Ale
Brewed By: Harpoon
Brewed In: Boston, MA
Type: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.0%

What They Say: Harpoon Ale was the first in the family of Harpoon beers. It is important to know that when it was first brewed in 1987, there were virtually no other American Pale Ales or Amber Ales available in Boston, let alone an ale brewed within the city limits. Harpoon Ale was the product of extensive research and test brews by Harpoon’s founders to find the right beer to launch the Harpoon Brewery.
It has a loyal following to this day.

Website: I’m not a fan of websites where the header image takes up almost all the real estate above the fold. I’m also not a fan of “hey, this is a totally random and awesome candid shot we took because it’s SO COOL here” pictures. This site integrates both in to the same thing. Other than that, excellent organization and excellent info.

Why I Picked It: I had never heard of this beer before taking the Harpoon brewery tour in 2008. I thought Harpoon’s offerings were limited to their IPA (which we here at Beer Snob do our level best to avoid), UFO, and Raspberry UFO. Harpoon’s tour in Boston is less a “tour” and more a “come in to our sampling room and try everything we have on tap because that’s all you really want to do anyway”. It blows away the Sam Adams “we’re a publicly traded company so here is the carefully structured 3 samples ONE OF WHICH IS F*CKING HARD CIDER WHEN WE HAVE TEST BEERS IN OTHER TAPS THAT NO ONE’S EVER SEEN BECAUSE OUR STUPID TOUR GUIDE LIKED CIDER” brewery tour. It’s been two years and I’m still bitter over this. Regardless, one of the beers in the Harpoon tasting room was this delicious ale I’d never seen in New York. Most trips to Boston now require me to get a six pack of this for the weekend and, if I had a car, I’d have to bring a case home.

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Presentation (5): Very understated design. Their first beer. It has the harpoon guy at the top and the harpoon logo at the center. Harpoon gets points because their bottles are easily recognizable, but unless you know the color coding, you’d never recognize which Harpoon someone is drinking from a distance. 4

Originality (5): This beer was first brewed in Boston in 1987 so the originality has to be judged a little differently. It was being brewed at a time when no one had yet heard of Sam Adams and Budweiser was a step up from the normal swill. Harpoon’s brewery boasts Commonweath of Massachusetts Brewing License #1 which, one would note, comes before Sam’s. The originality score here is more for historic reference and for the lack of credit Harpoon gets in the microbrew revolution. 5

Taste (10): Harpoon mentions this beer’s mild fruity odor as a result of their propriety yeast strain. The smell pairs with a distinctly malty flavor and only a little bitterness at the finish. The yeast and malt take the forefront with bitterness so understated it’s barely worth mentioning. If you’ve ever thought “what would a Bud taste like if it was less carbonated and made with better ingredients?”, you could find out by drinking this beer. 8

Body (10): The beer is purposely under-carbonated so as to let the flavor be the superstar. If you’re used to (and like) the over-carbonation of American ales, this probably won’t be for you. If you think that Budweiser and Coors is a little TOO carbonated for what it is, like I do, then you’ve found a home. The lack of carbonation makes for a ridiculously smooth body that lets you drink forever. 10

Efficiency (10): In the vein of American Ales, it’s designed to be cost-effective and efficient for what you get. The ABV is low, which hurts the score, but the excellent flavor and low carbonation make for a beer you can keep drinking even when you’re already heading toward tomorrow’s hangover. 9

Versatility (10): I can’t imagine someone not liking this beer or a situation where it wouldn’t work. The only thing that would prevent you from using it in a rapid consumption game like beer pong is the fact you’d 1) feel a little silly using bottled beer for beer pong and 2) feel a little silly for using a microbrew for beer pong. The problem with the versatility score here is I’ve never seen the beer for sale outside the brewery and like two stores in Boston. 7

Final Grade: 43 (of 50) – Great beer.

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