It’s not everyday that you walk into the Whole Food’s Pub and find a beer from a brewery you have never heard of before. Enter Maine Beer Company, and Zoe, self described as “Our Happy, Hoppy, Amber Ale.” And they mean it.
I must admit, I was drawn in by the label. The very simple, almost homemade look made me pick up the bottle. Reading the brewery’s statement on the back of the bottle made me take it home with me. Well, that and the name of the beer.
The beer poured with a nice deep, almost brown amber color, with not too much head. It had an IPA-like nose, just how I like my amber ales. Great refreshing flavor, similar in many ways to TröegsHopback, but still quite unique. Very clean flavor, slightly lighter in the hops than Hopback (but still aggressively hopped), but also somewhat more roasted notes. 7.2% ABV, so right in that Goldilocks zone, not too low, not too high. Also a great fresh flavor (bottled on May 31) - and the brewery itself encourages you not to age their beers, but to enjoy them fresh.
Only problem - I wish I had gotten two bottles so I could share one! I would also love to get to try their IPA (Lunch) and stout (Mean Old Tom).
(Photos from this review were provided by Citizen Elizabeth)
Direct from the bottle, this beer smells like a dark ale or stout. It has a rich malty smell, but I wouldn't be surprised if it has a bitterness like a Samuel Smith beer, which is a compliment to Tommyknocker.
You can taste the alcohol, but it is not overpowering, which is nice considering it is 9% abv. Right out of the fridge, this beer lacks some complex tastes, so I wanted to let it warm up a bit. As for coloring, a very deep, dark, and rich brown, very dark at its center, letting just enough light into the beer by the pint glass's edge.
After I let it warm up a but, you get some of the more complex tastes I was looking for. In one way, I was hoping and searching for a very deep, vibrant maple syrup taste, but I had to come to my senses. This is not called Maple Syrup Ale. In fact, if Tommyknocker had tried to come up with some witty play on words and maple trees, like Uncle Jemima or something, I would not like this beer at all, because I would feel it was too gimmicky.
I had a similar dislike of Troegs' Java Head Stout, which I have reviewed (click HERE to read). They called it Java Head and the bottle label art featured a Death's Head made out of coffee beans, and it was very disappointing, in part because of the lack of coffee taste, but also because I thought Troegs was above such marketing ploys. Tommyknocker writes on the label, "Brewed with pure maples syrup," which in mind is truth in advertising and accurate labeling. So, the fact that I can taste some of the earthy sweetness and aroma that goes along with nuts and trees and maple syrup from Tommyknocker's Imperial Nut Brown Ale combined with its Imperial kick, makes this a satisfying beer.
Greetings, Citizens! It is that time of year again when the veil that separates our world from the great beyond is at its most thin, and spectres and ghouls walk the earth, and craft beer is enjoyed with Asian cuisine. What? Well, at least the last part is true. I first saw Great LakesNosferatu Imperial Red Ale at a Wegman's weeks ago, and I knew I wanted to try it, so the weekend before Halloween seemed to be the perfect time.
I have to admit that for some time I have not been all too pleased with red ales. I think it may have something to do with the bad taste of Killian's Irish Red, but needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by this ale, but in retrospect, I suppose I shouldn't have been. If you have read any of our other Great Lakes reviews on The Ferment Nation, you know that they get rave reviews here. This imperial red ale has a nice floral hoppy nose, and it has some kick to it at 8.0% abv. It was crisp and tasty, and I would like to see it in a six pack. I wanted to try this beer so bad, that I don't even remember how much the four pack cost me, but I liked it a lot.
And this imperial red ale goes nicely with food, too. It was a dark and stormy Saturday, but good beer and food brightens up any day. Citizen Elizabeth* and I enjoyed some Szechuan style Terrifying Tofu and Hellfire Hot and Sour soup, and Nosferatu, the beer with bite, held up to the spicy and tasty food quite nicely with a solid hoppy flavor with some body to it. Citizen Elizabeth liked its "nice warmth, and its not overly but tasty hoppiness, and that great red color. What a great beer to review on Halloween!" I think what I like best is that for a lesser brewing company, producing a "Nosferatu" red ale would be a gimmick to drum up sales, but this, like every other Great Lakes beer I have had, is a really solid, tasty beer.
If you have had this beer, tell us what you think -- leave a comment or e-mail me directly at vp@fermentnation.com. In the meantime, check out our other Great Lakes reviews.
Have fun, be safe, and I will leave you with a gem of modern animated non sequitur humor from Spongebob Squarepants. Enjoy.
Happy Halloween!
*Be on the look-out for a full brewpub review by Citizen Elizabeth to be posted soon.
I had another chance to stop by The Perch Pub on the corner of Broad and Locust in Philadelphia. I have mentioned this bar before, and I think it deserves further mentioning, because it is a great happy hour bar in Philly. I shouldn't say that too loudly, because part of the charm of this bar is that I have never seen it packed, which is odd. I think they feature one appetizer (maybe) during happy hour, but their craft beers are half price. Great deal. If you are thinking of appetizers, I recommend the deviled eggs (made with sriracha) as well as the pretzels (accompanied by a stone ground mustard and cheese sauce). And did I mention that it is bright and airy, because it features lots of glass windows (rare in Philly)?
This time I sampled two brews: Williamsburg AlewerksPumpkin Ale (bottle) and Fegley's Brew WorksDouble-O Seven (draft). The pumpkin ale was tasty. It definitely had some pumpkin taste to it. I have heard some people complain about some pumpkin beers that taste all like cinnamon and spice and not very nice, more like potpourri beer than pumpkin. Not the case here. This was good, and I would drink it again. The Fegley's I am confused by. I forgot to write down Perch Pub's description of it. I just remember it being 9.0% abv. I don't see a description of Fegley's website either. It was a little harsh and aggressive - you could taste the alcohol, but it did have an interesting citrus, slightly tart grapefruity taste to it. But I am seeing some sites say it is a witbier, but I am not sure. Feel free to comment on this post and enlighten me. It was good, especially at half price, but not something I would return to. Because of its grapefruity taste and aggressive hopping, I think I assumed it was a 2X IPA, but I really don't know. Maybe I will have to get back to the Perch Pub to investigate further.
VictorySummer Love is a summer ale that brings out the refreshing nature of one of my other favorite summer styles. What style is that, El Presidente? Read on...
The very beginning of the sip begins like a pale ale but the malt soon appears in the middle of the draught as malts tend to do. Rich lagers and doppelbocks tend to reveal their sweetness in the middle of the mouthful, allowing the drinker to enjoy the body of the brew... Here, Summer Love reveals its secret weapon employed in the pursuit of a clean, refreshing brew: pilsner malt.
Some of my favorite summertime brews are @VictoryBeer Prima Pils and @Troegsbeer Sunshine Pils. The dryness helps pilsners to finish cleanly, while the Saaz hops provide a unique aftertaste. Summer Love is an interesting hybrid that utilizes pilsner malt for a light body while its whole flower hops brighten the brew with a citrusy tang.
There's another Philly area brewery that makes a pale ale with pilsner malt... @YardsBrew makes Philadelphia Pale Ale with pilsner malts as well, and it is a go-to beer for session drinking and especially warm weather outdoor events like barbecues and tailgaters. YardsPhilly Pale seems to closely align itself with the British brewing tradition of smoothness, balance, and subtlety. The hoppy character is a little more lemony than grapefruity... Victory's Summer Love seems to highlight the brewers' German training. Yes the brew is pale and drinkable but some slightly bolder spicing seems to peek through and crave the company of some home-grilled hamburgers. In its first season on the market, VictorySummer Love has made its way onto my summer bring-to-the-party list. Along with the aforementioned YardsPhilly Pale, Flying Fish's Farmhouse Summer, Victory's own Prima Pils and TroegsSunshine Pils, VictorySummer Love really captures the essence of an accessible summer seasonal. Even the artwork on the label features baseball, camping, fishing, fireworks, ice cream and bathing beauties. If you haven't tried Summer Love, give it a shot before it goes into hibernation. The bright, floral hops and the pilsner malt will provide a crisp, refreshing drinking experience. VictorySummer Love: Representation: 1.0 Accessibility: 1.0 Style: .95 Personal Preference: .99 Total Score: 3.94 Flags
Pop the cap and this beer smells good to me. A nice brisk pour into a half pint glass and the head is just off white and creamy. The beer's color is brown, darker in the center, with a nice dark copper color toward the bottom of the glass where light is getting through.
I do a lot of reviews of dark beers like stouts and porters and I love black ales, so I looked forward to this one as I am working my way down the color spectrum. I had a German dark lager once (Zötler BierKorbinian Dunkel) and I really did not like that at all, but I do like ales. In my opinion, it enters much bigger beer family: ales, IPAs, Pale Ales, brown ales, British style, American style. I am several sips into this one and I am liking it. Light and airy mouthfeel: no bitterness, no unwanted lingering on the palate. Pretty easy to drink, too. It has a slight bite to it. It has some hoppiness, which is good.
The bottle reads, "Brewed in the Cascadian dark ale style, the array of dark malts present a full bodied brew with notes of cocoa & slight roast. Bump in the Night CDA has a big floral citrus hop flavor & bitterness, reminiscent of an IPA." I amnot sure I entirely agree with their self-assesment. Not tasting the cocoa. The slight roast was apparent when first opening the bottle, but not after I have been drinking the beer for a while.
Here is what I like about this beer: it tastes good, the brewing company is employee-owned, and the abv% is listed on the bottle. Here is what i do not like: nothing. This is not a spectacular beer by any means, and I don't know if I would ever recognize drinking a CDA (Cascadian Dark Ale), which means I have not real comparison to score it for representation. Accessibility will be high. Nothing too extreme here and it is only 6.5%. Of course, the "nothing extreme" I just mentioned means style points won't be through the roof. Essentially, this is a good, solid beer, and depending on the price, I would definitely buy it and drink it again.
Full SailBump in the Night Cascadian Dark Ale:
Representation: .85
Accessibility: .90
Style: .75
Personal Preference: .85
What: Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale 6.5% abv Where: Sun Up Brewing (Phoenix, AZ) When: February 26, 2010 What-have-you: Dale’s Pale Ale has a red, white, and blue with stars motif going on with its can design, so it is fitting that I review this on Memorial Day. I crack open the can, and I can smell an initial recognizable hoppy aroma. This is nice. After a couple of sips, I am pretty sure this is the best beer I have ever had out of can. No wonder this beer is so popular.
Thinking back 10 years or so while I was still in college, my friends and I would drink beers like Milwaukee’s Best Ice and Icehouse and Bud Ice. Why? Because they had higher alcohol contents, but wow, they really tasted bad. So, when I drink Dale’s Pale Ale today, I am thinking this is pretty awesome. It is a rock solid pale ale. It is hoppy enough that someone might mistake it for an IPA, too, which is nice. On a hot day, this beer is conveniently packaged in cans, delicious to taste and the 6.5% abv packs just enough of a kick that I am feeling better quicker, but its not going overboard. Here’s to America, the red, white and blue, and Dale’s Pale Ale. Pass me another can, please.
You can read what El Presidente had to say about Dale’s Pale Ale as well as some more Oskar Blues beers. Check them out.
What: Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale Where: The 19th Floor Lounge (Philadelphia, PA)
When: March 30, 2011
What-have-you: "Lagunitas makes great beers. I got to sample several bottle of their Maximus IPA a couple of weeks ago. Hop Stoopid has a hoppiness that you can smell well before your nose gets close to the bottle or glass. A bit of a bitter aftertaste, but it is not unpleasant. At 8% abv, it does not taste overwhelming but it is, as a citizen said, "in your face." This beer is not for the IPA faint of heart (even though this is not an IPA). I usually recommend Lagunitas beers, and Hop Stoopid is no exception."
What: Newcastle Brown Ale Where: At Houlihan's Cherry Hill, NJ When: Sunday, March 13th, 2011 What-have-you: Newcastle is a perennial favorite. Smooth and a touch malty. A hint of hops, but not at the fore. It's a session brew that you can order with pride when you're not in the mood for something wild and crazy.
What: Lewe's Castle Brown Ale: Where: The Dandelion, Philadelphia, PA When: Saturday, January 22nd, 2011. What-have-you: Smooth, dark, brown, flavorful. Really nice caramel notes but a touch of bitterness to tighten up the finish.
What-Have-You: "This beer has what I think is an over-sweet and syrupy smell out of the bottle, but quite a surprise -- smooth, clean taste with just enough maltiness. I think I like this."
Now I suppose we should check it out for ourselves, since it's in our own backyard.
First off, any event is made extra special by the folks who share the beer with you. Special how-do-ya-dos go out to Sherry (the Ithaca chick) and Tom, whom I see at every geeky beer event in South Jersey/Philadelphia area. It was a pleasure to meet Steve as well.
My associates Mike and Kelly were there with their friend Anthony (who is looking forward to being a contributor to the Ferment Nation Citizen Reviews, by the way), as was my "industry" insider friend Chris. A good time was had by all, of course, but mainly because the beer was so good! Let's go over some of the selections:
Luca Brasi: Serious coffee flavor. Perhaps the boldest coffee brew out there that won't make you squish up your face. Bitter but in a coffee kind of way. Mixed it up with Flying Fish Exit 13 to create something wonderful... Makes me regret missing the official "Jersey's Finest" collaboration (which includes vanilla beans).
Iron Hill India Black Ale:
Twist on the ipa: floral hops accompanied by a different kind of bitterness... Toasted malt and some coffee notes wrap this IBA up nicely. Dan Weitz from Boulder Beer (beer geek and fellow English major) would approve of this description, noting that there's no such thing as black india PALE ale...
Overall, I really enjoyed the selections from Iron Hill, and the pairings with Flying Fish (mainly the Exit 13 Chocolate Stout and the Grand Cru) that tag-teamed with Iron Hill this time around. Notable to try from Iron Hill as well is the Orange Truffle brew, which is kinda like an orange truffle candy from Toblerone or the dead bottom of an orange Tootsie Pop (description courtesy of Tom). Not "fruity" but certainly has an orange tinge to it. It's a real beer, like a serious porter with a fruity twist.
Thanks to the guys from the Barley Legal Brewclub, who get together every month at Iron Hill. Their recipes won a contest at Iron Hill and have been presented as the Luca Brasi and the Half-Caff. Shoutouts go to Tom, Devin, and Vince. Check out their website: http://barleylegal.ning.com/
Boulder "Fresh Tracks" wet-hopped ale: 4.9% abv Session brew that brings the funk. Totally fresh and drinkable with a hop twist. Pour House. Westmont, NJ
What-Have-You:"This pumpkin ale has some really great pumpkin spice and seasonings smells coming right out of the bottle. Obvisously not so pumpkiny as Pumking, but nice flavor. I haven't had many pumpkin beers this season (2010), but since I liked ElysianNight Owl, I will compare Ichabod to it, because I am liking Ichabod. You can taste the pumpkin. I like this."
What: Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale 6.5% abv
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