Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

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

Draft at the brewery tour. Poured a clear medium orange color. The head was off white. Smelled of fresh leafy hops, more pine that citrus. There were also whiffs of caramel and graham cracker. Medium bodied and slightly sweet with moderate bitterness. Tasted of citrus fruits, including distinct grapefruit. There was also some malty caramel that was balanced well with the hops.

Pours a mostly clear glowing orange color with a small, foamy white head that settles quickly to a thin film. The aroma shows a good amount of grapefruit and oranges and their hop bitterness to go with the sweet toffee and caramel malt in the background. The flavors follow with the fresh citrus hop taking center stage with grapefruit, orange, and mango as the main characters. The sweet caramel malt is big and balances out the bitterness nicely and sweetness. The hops seemed to have a lost some of their bitterness though. Medium bodied and a creamy mouthfeel with good carbonation that lends for an easy drinker. This is a really nice iipa and one I would love to try fresh.

bottle thanks to RCL. Pours a clear amber with a thin, white head. Nose of apricots and overripe fruit. Taste is of caramel malts and overripe fruit. Mouthfeel had a nice, bitter finish.

orange golden pout with small fizzy head. fresh citrus hop aroma. nice caramel malt backbone and some very concentrated hop bitterness at the finish. Very nice offering by Harpoon, it hides the alcohol content well and provides a nice fresh hop flavor with a malty middle.

I was pretty impressed with this beer. It delivered what was promised - abundant hop juiciness, well balanced maltiness, and a big wallop of alcohol. I had an urge for hops, and it satisfied. This beer pours a viscous straw color, with a little bit of soapy head. Aroma is astringently hoppy, and the hoppiness is of a sweet sweaty smell (delicious). Flavor is first a good amount of biscuit-y maltiness, followed by a lot of sweet-sweat and lightly citrus hoppiness. Mouthfeel is a little on thick side, but very good. I would highly recommend this beer. A very good DIPA. I had one of these after a Palo Santo Marron, and I basked in good beer goodness for the rest of the evening. I bought a 4-pack of this at Blacklick Liquor in Blacklick, OH.

Tap at Charley’s in Cambridge MA.

Huge piney, juicy hop aroma, this one is clearly setting out to contend with the stong West Coast IIPAs. Rather sharp, acrid flavor, hop oils coming on strong and aggressive. Drinkable, even enjoyable, but not exceptional.

Clear light gold, sticky 2 finger head, lacing all down the glass. Wet juicy pineapple and papaya citrus aroma. Strong concentrated heavy hop spectrum and intensity here, spicy, abrasive, fierce and sustained. Should have sipped it, but I couldn’t help it.

Pours dark golden with a mostly receding off-white head. Aroma of sweet pine, mango, toffee and citrus. Taste is sweet and moderately resinous, notes of tropical fruit: pineapple and mango. Full bodied and resinous with lively carbonation.