Beer: Maine Beer Company - Lunch IPA

This is the second offering from Maine Beer Company in Freeport and it's another great one. They've given their IPA quite the identity to define itself. When first opening a bottle in Maine I assumed the title meant this would be a great IPA to pair with the mid-day meal, but looking at the label I discovered this little tribute:
"Lunch is a special whale that has been spotted off the Maine coast since 1982. She has what looks like a bite taken out of her fin which adds to her unique character. We dedicate this beer to her determination and persistence."

Appearance: A dull orange hue with a notable cloudiness just the way it should be: unfiltered with lots of particulate matter. The head is off-white and of a similar texture to the previously reviewed stout. There's lots of heavy lacing as the level descends and a thin head is retained until the last sip, very impressive.

Aroma: The familiar floral hoppiness is present, evidence of liberal dry-hopping, but there's an interesting sweetness there too, subtly fruity, very pleasant.

Taste: Big bright bitterness as expected but that fruity character is unmistakably raspberry/strawberry, a fantastic dimension to add to an IPA. The flavor doesn't go very far or develop as much as I would like from a big IPA, but the simplicity is something to be admired because it is so delicious from beginning to end.

Mouthfeel: Similar feel and finish on this as the stout, light, finished clean, minimal hop oilyness. The alcohol content is perfect to keep this beer tight and crisp, 7%.

Overall: A lovely IPA, the bitterness you expect from the style with the light fruit to balance. Raspberry and strawberry presence is so welcome to round out the otherwise hop-centric IPA style. Hophead purists need not get their hopes up; this beer should be enjoyed with the expectation of consistent deliciousness. It could easily be used as an introductory IPA to someone just trying out the style because one sip will hook them for life and introduce them to a new exciting world of fine brewing.

5/5

Beer: Maine Beer Company - Mean Old Tom

While sitting at home in New Jersey the morning before the departure of a week long vacation in Maine my father told me that he hadn't bought any beer for the trip. This was a problem, but I stayed positive, immediately flipped out my phone, and did a search for Maine breweries we would be passing en route to our destination. There were a couple in Portland, Allagash was one and I plan on going some time in the future, but knowing my father hates even medium sized cities, I chose one in the little town of Freeport. I knew nothing of the place when the decision was made so it was a gamble. Luckily, it was one of the better gambles I've ever made in life.

The Maine Beer Company in Freeport, Maine just opened their doors earlier this year. Before investing in an acre of land and a barn with four big stainless steel tanks, the owner was a home-brewer who honed his craft in his little garage. At some point he decided his beers were good enough, got a few friends together, and made a business out of it. Upon arriving my expectations were low, every new brewery has to work out the kinks, has to evolve their products to something really special. As I sat down with a flight of all of their production beers I had no idea my expectations would be completely blown away... Needless to say, I bought a case, two of everything, and I have a few left from the trip for review.

First up is the stout, the Mean Old Tom.

Appearance: This is a stout for sure, darker than a cold, moonless, winter night with a fluffy luxurious light brown head which has a fresh effervescent coarseness against the lip. Lacing is minimal although present as the pint glass is emptied and the head is retained for a remarkably long time.

Aroma: Rich vanilla, bitter cocoa, and subtle coffee. But what separates this from a lot of similar stouts is a noticeable smoke on the nose. These are toasted malts for sure, but unlike some guys who turn the toasting into a gimmick, the smoke is in perfect balance with the rich sweetness.

Taste: Vanilla vanilla vanilla, more cocoa, but it's got some extra bittersweet, and the smoke is still present, like the nose, subtle, but a major contributor to the beer's unique character. The flavor does recede a little quickly and this is due to the alcohol content. For this style I'm usually looking at beers that top the 8% mark, but this is a modest 6.5%. I appreciate the happy medium between blissful flavor and not getting shwasted off one, but a little more might have coaxed an extended flavor profile out of this.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light for a stout with this amount of vanilla and cocoa. This is not a soul-crushing stout, this is a refreshing dessert of a beer that could only be the product of a very patient, wise brewmaster. The abundance of carbonation gives a slight seltzer presence that cuts right through the deep dark flavors in a good way. I could drink this all day and the only pang of regret would come the following morning.

Overall: This is a great american stout. I can't really say much more than that. So many breweries turn their stout into a gimmick, into something flashy to show off just to stand out and trick the market into paying attention, but this is a brewery that's focusing on quality, on subtlety, on the beauty of their craft and I have nothing but admiration for that.

Additional Note: It's so rewarding to blindly stumble upon a brewery that just opened it's doors, a brewery that, within their first year, is making potentially award winning brews. I will be sure to shout their name from mountain tops, or whisper it on quiet beery evenings, whichever turns out to be more productive.

5/5