Weyerbacher Harvest Ale

Brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Easton, Pennsylvania USA

Bottle. Pours an attractive slightly hazy amber with an off-white head. Aroma is surprisingly subdued - earthy, herbal hops with a hint of berry and toastiness. The overabundance of carmel/toffee clutters-up the hop character of the beer. First are notes of malty caramel then an ample woody, earthy hop character. Lingering notes of pine resin and grapefruit. Malt sweetness is minimal. The body is full and round with a nice creamy texture and moderate carbonation.

Bottle. Aroma of floral notes, straight hops, caramel, toast. Flavor very malty though fortunately not overly sweet as some of these harvest ales are. Hops are still very presence with a floral and citrus character. Mildly astringent, but not distractingly so, quite drinkable. Nothing terribly unique, but still a solid brew.

THOUGHTS: Tons of hop flavor, but not very bitter. Very juicy hops. It was like some sort of crazy hop nectar. Perfectly balanced. More like a DIPA in balance. A great beer from one of my favorite breweries. It could use more hop aroma or really just more aroma in general. It had a complex aroma, but it was very light. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, medium to dark orange with an average to large head that mostly diminished and left good lacing. The aroma was nice, but way to weak. There was light caramel malt; light floral, herbal, grassy, orangey, minty and earthy hops; hints of honey and hints of vanilla. The initial flavor was lightly sweet, a little acidic and lightly bitter; while the finish was sweet and rather bitter with a fairly long duration. There was caramel malt, orangey hops, grapefruit hops, a little mint, a bit of pin hops, slight honey, orange and grapefruit rind and a little apple. The medium body was a bit syrupy, but also oily with lightly fizzy carbonation and a very lightly astringent, ever so slightly alcoholic and lightly metallic finish.

12 oz bottle served in a tulip glass. Pour was an orange amber with three fingers of thick, pillowy white head; a nice show of lacing is left on the glass as well. Nose was strong floral and caramel, malt, and a resonating hop that is detectable in every aspect of the aroma, just not as loud as the main attraction. The taste is not as sweet as the aroma might hint at, but very pleasant none the less. After the initial caramel and malt, the hops kick in with an unexpected hint of spice, before taking on a sweet, but dry earthy finish. A very good beer that is quite sessionable.

Hazy amber with a thinnish head, leaves a bit of lacing, looks like iced tea after the head subsides... Aroma of sweet malts, caramel dominates, with notes of c hops in the background... Flavors are very muddled, not nearly as sweet as the aroma would indicate, too much malt, not enough hop for a beer with a hop vine on the label... Dry finish, fairly lively body...

pours an amber/orange color with a creamy and thick white head...nice lacing. aroma is very floral with hints of orange and earthy hops and a firm caramel malt backing. flavor has significant sweet caramel up front with some earthy spicy hops afterwards. mouthfeel is silky and lively with a dry slightly spicy finish. nice beer.

12oz bottle from once upon a vine south. pours a darker shade of orange-copper with a full white head and solid lacing. aroma is very nice with fresh, grassy, floral hop notes, and wet wood with hints of lemon peel and orange citrus with slightly sweet, toasted caramel malts. flavor is solid as well with grassy, herbal, earthy hop notes with just a hint of citrus up front with light, wheat-bready malts and a hint of caramel on the finish. palate is crisp, and medium bodied, with a mild metallic twang in an otherwiser mild, bitter finish. overall, a decent harvest ale.

Bottle. Pours a clear orange-brown with a small white head. Aroma of floral hops, biscuity/toasted malt, and some sweet citrus hops. Flavor of bready malt with a bitter hops finish. Mostly mellow on the hops side but quite pleasant and easy to drink. This is a fairly solid harvest ale. 7/4/7/4/15 [3.7/5]