The Delta Hop is Dawning at the Harpoon Brewery

The Harpoon Brewery Announces the 31st 100 Barrel Series Beer: Harpoon Single Hop ESB The first beer in the world to be single hop-brewed and commercially released using the new Delta hop

Boston, MA (April 2010) – This April the Harpoon Brewery released the newest installment of their 100 Barrel Series, the Harpoon Single Hop ESB. This is the 31st offering from Harpoon’s 100 Barrel Series, the brewery’s line of unique, handcrafted limited batch beers. The Single Hop ESB was brewed using a single, newly developed hop varietal called the “Delta” hop. It is the first beer in the world to be single hop-brewed and commercially released using the new Delta hop.

The Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Single Hop ESB (Extra Special Bitter) was brewed by Harpoon brewer Charlie Cummings. The idea for this beer surfaced in 2008 when Cummings brewed a couple of test batches on Harpoon’s pilot system. The Single Hop ESB came to fruition when Hopsteiner, Harpoon’s main hop provider, sent a sample of a brand new American-grown hop they were developing to the brewery. Already excited about brewing an ESB, Cummings jumped on the rare opportunity to brew a 100 Barrel Series beer using a single hop varietal, the Delta hop.

"I had been looking forward to brewing this beer for years,” says Cummings. “With the arrival of this brand new hop varietal, Delta, we were able to craft a tasty session ale with unique, strong flavors."

A cross between Fuggle and Cascade hops, Delta hops yield an unrestrained earthy aroma and taste that complement the rich flavors of the traditional British malts and yeast. To ensure that the Delta hop’s natural characteristics remained the focal point of the beer, the hops were added three times during the boil, once during the whirlpool phase, and finally, the beer was dry-hopped with the Delta hops.

The recipe for this beer is a nod to the beloved Harpoon ESB, which was last brewed in 2002. For this version, Cummings used a combination of British malts including Munton’s Maris Otter, Munton’s Crystal, and British chocolate malts. A traditional British yeast strain was used to give the beer a bready backbone to balance the prominent hop character. The result is a deep amber-colored beer with an earthy, fresh aroma and a fruity, biscuity flavor.

Cummings recommends pairing this beer with a traditional British "Ploughman's Lunch" of Farmhouse cheddar, bread, ham, pickled onions, apple, and mustard. Or pair it with something that has a little more kick, such as grilled pork tenderloin in a spicy Mexican mole sauce.

The Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Single Hop ESB is now available in select locations in 22 oz. bottles and on draft. A live chat about the beer with Charlie Cummings and Mike Sutton of Hopsteiner will take place on the Harpoon website (www.harpoonbrewery.com) on Wednesday, May 12th at noon.

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Single Hop ESB Beer Specifications:
O.G.: 14.8
I.B.U.: 38
ABV: 5.8%

For additional information about the Harpoon Brewery and the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, please contact Liz Melby at lmelby@harpoonbrewery.com.

About the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series:
Harpoon introduced the 100 Barrel Series in 2003 to showcase the individual brewing talents of their brewers. Every couple months, a different Harpoon brewer is invited to choose a style of beer, formulate the recipe, and brew the beer. That brewer’s signature can be found on the bottle label. The beers in the series are one-offs; they are brewed in limited batches and are available only until the batch sells out. Since the series began 7 years ago, 31 different styles of beer have been brewed. For a complete list of beers that have been released as part of the 100 Barrel Series, visit http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm/page/Full-Series-History/pid/28516.

About the Harpoon Brewery:
The Harpoon Brewery was founded by beers lovers, Rich Doyle and Dan Kenary. In 1986 Harpoon was issued Brewing Permit #001 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, since it was the first brewery to brew commercially in the state after a dormant period of about 25 years. Harpoon’s line of craft beer features its award-winning IPA and UFO Hefeweizen beers, along with four special seasonal selections. In 2000 Harpoon purchased a second brewery in Windsor, VT, making Harpoon the 10th largest craft brewer in the US. Harpoon has since introduced two lines of limited edition beers, the 100 Barrel Series and the Leviathan Series, as well as the all-natural Harpoon Cider made from freshly pressed, local apples. For more information about Harpoon beers and visiting the breweries, visit www.harpoonbrewery.com.