Thursday, July 23, 2009

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Lately, I have been craving something simply hoppy. Not an IPA aged in Scotch barrels, or an IPA aged in oak, just something simply, but deliciously hoppy. I found that beer yesterday when I went to my local Spec's. It sat there on the shelf, packaged in a black 4-pack, I had heard about it, but hadn't seen it until now, Harpoon's Levaithan Series Imperial IPA. Harpoon is that other Boston Brewery, much smaller then the other one. In my opinion Harpoon releases some solid if unspectacular beers for the most part, however their Leviathan series has been reported to be very good. These are all big, complex, and rarer than their main line. This particular one is of course the Imperial IPA, weighing in at 10.0% and 120 IBU's (not measured).
The Beer: The beer pours a bright orange with a thick dense head of white foam. My first whiff has me thinking WOW. Its all hops, citrus, a bit of pine, grapefruit, lemon, and along with a bit of pale malts. The mouthfeel is creamy hoppy, hoppy, hoppy, vibrant, shocking. Citrus, grapefruit peel, orange marmalade in the mouth. Its bitter, but yet at the same time almost smooth. As it warms some notes of alcohol show up along with more bready characteristics while keeping the amazing citrus hoppy bitterness. I enjoyed this one, alot. It gets a straight up A from me. Here's what the folks at BA think.

2 comments:

The American Don said...

Great review. I am instructing the wife to pick this one up immediately.

Barleyvine said...

It's worth it. Quite a fine beer. I'll be interested to read your review.