![]() UFO Winter Blonde does make for a nice break from all of the monstrous beers released at this time of year. A bit on the sweet side overall, but it is enjoyable. If coffee in any form was ever involved with this, I’m just not getting it. A touch of citrus hop comes in at the end of the taste as well, a much needed break from the sweetness. The taste is a combination of white chocolate and vanilla, with just the slightest hint of milk chocolate in the finish and aftertaste. I am getting mostly just vanilla bean on the nose, nothing cloying or artificial about it, pleasant aroma. This pours with a cloudy dark yellow color, a nice off white head to start that does fade to just a slight ring after quite a while. Are we talking about coffee cold brew AND vanilla being used? Or is this some kind of cold brew made FROM vanilla? Neither the website, nor the information sent with the beer shed a whole lot of light on the subject either. This is described as a Vanilla Cold Brew Ale, which is kind of confusing. It also remains a visitors’ center – there’s a gift shop to the left of the bar if you’re in the market for some Harpoon memorabilia, not to mention growlers and six packs of beer.Harpoon UFO Winter Blonde is an American Blonde Ale, 4.9% ABV, enjoy by date of 5/15/17. And while the space is grand, it remains humble of nature. The Harpoon Brewery Beer Hall is just the latest step in that evolution. Harpoon started small, started here, and stayed local, even though their beers are now sold all over the country. This wasn’t some multinational beer conglomerate opening a bottling plant in Boston one day, flooding the market with its product, and ramming marketing slogans down our throats. Maybe that’s because I remember when Harpoon only made an IPA, and I got to watch as they expanded to seasonal varieties, complex specialty brews, even a cider. And one of the things I’ve always loved about this brewery – aside from the beer – is that despite its growth over the years, it’s maintained the character of a small, personal operation. Harpoon is a bona fide Boston institution. No wonder everyone seems to like working here. As another staff member told me, “the training here was great they really encouraged us to try the beers and get to know them.” It was a great recommendation by Jessica, and I never tire of helpful bartenders who know their beer and want to make sure you enjoy what you’re drinking. Approaching the bar and seeing so many options I’d never tried, along with so many familiar classics, I found myself momentarily overwhelmed and settled on a Celtic Red. If you’re a Harpoon lover, seeing this many varieties of their beer in one place is like a wet dream come true. There are about 15 to 20 beers on tap, all Harpoon of course (as if you’d come here and order a Coors Light). Harpoon IPA is a unique English IPA that is brilliant at balancing hoppy bitterness with its solid malty backbone. It was a pleasure to share in the good vibes. Bartenders, servers, and managers alike appeared happy to be working there, excited to finally have guests, and eager to talk about everything from the beer to the new addition to their brewery. The staff’s enthusiasm was both unmistakable and contagious. Melissa and I, enjoying the benefits of our membership in the free “Friend of Harpoon” club, scored tickets to one of the Beer Hall’s pre-opening sessions this past week. If you still need your personal space, there’s a second, smaller bar on the far end of the room. There are also multiple banks of beer taps, which minimizes waiting and lessens crowds gravitating to a single bartender. I lost count of the number of chairs, but there’s no shortage of them and the opposite side of the bar offers ample standing room. Pardon the limitations of my camera, but I’d need a wide-angle lens to capture even half of the mammoth bar, which looks to be slightly shorter than an airplane.
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