Bent Paddle Harness IPA Review

Name: Bent Paddle Harness IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7.2%
IBUs: 87

It's been about 6 months since I've moved from Duluth, and I don't think I've done a terribly good job with covering beers from that region since my departure, so let's change that up because you know I've got to show some love to the Zenith City. For this review, I've got Bent Paddle Brewing's Harness IPA, which is their winter seasonal IPA.

Harness IPA actually went by the name Harness The Winter IPA when it was first released last winter, but I'm guessing they decided the name needed a bit tweaking....or something like that. Anyways, Harness is a Rye IPA and I think the timing of this review is perfect because this is the first time this winter that we've experienced sub-zero temperatures and it looks like it'll stay that way for quite a while

Appearance - Dark amber color with a mild amount of visible carbonation and a slight bit of haze. The head is off white in color and quite foamy and appearance, with a very high amount of lacing left behind along the sides of the glass

Aroma - Citrus & Piney hops with some pronounced rye notes. I'm also getting some caramel maltiness with some light yeastiness.

Taste - Strong grapefruit and rye notes upfront, followed by some piney hops towards the middle. The back end of the flavor opens up to that caramel maltiness, with more rye flavor and some citrus hops. Aftertaste is a mix of rye spiciness and light bitter notes.

If there's one word I'd use to desrcibe this beer, it would be Hearty. It's got a nice full body, a good rye bill and an even better hop profile to back it up and it's perfect for those cold winter days that want nothing more than to make your life a living hell. So if you see this beer, be sure to check it out and use it to warm your soul.

Bent Paddle Harness IPA - 9/10