Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Brewed by Harpoon Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Pours a light orange color. The head is about medium. Aroma is packed full of hops. Taste is fairly typical of a DIPA - hoppy with alcohol undertones. Alcohol is not overwhelming but the taste is there. Overall a pretty good DIPA but I hoped for better from Harpoon.

12oz Bottle. Flickr(http://www.flickr.com/photos/26049401@N0 Aroma is a really dank, candy-striped resin, kiwi and lime aroma. Just sticky, aromatic, and really fruity. It transcends to a new level of citrus that’s quite impressive. Very nice. Pours a nicely clear darkened gold, with a well-lacing frothy white head. Flavor holds up to the aroma, adding a wide swath of hops-based spiciness, rich chewy malt sugar, and a firm snap of alcohol. Juicy, citrusy, and beautifully hoppy. I just love the new complex level of hoppiness this beer reaches, while maintaining cleanliness in the malt and alcohol profile. Very well done.

Bottle at the Dayton Ale Fest. Aroma is strong with hops and sweetier malts. Notes of pine, citrus, grapefruit, mango, and grass stand out (I am guessing Simcoe hops). On the palate it is a little sticky and a nice alchol burn comes out. The flavor really brings out the sweet malts and brings a bit of caramel to the nose. The finish is nice and bitter, leaving a citrus/hop aftertaste. Overall, a great beer.

Pours a translucent light copper amber with two fingers of a creamy sandstone head. First wiff is very resinous and citrus hops, mango and pink grapefruit juice predominate. Notes of sweet caramel and mild peanut shell mingle in. Flavor is not as pronounced, medium dry bitterness with some citrus rind. Nice balancing sweetness with some spicy phenol and a mild alcohol presence. Very full in body and smooth on the way down with a dwindling citrus rind bitterness.

Bright orange to copper in color with a decent white colored head. Clear. The smell is hops, floral, citrus, grapefruits, and malts. The taste is crisp, citrus, hops, floral, and good.

The appearance is bright, clear light orange color with tiny carbonation. Bold, white, shaving cream head. Frost leaves a haze outside the glass. Terrific frosty lace. The smell is severe, woody hop aroma. Heavy pine and citrus. Rye-like malts in the nose. Bitter but fresh. The taste is bitter, bitter, bitter. Tons of woody hops with deep oak and pine character. Hints of indeterminate citrus (orange?). Bitter but really good. Almost an apple flavor. Nearly Belgian tartness. The feel is creamy and substantial. Lets you know it’s there. It’s wonderfully bitter. Really heavy and bursting with woody hops. Awesome.

Bottle from a Whole Foods in Alexanderia VA. Almost didn’t buy it based upon my other Harpoon experiences. Poured initially hazy gold with a medium sized whitish head. Some spice, good hops in the nose. Very thick mouthfeel.....tasty with big resiny hop flavor...definitely sense the alcohol. Sweet malts are evident all the way to the finish. Better than anticipated.

12 oz bottle via Mys Swap 4 (tanks alexsdad!). Pours a semi-hazy amber with a large head. Not much from the nose, a bit of pine. Taste is pretty typical IIPA’ish.Some piny/perfumy hoppiness on top of a strong malt backbone. Lots of fruity esters, some pineapple, apricot hop flavors, some toffee. Balanced with a strong malt backbone and the alcohol is evident. Warm but not hot. Body is full. A slightly above average IIPA that would do well with more hops and less malts as is borderline barleywine here.