Try?
I’ve always enjoyed Harpoon beers. Many years ago, perhaps approaching 20, I first toured the Boston brewery. After that came the occasional attendance at Harpoon’s Octoberfest celebration in the fall. I’ve long cherished Harpoon beers as amongst my favorites; they were, after all, one of the first craft breweries to emerge in New England.
Today, living in the south, I’m far removed from the Harpoon brewery, though not their beers luckily, as Harpoon brews are readily available here in Georgia. One hit or miss Harpoon proposition for me, though, has been the limited edition 100 Barrel Series of brews.
To be sure, we do get them here in Georgia, though I see them intermittently. I’m not sure if that’s a function of them being distributed intermittently here, or instead selling out in some cases before I can get to them. In any case, one entry in the series that I sadly missed was 2011’s Session 37, Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA.
Not
to worry, though, as the beer has been resurrected on a regular basis as
Harpoon Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA. Harpoon calls this beer “a new
take on the IPA style”, although really it’s not all that new, having
been around for about ten years at least. Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA has an
alcohol content of 6.9% by volume and a respectable 70 IBUs. I bought a
six-pack at Total Wine for $8.99.
Harpoon says this about the beer:
This beer is brewed with hops, a variety of malts, our proprietary yeast – the same yeast we’ve used since first brewing Harpoon Ale – and more hops. A lot more hops. Centennial and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight add a multidimensional hop character, and the combination of Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, Flaked Rye, and Vienna yield a complex malt body that stands up to the spiciness of the rye and the pronounced hop flavor.
Here’s what I think:
Harpoon Rich and Dan’s Rye IPA pours to a hazy orange amber color with a thick foamy head formation and a spicy rye and hop nose. Taking a sip, the rye certainly comes right at you: spicy, grainy, and savory in the palate, it works nicely to season the caramel matiness underneath. I want rye in my rye beers for crying out loud, and this one has it. It’s much like chewing a fresh hunk of rye bread. Resiny and grassy hops arrive in the finish and add to the party, making for a very dry finish.
The first batch of this beer that I bought had a “Best By” date of 9/19/2012 stamped on the neck; I enjoyed in into December and it held up extremely well. I love the way spicy rye malts can work together with bountiful hops, and Harpoon Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA combines them sublimely, and at a reasonable price.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
