“No viler monstrosity than they, no pest more atrocious did ever the wrath of god conjure up out of hell's swamp. Bird-bodied, girl-faced things they are… their hands are talons, their faces haggard with hunger insatiable.” – Virgil’s Aeneid
Harpies are hybrid creatures from Greek mythology – part woman, part bird of prey – known for their ugliness. I’m not sure what Helios and Catchment are saying about their brewers when they named their collaboration beer after this hideous creature, but this strong WCIPA is certainly far from unsightly.
This Harpy soars on the wings of Munich and sweet amber malts, which do an admirable job of holding up the weight of powerful and potent LUPOMAX hops. There are constant gusts of stone fruit – I got ripe peach and nectarine – with crosswinds of pine and orange peel. Meanwhile, Harpy’s talons carve into your flesh with bitterness, starting gentle but building in intensity until they leave bitter scars.
When a 7.5 percent ABV beer drinks as smoothly as this, I’m tempted to call my thirst insatiable, but I imagine after a few of these I’d be feeling the wrath of the Harpy.
You can see what Helios and Catchment brewers have to say about Harpy in this video.
Mick Wüst
Published August 3, 2022 2022-08-03 00:00:00
