Harpoon Welcomes Spring 2014 With The Long Thaw

BOSTON, MA — “Spring” in New England is a fickle friend. One day the crocuses may be burgeoning through the soil and the next they are covered in a foot of freshly fallen snow. In anticipation of this unpredictable season, the Harpoon Brewery has brewed a beer that embraces the cold while hinting at warmer days ahead. Introducing The Long Thaw White IPA, Harpoon’s new spring seasonal beer. This is the first new seasonal release from Harpoon in 14 years.

With notes of orange peel and coriander, the soft mouthfeel of a Belgian wit, and an intense hop profile, The Long Thaw White IPA combines the warming backbone of an IPA with citrus notes indicative of the coming spring. Available from January through March, The Long Thaw is brewed to complement both cold-weather fun and the eagerness of warmer weather ahead. Harpoon The Long Thaw is now available in six-packs, twelve-pack bottles and cans, and on draft.

Appearance: light colored, hazy, thick white head

Aroma: very citrusy, floral, and spicy from the ground coriander

Mouth feel: soft mouth feel with a clean finish. Light to medium bodied.

Taste: Medium bitterness, fruit and citrus flavors from the hops and orange peel, and spicy from the coriander. A little bready / biscuity malt and wheat character.

Finish: fruity, spicy, a little bitter, but clean and refreshing.

To celebrate the release of The Long Thaw, Harpoon will be hosting “Long Thaw Thursday,” themed parties in 14 cities, on Thursday, January 30, 2014. Participants are asked to dress for their preferred season during The Long Thaw – for instance, ski goggles if they love winter, a bathing suit if they just can’t wait for summer. There will be specials, prizes, and raffles for Harpoon gear.

Harpoon is also inviting beer drinkers to share their stories of how they plan to enjoy The Long Thaw. Now through March 6th, Harpoon  drinkers are encouraged to visit www.thelongthaw.com to share photos of their springtime activities through Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook using the hashtag #thelongthaw. Whether they are looking forward to skiing through April, or have had enough of winter, Harpoon wants to see photos of how beer drinkers plan to enjoy The Long Thaw. One random winner will enjoy an all-expenses paid trip for two to either our Windsor, VT, or Boston, MA, brewery for the “Best Weekend Ever with Harpoon” during their chosen season. The first 250 entrants will win a Long Thaw long sleeve t-shirt, three random winners will receive The Long Thaw Gift Packs, and five random winners will receive a $50 Harpoon gift card. Additionally, Harpoon will pick one random winner per day to receive a pair of tickets to the Harpoon St. Patrick’s Festival in Boston March 7-8, 2014.