100 Barrel Series #20 - Glacier Harvest Wet Hop Beer
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
- From:
- Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 6.7%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.71 | pDev: 9.97%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 78
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 08, 2016
- Added:
- Sep 10, 2007
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
The 20th installment of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series has been brewed to celebrate the annual hop harvest. Harpoon Glacier Harvest Wet Hop beer is a pale ale made with fresh hops picked just hours before being tossed into the brew.
Wet hop beers are brewed using fresh, wet (hops contain about 60% moisture when they are first picked) hops instead of traditional dried hops. Typically, when hops are picked they are quickly dried and refrigerated to make them more suitable and consistent for brewing. This process allows brewers to use hops that were harvested in the fall throughout the following year. Alternatively, wet hops need to be used within hours of their being harvested or they will begin to rapidly degrade. Wet hops retain some of their natural oils and volatile flavors that dissipate when dried. This yields an immersed, intense hop flavor in the beer.
Harpoon brewer Ray Dobens, creator of the beer, harvested the Glacier hops in Seneca, New York the morning of August 13th and immediately drove them back to Boston that very afternoon in a refrigerated truck. Ray added the newly harvested hops to the brew within hours after the harvest. The fresh hops were added to a malty, copper-colored ale. The combination is a pleasing blend of fresh hop flavor and sweet malt.
38 IBU
Wet hop beers are brewed using fresh, wet (hops contain about 60% moisture when they are first picked) hops instead of traditional dried hops. Typically, when hops are picked they are quickly dried and refrigerated to make them more suitable and consistent for brewing. This process allows brewers to use hops that were harvested in the fall throughout the following year. Alternatively, wet hops need to be used within hours of their being harvested or they will begin to rapidly degrade. Wet hops retain some of their natural oils and volatile flavors that dissipate when dried. This yields an immersed, intense hop flavor in the beer.
Harpoon brewer Ray Dobens, creator of the beer, harvested the Glacier hops in Seneca, New York the morning of August 13th and immediately drove them back to Boston that very afternoon in a refrigerated truck. Ray added the newly harvested hops to the brew within hours after the harvest. The fresh hops were added to a malty, copper-colored ale. The combination is a pleasing blend of fresh hop flavor and sweet malt.
38 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania
3.68/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.68/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This review is for the 2009 edition. It's kind of annoying that there are three different listings for this beer considering that they're all the same.
Pours a clear dark golden orange amber with some light coppery hues and lots of bright golden orange color when held to a light source. 1.5 finger frothy white head that slowly fades into a lasting ring.
Floral citrus hop aroma with some earthy dank hop oil. Sweet citrus peel notes, mostly lemon and orange peel and subtle grapefruit. Malty caramel presence in the nose as well.
Resinous medium body that is slightly watered down with some sweet floral citrus hop notes up front that provide a lingering bitterness that is quickly balanced by a caramel malt back bone with hints of rye into a dry slightly piny finish. Clean, crisp and easy drinking with some nice lemon peel and grapefruit along with some earthy grass notes. The alcohol is very well masked and the malt backbone provides some nice balance but the hophead in me wished that it was a little less prominent so the sweet citrus, dry bitterness could shine a bit more.
Oct 12, 2009Pours a clear dark golden orange amber with some light coppery hues and lots of bright golden orange color when held to a light source. 1.5 finger frothy white head that slowly fades into a lasting ring.
Floral citrus hop aroma with some earthy dank hop oil. Sweet citrus peel notes, mostly lemon and orange peel and subtle grapefruit. Malty caramel presence in the nose as well.
Resinous medium body that is slightly watered down with some sweet floral citrus hop notes up front that provide a lingering bitterness that is quickly balanced by a caramel malt back bone with hints of rye into a dry slightly piny finish. Clean, crisp and easy drinking with some nice lemon peel and grapefruit along with some earthy grass notes. The alcohol is very well masked and the malt backbone provides some nice balance but the hophead in me wished that it was a little less prominent so the sweet citrus, dry bitterness could shine a bit more.
Reviewed by fdrich29 from Massachusetts
4.1/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Co-worker grabbed this bottle for me for Christmas, along with many other treats.
Pours an apple juice pale amber. Rich, creamy head. Lots of carbonated, sticky lacing.
Smells fresh, crisp and hoppy.
Tastes light, crisp, fresh, hoppy. Nice flavor.
Goes down smooth, slight alcohol burn at the end.
Easy to drink, very light. Perhaps a tad bit high in abv to truly session, but damn close. A nice addition to their 100 Barrel Series.
Jan 19, 2009Pours an apple juice pale amber. Rich, creamy head. Lots of carbonated, sticky lacing.
Smells fresh, crisp and hoppy.
Tastes light, crisp, fresh, hoppy. Nice flavor.
Goes down smooth, slight alcohol burn at the end.
Easy to drink, very light. Perhaps a tad bit high in abv to truly session, but damn close. A nice addition to their 100 Barrel Series.
Reviewed by JayNH from New Hampshire
3.68/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.68/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A- Pours an ever so slightly hazy copper color with a small foamy head.
S- Mild buttery sweet malt with a solid floral hoppiness. Slightly alcoholic.
T- Overall flavor is restrained. Most noticeable is an earthy hoppiness, a touch of spice with the malt hiding in the background.
M- Smooth, little carbonation. Light-to-medium body.
D- Drinkable, just all in all a fairly bland brew. Not a lot going on...
Jan 01, 2009S- Mild buttery sweet malt with a solid floral hoppiness. Slightly alcoholic.
T- Overall flavor is restrained. Most noticeable is an earthy hoppiness, a touch of spice with the malt hiding in the background.
M- Smooth, little carbonation. Light-to-medium body.
D- Drinkable, just all in all a fairly bland brew. Not a lot going on...
Reviewed by Dantheman4162 from Massachusetts
4.11/5 rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.11/5 rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
This is on of the first beers i've reviewed, so it might not be very good. Fantastic amber color, very smooth taste, you can taste the hoppiness but yet no bitter taste of the typical IPA. There is a minor bite at the end. FUll bodied, very good. Taste like a Sam adams boston lager type, but wih a hop bite, not as crisp as the IPA but still clean tasting. Decent head, but doesn't last
Dec 15, 2008
Reviewed by atsprings from North Carolina
3.8/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bomber into a Duvel snifter, pours a crisp orange with a nice frothy egg-shell colored head that diminishes to a thin layer and leaves decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is citrus hops up front with some slight malt presence in the background. The taste is a nice balance of crisp hops and sweet malts but the finish drops off rather quickly. The beer is light, crisp and refreshing with decent carbonation. This is a decent fresh hop beer, but I've had better.
Nov 16, 2008
Reviewed by bonbini26 from New Jersey
3.78/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
3.78/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
On Tap @ the Hop Devil Grill, 1L Mug- $11
A- Pours a clear medium shade of amber, nice head, with lacing the follows down the glass
S- light hints of pine, citrus, caramel, bready notes, not too overwhelming
T- Pretty well balanced taste, nothing overing the top, a well made pale ale, with a good amount of bitterness and crisp citrus flavors
M- Not the most aggressive or hop attack from a wet-hopped pale ale that i was expecting
D- Pretty good, i drank a 1L of it and the taste stayed true all the way through, even as it warmed up a bit.
Oct 27, 2008A- Pours a clear medium shade of amber, nice head, with lacing the follows down the glass
S- light hints of pine, citrus, caramel, bready notes, not too overwhelming
T- Pretty well balanced taste, nothing overing the top, a well made pale ale, with a good amount of bitterness and crisp citrus flavors
M- Not the most aggressive or hop attack from a wet-hopped pale ale that i was expecting
D- Pretty good, i drank a 1L of it and the taste stayed true all the way through, even as it warmed up a bit.
Reviewed by dnichols from Washington
3.71/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.71/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I was served a pint in a Harpoon glass at the brewery.
A: It poured a clear yellow amber tinged body with a decent white one inch sticky head. There was spotty lacing down the side of the glass.
S: It had a creamy malty aroma with a floral accent. There were hints of white spices and citrus.
T: It began with a sweet spicy toasted front with a spicy and bitter back. It was well balanced with plenty of hoppy bite on the back side.
M: It was light bodied with a smooth creamy presence and medium carbonation. It finished with a bitter hop bite that lingered into the aftertaste.
D: It was a hoppy APA with a light body and balanced flavor. It makes a decent session brew.
Oct 27, 2008A: It poured a clear yellow amber tinged body with a decent white one inch sticky head. There was spotty lacing down the side of the glass.
S: It had a creamy malty aroma with a floral accent. There were hints of white spices and citrus.
T: It began with a sweet spicy toasted front with a spicy and bitter back. It was well balanced with plenty of hoppy bite on the back side.
M: It was light bodied with a smooth creamy presence and medium carbonation. It finished with a bitter hop bite that lingered into the aftertaste.
D: It was a hoppy APA with a light body and balanced flavor. It makes a decent session brew.
Reviewed by rtratzlaff from North Carolina
4.1/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A 22 oz. bomber shared with a friend.
This beer pours a clear shade of amber with a pretty large puffy head that sticks well.
Aromas are lightly of grapefruit and a hint of bready malt in there as well.
The taste is nothing really powerful, but really a nice Pale ale with flavors of light citrus and you even get some caramel maltiness. I am not sure as a fresh hop beer that I love it, but as a pale ale, it is very drinkable and pretty good. The mouthfeel is straight up medium with carbonation slightly on the lighter side.
Oct 26, 2008This beer pours a clear shade of amber with a pretty large puffy head that sticks well.
Aromas are lightly of grapefruit and a hint of bready malt in there as well.
The taste is nothing really powerful, but really a nice Pale ale with flavors of light citrus and you even get some caramel maltiness. I am not sure as a fresh hop beer that I love it, but as a pale ale, it is very drinkable and pretty good. The mouthfeel is straight up medium with carbonation slightly on the lighter side.
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!