Midsummer Fling
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

 

like this in the summer for a heavier beer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A leftover from a twelvepack of Harpoon summer brews acquired in June. Thought I had reviewed it then.

Poured from the 12 oz. bottle into an Innis & Gunn flute.

a: Nearly clear deep gold with a finger thick head which receded to a ring of surface foam and a little spotty lacing.

s; Mild pear.

t: Fruit cocktail with some hop bite and carbonation tingle. Sweet finish with a bit of pepper in the aftertaste. Enough malt to remind you you are drinking beer, and malt became more evident as it warmed.

m: Light to moderate with plenty of body. Smooth

o: A good refreshing summer drink. Fortunately we are having an unusual warm spell at the moment so it is welcome to drink something this fruity. My main issue is that it is listed as an "English Bitter," but there is too much fruit flavor and not enough malt dominance for it to be comfy in that category IMO. However I did self-serve it at 40 degrees, and most Bitters are best at least ten to fifteen degrees warmer than that. As it is it is certainly not a bad sessionable warm weather brew. I would venture to guess that the whole idea was to modify an English Bitter to make it more drinkable at lower serving temps in warmer weather than is the usual case back in Merry Olde England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refreshing! Makes me want to sit on the porch on a summer night with a pitcher. Easy to drink but its has enough complexity to put it on a shelf above most easy to drink lighter beers. It has a beautiful dark golden color with a starkly lighter colored head. I'm mostly a dark thick beer kind of person but this beer beer impressed me enough for what it was to want to review it.

Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Clear light amber in color with lots of bubbles visible. It has a small head that dissipates quickly. Lots of lemon zest and medium bodied malt on the nose. Light fruitiness. Taste is refreshing but flavors aren’t really refined – nothing stands out. Nicely crisp and clean, though with a light bitterness. Good carbonation levels, but maybe too much for a bitter. Overall it’s thirst-quenching but not overly flavorful and a tad watery.