Review: Harpoon Juicer, UFO Florida Citrus, and Sticky Bun Stout

By Christopher Null | August 23, 2023 |

Today we dive into three very different beers from Boston’s Harpoon. No need to prolong the prologue. Let’s dive in.

Harpoon Juicer Hazy IPA – Straightforward but dead-on perfect for the style, this concoction of Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Azacca hops is made using a “unique brewing technique called ‘dip hopping,’ where the hops are steeped prior to fermentation.” Whatever that entails, it works. Lushly fruity and thick, almost creamy on the palate, it exudes notes of peaches, mango, and papaya, with a gentle kiss of vanilla on the finish. Quaffably perfect for summer drinking, though the abv is creeping quite a bit out of session range. 7.2% abv. A / $12 per six-pack

Harpoon UFO Florida Citrus – Somewhere between a lager and an Orange Crush likes UFO Florida Citrus (peel, juice, and puree), a hazy wheat beer that folds in a funky and unexpected sour quality rather than the bright sweetness you might be expecting. The bready wheatiness is represented well enough, but it never feels like it melds well with the overpowering citrus. I’d rather have a squeeze of an orange wheel than this overpowering experience. 5.3% abv. C / $11 per six-pack

Harpoon Sticky Bun Stout – Yeah, that’s what it says, and that’s what it is: stout brewed with natural flavors and “real sticky buns from Flour Bakery.” Beers like this are normally bruisers but at a mere 7.5% abv, this is almost a sessionable version of a dessert stout, which Harpoon tends to specialize in. It surely tastes like what is promised, thick with caramel and walnuts, with a touch of milky coffee backing up the pastries. Ample baking spice ensure a sweet experience from start to finish, and if you’re in the right mode for it, that’s not a bad thing. 7.5% abv. B+ / $15 per four-pack of 16 oz cans

harpoonbrewery.com