Pacific Coast IPA
John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House

 

 

A cloudy golden reddish burgandy pour with a creamy beige head. The smell of hops, wildflowers, wheatgrass and ginger was prominant. Not much corbination which helps the drinkability. A delicious fresh taste, finished with a clean crisp ending. A great all-around IPA.

Drove a couple of S-curves with this one on 9/7/2004. 16-oz. shaker pour at the Cambridge location.

Initial foamy, plumy head with about a quarter inch crown; this subsided to a large bubbled matrix and laced with a ganglia-like threading to the bottom. Washed out straw yellow hue with a light haze running through it; some constant carb action throughout. Kind of a sweet, milk grass bouquet and some hidden fennel, but overall a very subtle and hidden aroma. Hop crank at start that dulls quickly to a tart lemon relaxant and some light, orange-flavored jolly rancher sweetness. Quite velvety on the tongue despite the initial hop jolt, and the whole thing continues to mellow as the ale warms.

A kind American IPA, truly kind.

Called West Coast IPA at the LI location. Iwasslightly underwhelmed by this one. The name was indicative of a hop assault, but things were a bit more on the mellow side. Burgundy in color with a nice off white head, medium to low carbonation. There was a nice malt presence here, but the hops were too far in the back for an IPA. I actually liked their pale ale better, and had a better hop profile. Still, a nice brew with decent bitterness, but I wouldn't call this a west coast IPA by any stretch.

On-Tap @ Framingham Location (11/5/03)
White frothy head that was mostly lasting. Clean orange/yellow hue. Hoppy aroma but surprisingly not too strong, difficult to detect other smells. Initially a sweet taste, hopped tones came out fully in the finish (chinook?) but was quick to leave. Light to medium body with average carbonation. A lighter IPA, very drinkable with nice hopped flavors, could pass for a slightly stronger pale ale though, I typically look for more hops in an IPA.

Dry and smooth. A classic IPA. Reminds me of Midwest IPAs I've had. The only complaint is it had ~no~ odor. None whatsoever. It was bizarre. A few friends tried to smell it and had the same thought.

Obvious big and pungent hop bitterness with a leafy citric and lightly piney flavour. Puckering dryness forced me to take one sip after another. Malt character stands behind the hops and does not show too much skin, definite nod to the west coast IPA style. Clean and dry finish makes this one easy to drink.