Take 5

The details: Harpoon Brewery Take 5 Session IPA, 4.3% ABV, 43 IBU, served in a 12oz. bottle

When we decide that we're going to actually visit a big box store, we make a trip of it. It means getting a ZipCar, writing an extensive list, planning out how much time we'll spend browsing, and what (if anything) is off limits for purchase.

Most of the time we just order items from Target. I think we can all agree that for the vast majority of things you might need about the house, it's just the easier way to go. Here in Brooklyn it's not like Target is the most convenient thing to get to - true, we have one about a mile away at Atlantic Terminal, but it's nightmarish to try and drive a car there/park there, and you only want to walk home carrying things if you're going to purchase one or two items.

A week or so ago Amy and I decided to make one of those big trips where we not only buy consumables for the house (diapers, diapers, diapers), but we also buy groceries because hey, you're at Target. While we're walking through the store we discover that this particular Target has a HUGE beer section, and Amy mentions that there's a slim chance she might get to work on a project for Harpoon Brewery. We made a point to bring some home to try it out.

Since she's an IPA girl (and honestly, who isn't these days?) we got their flagship IPA and a sixer of this week's beer, their Take 5 Session IPA. I have to admit that I have never loved or hated Harpoon's design, save for their iconic H logo. However this bottle is stamped, and I find it both trite and unnecessary. It says "Love Life/Love Beer" and while I don't disagree, I just wonder why you went to the added expense of putting that on your bottles? 

And the reason I wonder that - because this IPA doesn't much taste like an IPA. Sure, it's a session, so it's basically had all it's settings turned way down (to keep that ABV low, you know). There's just no hop flavor going on here: no citrus flavor, no dank earthy funky flavors, nothing in between. The beer is left with a crispness that I would expect out of a pilsner - it's not bad at all it just feels like false advertising.

Maybe this is old beer (it has a date on it but I can't read the printing and I also can't tell if it's a "made on" date or a "drink before" date) and I'm not getting the intended tastes. It's still pretty cold, so I can't blame it on that either. It's just OK, and I guess that'll have to be that. Still, I think they should change the name from session IPA to pale ale or pilsner. Maybe if Amy gets to work on their advertising she can sort them out.

The verdict: 3.5 out of 5 (on Untapp'd - follow me there @slownumbers to see what I'm drinking)