John Harvards Celtic Strong Ale

Brewed by John Harvards Brewhouse (Corporate Office)
Style: Irish Ale
Cambridge, Massachusetts USA

(DC, called Celtic Red) Clear copper body with creamy beige head. Aroma is mild, malty, medium sweet, nutty, caramel, some peat and some herbal. Taste is light-medium sweet, malty, nutty, caramel, some peat, some grassy bitter in finish. Light-medium body.

Murky, burnt orange ale. Beautiful lacing... lacework that actually looks like lace. Some vineous notes in the nose with hints of apple and sweat. Malty/fruity flavor as well with a little toffee thrown in for good measure. Medium-bodied with a silky mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Lengthy, bone-dry finish that leaves the mouth feeling parched. Pretty darned good Irish Ale!

aka Celtic Red at Union Station Brewery/JH in Providence RI. Very pale, very malty, nice looking pour with good lacing, insignificant brew.

Tap @ Lake Grove: This poured a mostly clear chestnut color. The aroma and flavor were pretty much the same. Decent toasty and caramel malt with some mild fruitiness to it. Mildly sweet on the flavor. Light peaty notes. Light to medium bodied.

Red copper color, small off white head, very little lacing. Mildly hoppy aroma, some malt. Caramel malt taste with a rather weak mouthfeel.

On tap Framingham loc. 5/13/2005. Near opaque brown-auburn color, with a light beige head, good retention. Light lacing. Smells of toffee, lots of crystal malt and tons of sugar. Flavor gives off notes of caramel and toffee, mainly, while there is a subtle hint of peat and chewy, moist brown bread. Dr Gonzo notes that it is too sweet, and I agree, it is a bit on the sweet side, without much in the way of bitterness (actually, no bitterness). Caramelized sugar, brown sugar, toffee. Good body, though (from all of the malt). Low to moderate carbonation, not watery. Finishes with a hint of grassiness, mostly sugary dough and caramel. More of a scotch ale, IMO, but I can’t back that up.6/4/6/3/11
On cask. Good cask pour, except that it’s ridiculously cloudy. Aroma of light fruit, lots of sweet butterscotch and cream. Flavor is VERY off. Another beer from Harvard’s that I couldnt finish. Horrible alcohol sharpness, sour notes, sweet table sugar and almost something like spoiled milk. Yikes. Sticky, overly sugary body.5/3/3/2/7
Yet another sample on draught shows this one to be overly sweet, simple, and having problems with some sharpness/acidity and perhaps alcohol.

Light amber in color with a small white head of foam. Malt aroma with a roasted note. A mellow roasted malt flavor,with a bitter/sweetness, that's dominated by malt and breadiness.

Sampled at the Monroeville PA location this beer poured a ruby chestnut color with a small tan head. The aroma was lightly sweet and roasty. The flavor was lightly sweet with a hint of smoke and moderate fruity hops. The finish is long, smooth and tangy.