Founders Harvest Ale
Poured from the bottle into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint. Cloudy yellow/orange with a small head from a conservative pour. Bubbles were constantly rising to the top. A nice looking pale ale. It reminds me of Sierra Nevada Pale, one of my regular pale ales. Being a cigar and pipe smoker I rarely get as much aroma from a beer than non-smokers or other reviewers I read, but that was not a problem with Harvest Ale. Strong aromas of grapefruit and piney hops nearly knocked me over (in a good way). Any pale malts were way in the background. WOW! The taste is remarkable; bitter-sweet grapefruit leads the way with a delicious bitter finish that lasts until the next sip. A spectacular ale obviously brewed to highlight the fresh hops, but does not taste unbalanced at all like so many hop forward ales do. The great balance is reflected in its luscious mouthfeel. The drinkability is very good. It could be easy to guzzle this one down but be patient. Respect the 6.5% ABV and let the brew warm. The best attributes of Founders' Harvest Ale can be more fully appreciated at temperatures quite a few degrees higher than my refrigerator's. Founders is one of my favorite brewers already and I still haven't had some of their highest rated brews like Breakfast Stout. Kudos to the Michiganders!