TheBeerObserver

When you get a good batch (and therein lies the rub) this is one of my favorite beers.  I remember when Todd Mott, the brewer who designed the first version Harpoon IPA, started bottling this beer.  At its best Harpoon IPA has a good hop nose, pours well (good bottle conditioning) and is carbonated properly.  The malt provides the proper balance to the hops and the finish is bitter by not overly so--it makes you want to open another bottle/order another pint!  However, over the years my wife and I have noticed consistency problems with the IPA--stretches of time batches of Harpoon IPA tend to the soapy side, are overly bitter or could have used a bit more fermentation before conditioning.  Let me stop right here--I realize this is unfair to Harpoon--I am not reviewing one bottle of beer (the one I'm drinking now), I am reviewing the collective bottles of beer and the charm of craft beer is the variance of the batch process (minimal blending of batches, etc).  However, this is one of my hometown favorites and when you get a good batch Harpoon IPA can't be beat.