Harpoon Brewing Company - American IPA

Pouring a bright, luminous copper color with great clarity and a lasting head of khaki foam that laces nicely as it drops, this IPA from Harpoon looks great right off the bat. On the nose, look for super luscious and fruity notes: citrus zest conjuring grapefruit, tangerine, and candied orange peel, ripe passion fruit and pineapple, and hints of melon. A dash of pine is shot through it all. Harpoon uses a stunning total of eight hop varieties in this brew – more considering both Zythos and Falconer's Flight are hop blends – and the result is a layered aroma profile offering a bit of everything. On the palate, this IPA comes across powerfully flavorful. First, the malt backbone impressed us with a robust dose of toast, caramelization, and overall structure to support the hop explosion. And those hops... just tons of layered flavor without crushing bitterness. Clearly Harpoon made extensive use of dry-hopping to maximize aromatic flavor extraction without turning the bitterness up to palate-wrecker levels. There's an herbal, piney punch here that we felt works really well alongside the zesty citrus and ripe tropical notes. For pairing options, well-spiced Indian or southeast Asian dishes should partner well, especially when citrus is included. Mandarin orange curry with fish or chicken sounds great. Cheers!

Harpoon Brewing Company was founded in 1986, quite early in the US microbrew renaissance. Before starting the brewery, the founding team of Dan Kenary and Rich Doyle traveled throughout Europe in search of various beer and brewery styles upon which they would model their own ("product research" we think they called it). Upon returning, they partnered with George Ligeti and hired brewer Russ Heissner, and by 1987 their first beer was sold as the brewery debuted on the Boston waterfront.

Harpoon has always been focused on positively impacting their local community. This is an important component of the brewery and pub lifestyle that the founders witnessed while experiencing European traditions abroad. As they say on their website, "We learned to appreciate how much local brewers meant to their communities. They were not just manufacturers of a product; they were part of the social fabric. We asked each other, 'Why not do that in New England?'" The result of this initial desire has won them overwhelming approval from the locals and beyond. In fact, in 2000 they purchased a second brewery in Windsor, Vermont, to keep up with demand. In 2014, Harpoon became an employee-owned company with the introduction of an employee stock ownership plan, a major point of pride for the entire organization. Way to go, guys! For more information about the brewery or scheduled tours, call 617-456-2322, or visit their website at www.harpoonbrewery.com.