1063. John Harvard's Houblon Saison



Sometime in mid-July Jadyn and I were in Harvard Square. We stopped in to John Harvard's for a beer or two.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 3.65

This saison pours a hazy, peach-infused, straw-golden color. It's topped by a fluffy, sudsy head that fades, but leaves lacing as it goes. The aroma is fairly mild. There's a bit of grassy, grainy malts, a hint of yeast, and bananas and citrus that appear on swirling. For a beer called Houblon Saison, you would expect to detect some hops in the aroma, but none are evident.

There's a fruity, banana sweetness upfront, along with some clove spiciness also contributed by the yeast strain used to brew this beer. The finish is slightly grainy, has notes of citric hops, and has a coda of herbal hops. Houblon Saison is medium-bodied, and is highly carbonated.

Aside from the lack of hops in aroma, this was a fine beer. There's a nice balance between Belgian yeasty flavors and the herbal hops.

Labels: John Harvard's

914. John Harvard's Centennial Common Ale



Jadyn and I went to John Harvard's for drinks on November 7th. The place was packed with what looked to be Harvard parents, but we were lucky enough to get seats at the bar. I started with their new California Common style beer, which I hadn't had before. I also had a pint of their Bitter on cask.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: California Common / Steam Beer, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, pale, straw color. Topped by a bright, white head that fades to a film leaving sheets of lace. The aroma is light overall. There's a crisp grassiness, and a hint of citrus on the swirl.

Bready malts upfront, citric notes in the center, and an herbal bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, but the carbonation gives it a nice crisp character.

Definitely drinkable, a bit lacking in well rounded flavor though.

Labels: California Common / Steam Beer, John Harvard's

828. John Harvard's Apeman Ale

I had a pint of this at John Harvard's on April 26th. I'm pretty sure this was describes as a Saison at the bar.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 3.95

Pours a very cloudy -- log phase yeast cloudy -- straw color. It's topped by a foamy, white head that thins to a patchy film and leaves clinging strands of lace. There's almost a peach like hue from the refracted light. There's a nice neutral graininess in the nose, with some light peppery spice and banana fruitiness.

Light-bodied with high carbonation that pulls the flavors along. There's a nice neutral maltiness that's carried through to a crisp finish. Banana and bubble gum fruitiness is present in the center with a hint of sour citrus. The finish has a nice, grassy hop bitterness and a pleasing dryness.

Tasty and very drinkable.

Labels: John Harvard's, Saison

826. Harvard Square Helles

Jadyn and stopped at John Harvard's for a beer sometime in late April.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Munich Helles Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazed golden. Topped by a thick white head that fades to a film. The aroma is light, predominantly graininess and grassy hops on swirling. There's a neutral graininess upfront that moves into a rough bitterness in the center that's accentuated by citric elements. Light-bodied, highly carbonated with a bit of roughness in the finish. Tasty and refreshing.

Labels: John Harvard's, Munich Helles Lager

758. John Harvard's Crooked Caber

I had a pint of this at John Harvard's in early February.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Scottish Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This post probably won't be informative since I'm just going on memory, but I remember it being a pretty standard Scottish style ale. It wasn't as malty as others, but it was tasty.

Labels: John Harvard's, Scottish Ale

756. John Harvard's Cambridge-on-Charles

I had two pints of this on January the 11th at John Harvard's. I'm not sure of the style but I'm guessing English Pale Mild Ale.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: English Pale Mild Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy golden. Topped by a thin head that fades to a film leaving patches of lace. The aroma is resiny hops with a hint of citrus. Sweet, bready malts upfront. Moves through to a resiny hop bitterness in the finish with some citric and grassy notes. Vigorous carbonation carries the flavors across the palate.

Labels: English Pale Mild Ale, John Harvard's

746. John Harvard's Espresso Stout

I had this on tap at John Harvard's on Wednesday.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (5.0): Pitch black, topped by a dense brown head with very nice retention. Leaves sheets of lace on the side of the glass.

Smell (3.0): The aroma is fairly light: coffee and roasted grain.

Taste (3.5): Sweet upfront, chocolate flavors move into a somewhat bitter coffee finish. Sweet all the way through. Needs more balance.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Creamy and smooth. Low carbonation.

Drinkability (4.0): Very drinkable, sweetness is there but isn't too cloying.

Overall (3.75)

Labels: American Stout, John Harvard's

111. John Harvard's Harvest Spice Ale

I had this on tap at John Harvard's on the 16th of November. I must have had this one when I first got to Boston just over four years ago since it's number 111 on my list.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Clear, lightly hazy, brownish copper. The beige head thins to a ring.

Smell (3.5): Toasty, with a sweet, malty aroma. Spicy cinnamon and ginger. Alcohol becomes evident on swirling.

Taste (3.5): Toasty and sweet upfront. Moves into a spicy cinnamon and ginger flavors. The finish is alcoholic with a bit oh hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, dry finish.

Drinkability (3.5): A tad sweet and a little overspiced.

Overall (3.65)

Labels: Herbed/Spiced Beer, John Harvard's

712. John Harvard's XX Export Stout

Jadyn and I went to John Harvard's two Fridays ago. I had their Demon DPA on cask while we were waiting for a table and then had the XX Export Stout with dinner, and a half a glass with dessert.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Foreign / Export Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Pours an opaque, jet black. The head is a brown, wispy film.

Smell (3.5): Stoutish. Roasty malts with nice coffee and chocolate hints.

Taste (4.0): The high carbonation creates a tingly sensation upfront. Lightly sweet throughout. Moves into a nice dark-chocolate and coffee finish that impart a light, lingering bitterness to the finish.

Mouthfeel (4.0): High-carbonation. Light, but smooth and velvety.

Drinkability (4.0): A nice balanced stout that's very tasty.

Overall (3.9): A very nice stout, perhaps a little light for the style, but very good nonetheless.

Labels: Export Stout, John Harvard's

692. John Harvard's Burning Bridge Bock

I had this at John Harvard's with Jadyn a few weeks ago. The "Burning Bridge" in the name refers to smoked malts used during brewing.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Bock, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (3.5): Pours a lightly hazy copper. A thin beige head fades to sudsy patches, leaving sheets of lace.

Smell (3.5): There are some light malty hints below a strong aroma of smokiness.

Taste (4.0): Initially toasty before it moves into sweeter, caramel flavors. There's a bit of spiciness before the smoke hits in the finish, which remains through, with a light bitterness, in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Full-bodied, low to moderate carbonation, smooth.

Drinkability (3.0): Very nice and malty, though the smoked character is a bit strong.

Overall (3.7)

Labels: Bock, John Harvard's

684. John Harvard's Bitter

Jadyn and I stopped for a beer at John Harvard's on Monday night. I had their bitter on cask.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: 4.70%
Serving: Cask
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy amber with a dense, creamy, beige head, which thins to a film leaving patchy lace.

Smell (4.5): Mostly citric and resiny hops with some mild bready malts.

Taste (4.0): Bready, toasty malts upfront that moves into a malty caramel sweetness with some fruity hints. The finish is a citric, grapefruit bitterness.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation, smooth.

Drinkability (4.5): Flavorful, mild, very drinkable.

Overall (4.1)

Labels: English Bitter, John Harvard's

This is my first time participating in The Session. Work in lab has, unfortunately, prevented me from spending a lot of time on beer the past few months. Jay, at Brookston Beer Bulletin, picked English Mild Ales for this month's style, which happily coincides with CAMRA's "Mild Month." There's a summary post up at Brookston, which is hosting this month. Check it out to see how other bloggers fared in their quest for a Mild.

Milds aren't a style that I've had any experience with. Most of my experience with English Ales is with Pale Ales, Browns or Bitters. Milds aren't widely brewed so they're difficult to find, but I'll admit that my lack of experience is, at least, partially my fault. I've spent quite a bit of my time lately seeking out so called "Extreme Beers" or Belgian beers. I feel like I've neglected session beers in favor of stronger brews, though lately I've been trying to keep the fridge stocked with beers that are more session friendly.

There's a great post about the style at Brookston. CAMRA also has a page about the syle that gives some nice information about the style and its history:

So what is Mild? It is a beer which has tastes and textures all it’s own. Basically it is a beer that is less hopped than bitter, etc. The darkness of Dark Milds, such as Greene King XX Mild, comes from the use of darker malts and/or roasted barley which are used to compensate for the loss of Hop character. "Chocolate ", "fruity", "nutty" and "burnt" are all tastes to be found in the complexity of Milds. However, not all milds are dark. Yorkshire brewed Timothy Taylors Golden Best is one of the best examples of a light coloured mild, as is Bank's Original, the name changed from Mild to try to give it a more modern image. In Scotland, 60/- ale is similar to mild (Belhaven’s being a good example).

Milds today tend to have an ABV in the 3% to 3.5% range, with of course some notable exceptions. In fact, a lot of the Microbreweries who try their hand at mild are bringing the alcohol content back up somewhat! Mild wasn't always weaker though. In the latter half of the 19th Century, milds were brewed to about the same strength as bitters as a response to the demand for a sweeter beer from the working classes and in those days most bitters were around 6 to 7% ABV.

I had assumed I wouldn't be able to find a mild due to their rarity. Fortuitously, John Harvard's currently has their version of a Dark Mild, Midlands Mild: A Spoonful Weighs A Ton (another Flaming Lips themed name), on tap. I was able to have a few pints last Friday when I went to John Harvard's. According to their menu:

Not all ‘light’ beers are light in color, or flavorless; not all ‘dark’ beers are overpowering in flavor or alcohol. Mild ales from England’s Midlands region are a little known example. A so-called ‘cloth cap beer,’ these drinkable session ales sustained farmers through the harvest season. Dark, mellow, flavorful and surprisingly complex at 3.2% alcohol by volume, this is the perfect ale to debunk popular beer myths.

I was disappointed that there was only one mild on tap at the first NERAX session on Wednesday. It was an American version called Portsmouth American Mild Ale, which tasted more like a Bitter than a mild to me. I'll hold off on posting a review until I write up my NERAX post since I'm not sure that it's to style.

660. Midlands Mild "A Spoonful Weighs A Ton"

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: 3.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: English Dark Mild Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear, dark, ruby-brown with a thin, beige head that fades to a shiny film, leaving patches of lace that cling to the side of the glass.

Smell (4.0): Very malty. Notes of caramel, toffee, dark fruit and burnt sugar. I may have detected an almost smoky aroma as well.

Taste (4.0): Very nice maltiness that's sweet, but never cloying. There are notes of caramel, dark fruit, a little bit of burnt sugar as well as a mild graininess. Mellow, but flavorful.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation. Incredibly smooth.

Drinkability (5.0): Very flavorful, but nothing is overpowering. The low alcohol makes this ideal for a session.

Overall (4.15): The description on the menu is very accurate. There's not much else to add... I really enjoyed this beer.

Labels: English Dark Mild Ale, John Harvard's, The Session

658. The Softest Bullet Ever Shot

Last weekend it was finally nice in the Boston area. On Sunday I decided to walk to Harvard Square for a beer after I finished up in lab. The route I took also happened to be the route of the Human Genome Trail, which consists of banners representing each chromosome hung on light posts along the route. The banners are scaled representations of chromosome banding patterns. It was a nice walk, and the genome trail is a cool exhibit to get people interested in science.

After stopping at Cardullo's for chocolate and tea, I went to John Harvard's and had a burger and two pints of the Flaming Lips themed The Softest Bullet Ever Shot, an English Bitter served on cask.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Cask, Pint
Style: English Bitter. BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.5): Pours a nice, lightly-hazy, amber-copper. It's topped by a dense, thin, off-white head that fades to a thin layer leaving sheets of lace.

Smell (4.0): Lightly malty with a nice hop aroma. Toasty with notes of caramel, and fruit. The hop aromas are herbal and resiny. Swirling really brings out the caramel and fruity aromas.

Taste (4.0): Bready and toasty upfront with caramel and fruity sweet flavors appearing in the center. The finish is a nice mix of herbal, grassy and resiny hops that impart their flavors first before a mildly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, smooth, a little sticky.

Drinkability (4.5): Mild, but enough flavor to keep you interested. Definitely a session beer.

Overall (4.15)

Labels: English Bitter, John Harvard's

493. John Harvard's Bière Du Père

I went to John Harvard's with my aunt tonight. I had about five or six of these over the course of around three hours.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: 4.80% (I think this was what was listed)
Serving: Tap
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with a fluffy, white head that quickly dissipates leaving sparse lace.

Smell (4.0): Fruity and spicy. The peppery and coriander aromas are quite high.

Taste (4.0): Fruity and spicy. I caught notes of bananas, pears and tart apple, as well as a strong peppery spiciness and a nice yeasty flavor. There's also a nice grainy and citric undercurrent.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, with tingly carbonation.

Drinkability (4.0): Very drinkable. I easily had at least five.

Overall (4.0): A solid witbier. One I'd definitely have again.

Labels: John Harvard's, Reviews, Witbier

443. John Harvard's West Side Wheat

I had dinner at John Harvard's tonight. They had West Side Wheat on tap, which I hadn't had before, so I gave it a try. It was served in a standard pint glass. I had a photo from my camera phone, but it was pretty blurry so I won't post it.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Draft, 16 oz.
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.0): Pours a very cloudy pale straw color. It's topped by a thin sudsy white head that clings to the side of the glass.

Smell (3.5): Light citrus, grain, and floral hops.

Taste (3.5): Bready, powdery yeast, with a light tartness in the center. The finish is grainy with a nice hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, tingly carbonation, with a lightly dry finish.

Drinkability (4.5): Light and refreshing with a pleasant hop bitterness.

Overall (3.75): American Pale Wheat Ales aren't one of my favorite styles, but this one was good with a nice hop bitterness in the finish.

Labels: American Pale Wheat Ale, John Harvard's, Reviews

So today I somehow managed to go to John Harvard's three times. I helped Brett move into her new apartment. I got to Harvard Square a little early so I went to John Harvard's for a beer. Then after we had finished Susan and I went for a beer. After a brief stop in lab and a stop at home to shower we met Brett and her mom at John Harvard's for dinner.

401. John Harvard's Demon DPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Draft, 16 oz.
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear amber with a creamy off-white head. It leaves light lacing on the glass.

Smell (4.0): Sweet malts, fruity notes and strong hops.

Taste (3.5): Toasty malts, light fruitiness with a clean hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Light bodied, moderate carbonation.

Drinkability (4.0): Easy to drink, pleasing bitterness.

Overall (3.65): Pretty good, not one of my favorites DIPAs though.

402. John Harvard's Three Threads Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Draft, 16 oz.
Style: English Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.5): Pours an opaque black with a creamy/fluffy beige head. Leaves patchy lace in the glass.

Smell (3.5): Sweet and roasted malts, hints of dark chocolate, light hops.

Taste (3.5): Roasted malts, burnt sugar, coffee, chocolate, with a hoppy bitterness in the finish. Overall the flavors were relatively mild.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Smooth, medium-light-bodied, low carbonation.

Drinkability (4.0): Easy to drink and tasty.

Overall (3.75): Enjoyable, it really hit the spot after spending a couple hours moving. I'm guessing this is an English Porter since it was relatively mild.

403. John Harvard's Black Watch Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: 4.0%
Serving: Draft, 20 oz.
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance (4.5): Pours an opaque black with a creamy beige nitro head. The inside of the glass is coated with lace.

Smell (4.0): The nose is fairly light. Hints of fruitiness and roasted aromas of chocolate and coffee.

Taste (4.0): There's a sweet light fruitiness upfront, with a roasted coffee bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Light, low carbonation, smooth and a little watery.

Drinkability (4.0): Light, flavorful and easy to drink.

Overall (4.05): I'm not a huge fan of Irish Dry Stouts, but this is a great example. Much better than Guiness or Beamish.

Labels: American Double IPA, English Porter, Irish Dry Stout, John Harvard's, Reviews