Harpoon UFO White Review

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery | Beer: UFO White
Style: Witbier | ABV: 4.8% | IBUs: 10
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Earlier today, I reviewed Harpoon's UFO Hefeweizen and mentioned that it was such a hit that it had spawned a whole new brand. Well, only one of the beers in that line has made it to Houston: UFO White. While the Hefeweizen was rather mediocre, I still have high hopes for this brew.

As the name implies, UFO White is a Witbier. Harpoon doesn't provide any specifics on ingredients or process besides the fact that it's brewed with orange peel and "a unique blend" of spices, but here's how they describe the finished product:

Light, crisp, refreshing UFO White follows in the tradition of spiced wheat beers that have been brewed in Belgium for well over 300 years. UFO White is the perfect choice for a summer’s barbecue, a night out with friends or any time you're thirsting for something a little different.

I'm not sure if I'm quite thirsting for something a little different, but let's crack this bad boy open anyway.

Appearance: A beautifully hazy, golden-straw body capped by a finger and a half of creamy, nearly white head that features good retention and lacing.

Aroma: Floral and perfumey citrus over a mild wheat base. I can almost imagine that this is a fancy candle under my nose.

Taste: Perfumey citrus peel, tropical fruit, mild yeast, and spices (clove and coriander mostly) over a bready wheat base that is much more pronounced than in the nose. The aftertaste is citrusy and bready.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy with sharp carbonation. Dries a little in the finish.

Drinkability: A very drinkable proposition, though the perfumey character might get a little old.

Verdict: UFO White is perhaps a more floral take on the Witbier than most, but still a solid enough brew that's perfect for Summer.

Grade: B

Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen Review

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery | Beer: UFO Hefeweizen
Style: Hefeweizen | ABV: 4.8% | IBUs: 19
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

Dating back to 1998, UFO Hefeweizen has become one of Harpoon's most popular beers. In fact, it's become so popular that UFO has become a sort of spin-off brand for Harpoon, spawning three more beers in the line. Here's how they describe the flagship:

The overall character is a cloudy appearance with a citrus-like aroma, light body, and clean finish.

While Harpoon describe this as a Hefeweizen in the name (though an "American Unfiltered Wheat Beer" on the UFO site), not everyone agrees. You'll see this listed as an American Pale Wheat Ale around the web because it uses a north German yeast instead of one of the traditional Bavarian strains, but I've decided to list this as a Hefe in keeping with both the brewer's intentions and simplicity's sake.

Anyway, style distinctions aside, let's see how it measures up.

Appearance: A brilliantly hazy, orange-tinged golden body with brilliant tendrils of yeast stretching from top to bottom. Up top, a big, fluffy off-white head that leaves patchy lacing.

Aroma: Lemon and some yeast over a sweet, untoasted malt and wheat base. Perhaps a little thin, with traditional Hefeweizen banana and clove aromas are notably absent.

Taste: The focus here is a sweet, bready wheat malt body. Mild bitterness towards the end and perhaps a little spice (but that might be due to the power of suggestion). Overall, it's tasty but just a little thin. The aftertaste is relatively brief, but tastes of wheat.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and smooth with similarly smooth carbonation. It dries a little in the finish.

Drinkability: This goes back quickly and quenches nicely; very sessionable.

Verdict: Ultimately, I find this to be a just a bit boring. Regardless of any issues of fitting into a specific style, UFO just never really gets my attention. It's tasty enough but I could do with a little more intensity and interest.

Grade: C+

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA Review

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery | Beer: Leviathan Imperial IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 10.0% | IBUs: 122
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

It's been great seeing Harpoon's brews showing up on shelves here in Houston. Up until this point I've only tried their regular offerings—but now I've got my hands on one of their big Leviathan Series beers. Only dating back to 2008, the series is the home for the company's big beers and experimental fare.

Leviathan IPA is an American Double IPA. The backbone is built from pale and caramel malts, with the focus apparently on the pale variety. As for hops, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Amarillo varieties are employeed, and the beer is eventually dry-hopped with over one pound of unnamed hops per barrel. Here's Harpoon's almost Stone-like description of the beer:

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA will challenge your senses and your palate. As the vibrant aroma rushes out of your glass you will notice the blend of piney and tropical fruit notes. At first sip, this big beer starts with a powerful hop bitterness up front and an aggressive hop flavor and character throughout.

I think I'm up to the challenge, so let's crack this bad boy open.

Appearance: A crystal-clear, rich copper body capped by a little over a finger of creamy, off-white head that features good retention and lacing.

Aroma: Pungent, piney, and citrusy hops over a sweet caramel base with lots of booze around the edges. Easily identifiable as a Double IPA from a mile away.

Taste: Up front, a blast of resiny and grapefruity hops that are not shy with the bitterness. Underneath, a caramel malt backbone keeps everything grounded well. That double digit alcohol content makes it's presence known, but is masked well enough to not drag the beer down. The aftertaste is thoroughly bitter and boozy with pineapple and caramel notes.

Mouthfeel: A creamy, slightly fuller than medium body with moderate carbonation and a dry finish. There's some nice burn in the throat and mouth from the alcohol.

Drinkability: With the big IBU and ABV ratings, this is about average for the style.

Verdict: Leviathan Imperial IPA is a very solid Double IPA that satisfies the itch for a big, biter, boozy beer. After trying some of Harpoon's more mainstream beers, I'm glad to see they can really step it up and deliver a high-end beer.

Grade: A-

Harpoon IPA Review

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery | Beer: IPA
Style: American India Pale Ale | ABV: 5.9% | IBUs: 42
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

While I started my Harpoon experience with their Summer Beer, they are best known for their IPA. Brewed for over 15 years, it's one of the longest-running versions of the American IPA style on the market today.

Harpoon are a little stingy with ingredient details, but they do mention that Cascade hops are used "generously" and that the backbone is built from 2-row pale malt along with two other varieties. Here's how Harpoon describe the resulting brew:

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. This beer is floral, medium body with an aggressive, clean hop finish.

With so many years passing between this beer's original launch and the craft beer climate of today, I'm curious to see how it stacks up.

Appearance: An orange-amber body with two fingers of sudsy, off-white head. Good lacing.

Aroma: Citrusy Cascade hops over sweet pale malt. Good stuff, but perhaps more in line with a straight-up Pale Ale, rather than an IPA.

Taste: Up front, a mild wave of citrusy Cascades sets the tone. Underneath, the malt backbone is more than able to meet the hop challenge, making for a very balanced proposition. Once again, this smacks more of a great Pale Ale rather than a full-fledged IPA. The aftertaste is mildly bitter and a little grainy.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good carbonation. Dries in the finish.

Drinkability: Certainly above average for the IPA style, this makes for a wonderfully sessionable beer.

Verdict: Certainly not the most hopped IPA out there, I really would have pegged this one as an Pale Ale if I had to guess. I guess over the years the craft beer world has just moved on from this definition of an IPA. But, putting style aside, this is still a tasty and highly sessionable beer—just don't go in expecting an excess of hops.

Grade: B

Harpoon Summer Beer Review

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery | Beer: Summer Beer
Style: Kölsch ABV: 5.0% IBUs: 28
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

This review is a part of an article on summer seasonals as part of the monthly beer blogging project The Session.

Harpoon was founded back in 1986 by a trio of Harvard classmates in Boston. In the 20-plus years since, Harpoon has established itself as a major player in the New England craft-brewing scene, with a portfolio of year-round, seasonal, and special releases.

Their summer seasonal, Summer Beer, was inspired by a trip to Germany by master brewer and co-founder Rich Doyle. Released in 1999, this year marks the ten year mark for the beer. A Kölsch-style ale, here's how Harpoon describe the beer:

The hopping levels provide a crisp, dry finish that make this beer particularly refreshing. Harpoon Summer Beer is a beer brewed to be enjoyed with summertime activities. It is light, refreshing, and crisp.

All of the Kölsch-style beers I've tried so far have been awesomely refreshing, and with the summer sun beating down on me here in Texas, I'm ready to dive in.

Appearance: A crystal-clear, pale straw body with two fingers of creamy white head that feature good retention and patchy lacing. The clarity here is brilliant, I could read a book through this beer.

Aroma: Grainy malt with lemony and slightly spicy noble hops. Reminiscent of a good Pilsener.

Taste: A grainy, lightly toasted malt backbone. The mildly bitter and spicy hops come back in towards the end to dry the malt slightly. A crisp finish with a grainy and slightly spicy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied with good carbonation. Dries a little in the finish.

Drinkability: Quite the thirst quencher, this goes back rapidly (as you'd expect from a Summer seasonal).

Verdict: Harpoon's Summer Beer is a straight-forward, light, and easy-drinking beer that makes for a great Summer seasonal. If you had told me this was a Pilsener, I don't think I would have questioned you, but that's rather acceptable for Kölsches.

Grade: B