Our Flagship: Harpoon IPA

The origins of India Pale Ale (IPA) dictate its flavor profile. As a result of needing a beer that could withstand the trip from England to India via unrefrigerated sailing vessels, the English brewers took advantage of two natural preservatives: alcohol and hops.

Harpoon IPA is an interpretation of the classic English style using hops and malt grown in the United States.

 

 

HOPS
The pronounced hop aroma and the deep copper color make an immediate sensory impression. Northwest Cascade hops are used generously in Harpoon IPA. The aroma is floral, distinctly different from the herbal, spicy, or “cut grass” aromas of other hop varieties.

 

MALTS
Harpoon IPA has three malts. One adds a toasted flavor and another a malty flavor. Along with the third malt, a 2-row pale, there is an abundance of fermentable sugar to be converted into alcohol, which accounts for the relatively high original gravity. These sugars ferment fully creating 5.9% alcohol by volume and leaving no residual sweetness.

 

Harpoon IPA uses Harpoon's proprietary yeast strain. Our yeast is cultivated here in the brewery and is unique to Harpoon. Yeast contributes  to our beer's slightly fruity aroma.

 

 

BEER CHARACTER

The high hopping of Harpoon IPA is not only noticeable in the nose but especially in the finish. The lingering bitter finish of this beer is not harsh or astringent, but crisp and pronounced. This is created, in part, by dry hopping – a technique that involves adding fresh hops to the conditioning beer to provide a fresh hop aroma.