Harvest Ale
Southern Tier Brewing Company

Harvest AleHarvest Ale
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From:
Southern Tier Brewing Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #29
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
86
Ranked #18,356
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 12.24%
Reviews:
631
Ratings:
1,799
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 22, 2022
Added:
Oct 19, 2003
Wants:
  60
Gots:
  278
Our celebration of the change of the seasons, a deeply comforting ale to usher in the sunset as the evenings get cooler. In salutation to that special moment in time when the year’s harvest is a gracious cornucopia before us, we brew a classic ESB. Harvest is brewed with a combination of fresh English hops, cracked barley, and hard work. This is a classic English style Extra Special Bitter of the highest order. Harvest’s deep ruby color envokes a bright autumn mountainside where a warm sweater, a good beer, and the gratitude for the seasons are all you need.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Mikedwyer1230
Rated by Mikedwyer1230 from New York

3.91/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Very smooth, strong bitter
In the English style but more hops
Nov 22, 2022
 
Rated: 3.96 by Timmmmaaayyy from Pennsylvania

Sep 11, 2022
Photo of mpk2020
Rated by mpk2020 from Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From bottle
Jul 30, 2022
 
Rated: 3.62 by Jonathan-Morgan from Florida

Jun 16, 2022
 
Rated: 3.52 by johnny_c from New York

Feb 16, 2022
Photo of mikeinportc
Reviewed by mikeinportc from New York

3.94/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear medium orange-amber, with one finger of off-white head.

Smell is light caramel, bread, floral and fruity hop aromas. A faint hint of piney/solventy booziness as it warms, especially from the open bottle.

Tastes of pine, green onion, molasses, brown bread, with slight fruitiness. Moderate lingering bitterness + some light tang (as with rye or sourdough bread crust).

Feel is light-medium and smooth, with fine carbonation tingle coming in on the latter half.

The label now calls this an "Autumn IPA". I can (sort of) see that, if I squint just right. Apparently, ESBs don't sell that well? Perhaps the old-old label (pictured above) was the best descriptor : " Harvest Ale". In any event, it's a fine seasonal offering, that I've been enjoying since first encountering it many years ago, and expect to continue to do so, as long as STBC continues to brew it. Give it a try!. :)
Sep 03, 2021
 
Rated: 3.87 by ScottyB515 from Ohio

Sep 02, 2021
 
Rated: 3.91 by Sinister from New York

Feb 21, 2021
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

4.01/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Clear, bright crimson appearance with a small, off white head and good lacing. Spicy hop aroma with some citrus underneath. Hops turn more floral and herbal in the taste, accompanied by some cracker-like malts. Aftertaste is pleasantly bitter. First impression, erroneously, was that the palate was a bit too thin; but there is a good firm body if you give it a chance. "Harvest" = "Octoberfest"? Sounds reasonable, but not here. Think more bitter and less sweet maltiness.
Oct 29, 2020
Photo of Microtron
Reviewed by Microtron from Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I always look forward to the new fall line up of independent craft brewers. Looks like either Southern Tier changed marketing or the formula. It still tastes great. I will tip my hat to the Andrew and the gang in Lakewood another home run. It is not super hoppy like the 2x ipa. Easy drinking on the porch enjoying the season
Sep 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.68 by rolltide from Pennsylvania

Sep 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.85 by Danzifer from Ohio

Sep 08, 2020
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice clear light amber color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has slight hop and barley hints
The taste follows the nose with a well balanced hop and barley flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good English Bitter
Sep 05, 2020
Photo of Steve_Studnuts
Reviewed by Steve_Studnuts from Pennsylvania

3.54/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Bottled 7/14/20
Consumed 8/5/20
Label reads "Harvest Autumn IPA"; this may be a different beer? I dunno, most reviews say it tastes like an IPA anyway and the ABV is right, so I'm just going to review...

Pop the top and you're hit with a smoky blast of dank hops. Damn; was not expecting that at all. Haven't smoked any pot in months and all of a sudden I'm getting the itch again. Well done, jerks! Anyway, we've got a clear deep golden copper body that is rather Autumn-esque in that it looks like a dying leaf. There's little blotches of lace, but nothing significant. Looks decent enough. Smell is, as noted, very dank with some fruity notes hanging out on the margins. Kinda smells like something from SweetWater Brewing's 420 line. Picking up a little peach flavored tea through the haze. Tastes... not at all like expected. It's a little more malt-forward than the nose implies. The hop presence is more piney and earthy. There's a mild lingering bitterness combined with a dry, just hit the pipe finish. It's nice enough, but I'm not bowled over by it. Might just be me; a symptom of having drank too many beers, especially IPAs, and becoming a bit jaded to the style. I'll give them this, though: at least it's not a gimmicky, additive-laced shit show. That's becoming harder and harder to come by.
Aug 06, 2020
 
Rated: 3.48 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Jan 28, 2020
 
Rated: 3.71 by alexandergartley from New York

Nov 21, 2019
Photo of Zylod
Reviewed by Zylod from West Virginia

3.32/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
This is ok beer. But it’s nothing like a bitter. It’s an ipa. I’m seeing this a lot lately, in the US beer market, I pick up a beer labeled a style and it turns out to be a ipa. I hope US brewers will learn at some point, there is more to beer than dumping in a load of hops and calling it good. This is an ok beer but as the marketed style it’s a zero. It’s disappointing more drinkers are not calling it out.
Nov 02, 2019
Photo of nicholas2121
Reviewed by nicholas2121 from Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Harvest Ale brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company, with an ABV of 6.70%. This English Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB) pours out of a 12oz glass bottle into a pint beer glass. The color is a nice deep amber color with a nice white head. There is a nice amount of lacing to this brew. The lacing stick well to the side of the glass. Really digging the copper color of this brew. The smell is Rich with hop bitterness mixed with mirror roasted goodness. So far harvest ale is a nice inviting brew. Now for the taste , it is Bold with flavors. You pick on a nice amount of grains and malts , in the taste of this brew. The hop bitterness is a nice touch to this brew. The body of Harvest Ale is a medium to heavy, buy not to heavy. This brew goes down nice an smooth. The mouth feel is Bold, Rich, Clean, Smooth, Crisp, and Refreshing. Overall I am going to give Harvest Ale a solid 4 out of 5.00. I would definitely look this brew up again givin the opportunity too. Southern Tier Brewing Company did a real nice job with this English Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB).
Oct 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.68 by Eychung from New York

Oct 25, 2019
Harvest Ale from Southern Tier Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 1799 ratings