I found a bargain the other day. A 12pk for 6 different Harpoon beers for $7.99 is a steal. It appealed to my wallet and to the fact that I’ll be getting 6 varieties to review. The first brew I decided to break open was their UFO Pale Ale. I was looking forward to something with a little pep to get my hop fix and this did the trick. Harpoon has their main lineup of brews and then a couple “brand name” series in addition. This beer falls in the UnFiltered Offerings along with a couple wheats. I was rather interested to try an APA where a good amount of yeast is left suspended in the brew. My expectation for this beer was to be an aggressively hopped pale that could make the jump to an IPA.

However, I was wrong. As I poured the richness of the brew became apparent. There was a pleasant fruity hop aroma that wafted up from the class. This fruitiness was also accented by a mellow earthy, herbal quality that added some depth. My first thought was that this looked and smelled like a British pale ale more so than an American. After consulting their website I found that the reason behind the unfiltered nature of this brew was done to replicate a BPA. I’d say they did a great good at doing so.

The head was compact and looked like a beer drawn from a cask. The yeast gave the beer a nice aroma of fresh cut hay and bread while providing a heavier mouthfeel. Pale malt was of course highlighted and it came to the forefront wonderfully. I believe the yeast helped to bring out the grainy aspects. The hops were not lacking, but not aggressive allowing for a nicely balanced beer. It was easy sipping and rather smooth. I was left with distinct hop flavors paired with a grainy straw-like malt aftertaste.

I’ll definitely be partaking of this brew again!

ABV: 5.3%

Grade: B+