Harp! The Herald Angels Sing
Written: Dec 16 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A decent crisp and refreshing lager
Cons: There are better lagers for the same price
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| andaryl's Full Review: Harp Lager |
Now, when I first thought about writing this review, I was pretty sure that Harp was not always Irish. I read around a little bit, but could find nothing to back this up. I always thought it was a traditional English lager. I believe, it’s just the fact that when I was growing up it was never marketed as Irish and only really became promoted as an “Irish Lager” in the last 5-10 years.
It would seem to me now that this certainly is Irish born and bred. It’s not actually brewed at the Guinness brewery, but at a brewery in Dundalk, owned by Guinness. I did notice that Guinness uses the same Harp logo, which pretty much dispels any of my earlier concerns.
In support of my previous argument, this is not necessarily an Irish beer in style. It’s actually closer to a German lager. The beer pours to a bright gold, with heavy initial carbonation. A foamy head formed so much so that I really had to slow down to get the whole pour into the glass. There’s very little in the nose but mostly sweet, with a little barely noticeable hop. The first few sips were pretty sharp. This invoked my childhood memories of the commercial “Harp, stays sharp, to the bottom of the glass”. This however did not prove to be true as the bottom of the glass was much smoother and creamier.
If it’s served cold, as mine was, the initial flavor is going to be the crisp, sharpness. However as this beer warms and opens up, you’ll notice that this is more of a malty sweet brew.
If served cold, this can be an extremely pleasing and refreshing brew. However as I mentioned, the warmer the beer got, the smoother it got, and I was not as happy by the time I’d reached the bottom. I’m mostly an ale over lager drinker, but if I were to take a lager, while not my first choice, this would do. However, there are plenty of better lagers out there.
Personally I’d rather put it with a dark dominating red meat than something light, but most drinkers should enjoy this with just about anything. As for the rest of the 6 pack, I’ll probably finish it next time I’m sat out in the garden.
I did get a good deal on this 6-pack at $5.99 but I do believe the regular price is $7.99, tis the season to be jolly and the big grocery stores are knocking money off everything.
Footnote: Many will tell you that a true Black & Tan is Guinness and Harp
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: California via Yorkshire
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