94. Weyerbacher Harvest Ale

Weyerbacher Brewing Company is in Easton, PA; we had this beer on tap at the Trolley Stop. Jason, the ever-friendly bartender, posed behind the glass for us—we love this photo.

Harvest Ale has a nose that is equal parts malty and hoppy and is copper colored with a light head and carbonation. The dry malt front quickly turns to bitterness in the middle, but still balances nicely with the initial malt body. There are also some citrus and spice hop flavors that round out the middle. Harvest closes out with some spiciness, but finishes rather clean, although the bitterness does linger. With a medium body, Harvest has a fair amount of dryness in the mouthfeel from the hoppiness—one might even say a slight amount of cottonmouth accompanies the dryness. The hoppiness in the nose increases as the beer warms, and some bitterness emerges as well. While there is a substantial amount of hoppiness and bitterness throughout, it is not as clearly discernable via the beer’s flavor profile—it does make its presence felt via the nose and the mouthfeel as well. Overall, a solid malt body that balances the big hop presence well.

From the Weyerbacher website: “Harvest Ale is a 6.2% ‘wet-hop’ IPA made from pale, munich, crystal, and wheat malts. It is hopped with a bounty of Cascade hops straight from the brewery’s own farm! The bitterness is restrained to allow the fresh-hop aroma and flavor to shine through. You will find grassy notes with hints of citrus zest in this refreshing ale. Since this beer can only be made with newly matured hops just hours off the vine, its release date is somewhat in the hands of Mother Nature. We know that it will fall sometime around the beginning of September. Keep your eye out for this one. You will want to drink this one as fresh as possible!”

ABV: 6.2%

(10/2/2009)