgian Stout
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After running some errands today, my wife and I decided to have lunch at a brewpub in Haverhill, MA called The Tap.
Haverhill was once a mecca for the shoe industry, with leather and shoe factories throughout town. The Tap is located in one of these factory buildings — originally J.M. Hickey’s Shoe & Leather Exchange — in a facility which has been used as a restaurant and bar since at least 1897. You’re reminded of that heritage not just by the facade of the building, but by the wooden tap handles shaped like so many well-worn shoes lining the bar.
You may remember The Tap from my post about Haverhill Brewing’s Leatherlips IPA, which of course means I couldn’t order my usual IPA when I sat down for lunch today. This BeerADay.net challenge is never tougher than when I’m at a brewpub. So far this year, I’ve only been in two brewpubs because the experience of looking at a menu filled with interesting microbrews — but knowing I can only order one — should be against the Geneva Conventions.
“Some of our brewers have taken to donning a kilt when it’s time to brew this beauty.”
– Mad Riving Brewing Co. website
Full disclaimer — I’m not sure what a “Scotch Style Porter” is, but I like it! Craft beer can be difficult to fit into a specific, traditional “style” classification; and that’s exactly why I grabbed a bottle of this Steelhead Scotch Style Porter. And I’m glad I did.
What creates that peaty, funky, almost sour quality present in so many Scottish ales? Is it the strain of yeast? The malt? The Mad Riving Brewing website mentions the inclusion of “Scottish peated” malt, so I have to assume that — like many scotch whiskies — the flavor comes in part from roasting malt over smokey peat.
The first Scottish ale I ever drank was a Belhaven, on draft at the same Irish pub where I met my wife, just outside of Boston. That funky sweet-smokey taste came back to me on the first taste of this Steelhead.
