284. Vermont Pub & Brewery Grand Slam Baseball Beer

Another growler that I brought back from Vermont. I tried lots of different beers at Vermont Pub & Brewery but never made it to their pale ale so decided to leave with a growler. 


I may have waited a bit too long before opening and drinking this growler as the beer seemed a little flat. The label states it is best to drink within 30 days which I certainly did but the beer still had very little carbonation and almost no head. Aromas are very subtle but has some solid malt character, minimal hop aroma. Taste follows the nose with a fair amount of malts and a slight hop bite. Overall this is a fairly simple beer but it is drinkable and worth trying if you find yourself in Burlington. 
Pros: Drinkable
Cons: Simple
Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Vermont Pub & Brewery
Brewers Description: A light-bodied American pale ale dry-hopped with Fuggles hops. This was the brainchild of Greg Noonan. He had said, privately, that he felt that he had nailed the style for what he had planned and hoped for. As a side note, the inspiration for the name of this beer came from an 8 year old girl named Jenny, about 25 years ago! The name stuck and style stuck. Go figure. Enjoy this light, summer ale while watching your favorite team play!

281. Hill Farmstead What is Enlightenment?

Another pale ale from Hill Farmstead and this one is special as it was brewed for their second anniversary and uses a different mix of hops than Edward. The beer is lighter in color than the others from Hill but has the same cloudy appearance and white head. Aroma had tons of citrus and tropical fruits, very enticing and certainly draws you into the beer. The taste has more citrus and lemon notes than Edward and is excellent with a hoppy finish that makes you want more. 


I really cannot say enough good things about Hill Farmstead's beers. They are everything I like in a beer; fresh, unfiltered with plenty of hops but not palate wrecking. Have a couple more bottles in the fridge and will get to them very soon. 
Pros: Everything 
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Hill Farmstead

Brewers Description: American Pale Ale brewed in honor of our Second Anniversary. Simcoe and Amarillo hops.

280. Stillwater / Mikkeller Two Gypsies Our Side

Somehow in the middle of all this Vermont beer I ended up sharing this bottle with my brother in law. The story behing this one is interesting (see brewer's description below). Both Brian from Stillwater and Mikkel from Mikkeller are gypsy brewers. They do not have a brewery of their own and produce beer by visiting other breweries and doing collaborations. An interesting concept and it makes for some fun beers.


This one is a saison with a great cloudy orange color with a thick white head that left a 2 inch cap on the beer the entire time I was drinking it. Aroma is of spice and grass kind of a Belgian smell. Taste has a distinct yeast flavor to start with some hops in the middle but nothing that stands out and finishes a bit funky. This one seemed to improve as it warmed slightly so if you happen to pick up a bottle of this and don't like it right out of the fridge give it a few minutes and come back to it, you might be surprised. 
Pros: Appearance, head
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 7.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Stillwater Ales

Brewers Description: Mikkel and Brian are two of the world's most unconventional brewers. By designing beers at various breweries around the globe, they have found the freedom to experiment and innovate, resulting in unique beers that often blur the lines of definition. After having met at a festival in Bodegraven, NL the two realized that their first creations both were called Stateside. It was then an obvious decision to make the two recipes into a new product, packed full of piney, resinous hops, and backed by the esters of a farmhouse yeast strain.

275. Kona Brewing Longboard Island Lager

This may be the lightest color beer I have reviewed but was exactly what I needed last night with my pizza. 


Beer is very pale in color with a decent white head. Smell is simple but satisfying with a nice malt character. This beer is crisp and dry with not a lot of flavor but slightly sweet and bitter. Well balanced but simple. Very drinkable, refreshing and worth trying if you enjoy lagers. 
Pros: Crisp/Clean
Cons: Simple
Alcohol Content: 4.6% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Kona Brewing

Brewers Description: Longboard Island Lager is a smooth refreshing lager fermented and aged for five weeks at cold temperatures to yield its exceptionally smooth flavor. A delicate, slightly spicy hop aroma complements the malty body of this beer.

274. Rock Art Brewery The Vermonster

This is a BIG beer and I made the mistake of choosing it as my first beer on a hot afternoon not realizing it was 10% ABV and thick. I guess I should pay attention to the labels when I open a bomber.


The beer pours a dark brown with a huge head. Aroma is sweet and slightly boozy, not terribly excited by the smell coming from this one. Lots of bitterness to start before the sweet malts attempt to balance things out. They end up losing the battle and the hops kick back in with even more bitterness in the finish. Beer improves as it warms slightly. Overall not a bad beer but not for the faint of heart and be sure you know what you have before you open the bottle.
Pros: Huge flavor
Cons: Almost too much
Alcohol Content: 10% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Rock Art

Brewers Description: We brewer THE VERMONSTER with 110 pounds of malt per barrel and jacked up the pour into a wide mouth thin glass goblet. For an amazing pairing get some Smoked Gouda from Taylor Farm Cheese and a friend!

273. Penobscot Bay Brewing Whig Street Blonde

Last night my wife wanted to share a beer before supper so I checked the fridge for something light and not very hoppy as that is her preferred style. Whig Street Blonde from Penobscot Bay was a great choice.


Being a blonde ale it is light in color, body and alcohol content. Color is a crystal clear pale orange with a slight white head. Color is a bit dark for a blonde but still a nice looking beer. Aroma is quite mellow with some malts. Taste is simple with a slight hop bite in the middle that fades fast. Finishes clean and quite refreshing. Overall a simple beer (as most blondes are) but good stuff for a warm afternoon. 
Pros: Easy to drink
Cons: Simple
Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Penosbscot Bay Brewing

Brewers Description:  Whig Street blonde ale is soft and delicate with balanced flavors and aromas. The taste is uncomplicated and clean. It is made from pale malt, a handful of malted wheat and finished with Perle hops for bittering and Cascade for aroma. It’s an easy drinking, comfortable ale for those lazy days and laid-back nights.

270. Bunker Brewing Belgian Black IPA

Made my first visit to Bunker Brewing Co in Portland last week while visiting some customers. Bunker is just starting to fill growlers and I believe they will have regular growlers hours starting this week. While I was there they had 2 options available; a pilsner and this Belgian Black IPA. This is another example of a style that probably doesn't truly exist but it is a black IPA brewed with a Belgian yeast strain.


Color is a deep brown not quite black with solid tan head. Beer seems to have a mild sweet smell but not much of a nose at all. Taste is sweet to start and finished with a nice bitterness that last a bit too long. This is an interesting combination of styles but not sure it works as well as I had hoped. ABV is in the mid-7s and is well masked by the smooth taste. 


Overall not a bad beer but completely average by my standards. Looking forward to trying other options from Bunker Brewing and will surely get this growler filled many more times. 
Pros: Smooth and easy to drink
Cons: Odd combination of styles
Alcohol Content: 7.3% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Bunker Brewing (Facebook Page)

Brewers Description: No description available

265. Bissell Brothers Brewing The Substance

If you are reading this please share this review, page, photo, anything to help spread the word about this new brewery opening in Portland, Maine. The brewery is operated by a 22 year old brewer (Noah) and his brother (Peter), both great guys and if their final product is anything like this beer you will want it.


I met up with Peter and Noah at The Thirsty Pig in Portland last week to talk beer, business and pick up a couple samples. Noah works at the bar and Peter is a photographer that took the pictures for their website. They have a solid selection of Maine beer available at The Thirst Pig including Oxbow Brewing.


Back to the beer - this beer is everything I like in a beer; unfiltered, huge aroma, solid 7.3% ABV and incredible mouth feel. Noah mentioned this batch was brewed with a different hop variety than he prefers but it was still amazing. If the label on the bottle looks bad that is my fault as the samples I received were not labeled and I printed them from their website. This beer pours a bright orange with a single finger white head. Beer is cloudy with some remnants left in the bottom of the bottle. I prefer unfiltered beer so this is right up my alley. Aroma is huge and very inviting, great IPA smell. Taste has tons of hops with just enough malt to balance things out. This beer is a huge IPA from a small brewer and will quickly become a top pick of IPA lovers throughout the State of Maine. 


If you can get your hands on this beer you have to give it a try. This is as close to perfect as I have tasted and rated it 4.5 stars only because Noah said his preferred hop was not available. If the final product is truly better than this it will be hard to beat. Again please share this post, their website, twitter profile, etc to spread the word about this up and coming brewery. 
Pros: Absolutely everything
Cons: Not available in stores
Alcohol Content: 7.3% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating:  
Brewers Website: Bissell Brothers Brewing

Brewers Description: What happens when you mix an unhealthy love for huge American hops, an apathy towards malt, and a long-running joke born in the Nevada desert? You get The Substance. Our interpretation of the American IPA layers Apollo, Summit, and Columbus hops on top of just enough barley to create a rhapsody of bright citrus, heavy dankness, and resinous pine, delivering a nose and flavor profile which is, in a word, unique. This beer was created by our desire to take everything good about the biggest IPAs of today, and blast those qualities into tomorrow in high gear. Be warned – The Substance assaults the nostrils the moment it’s uncapped, and pours a hazy orange that leaves a whole lot to the imagination. But don’t be scared… just enjoy the ride.

264. Lagunitas Brewing IPA

Lagunitas is new to Maine and I purchased this one at Bangor Wine & Cheese last week. I had heard good things about this beer but decided to start with only one rather than an entire 6-pack and I am glad I did. 


This beer pours a super clear gold with slight white head. Aroma has a bit of everything with some floral, pine and citrus hops but nothing overpowering and nothing too special. Taste is fairly subdued compared to a lot of other IPAs with some hop presence but not nearly what you get from Maine Beer Company Lunch, and so many others. This was easy drinking and would compare well with some of the pale ales I have reviewed but not quite up to the standards of other big IPAs. Give it a try as you will not be disappointed but I don't think you will find it to be anything special. 
Pros: Smooth and well balanced
Cons: Closer to a pale than an IPA
Alcohol Content: 6.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Lagunitas Brewing

Brewers Description: This is our unique version of an ancient style. A style as old as the ocean trade routes of the last centuries Great Ships. Not as old as the equator they had to cross twice enroute, nor as old as the 10,000 or so miles of Di-Hydrogen Oxide and Sodium upon which they sailed, but older than the Circulithium-4 Lentloid that binds the Lupulin Quartnate onto your taste buds. Weird. Think about it. Now stop. OK, go again, now stop. Think again, and stop. But we digress. Made with 43 different hops and 65 various malts, this redolent ale will likely float your boat, whatever planet you're on.
Thanks for your trust, and as always:Think Globally, Drink Locally!!