279. Woodstock Inn Brewery Loon Golden Ale

Anyone that has been following my blog for a while knows that I love growlers. When we went to Vermont (see details of trip here) we visited 6 different breweries / brew pubs in 3 days and I had the opportunity to pickup 4 growlers plus the many 750 ml bottles from Hill Farmstead. This one is from Woodstock Inn Brewery in Woodstock NH which was out last stop on our way home.


Color is pretty typical of a blonde ale, maybe a bit darker but it is filtered and crystal clear. In fact some of the writing on the other side of the glass is visible. This is a blonde ale so I was not expecting much in the way of aroma or flavor and I was right. Maybe I have just been drinking too many big IPAs and I have ruined my palate. Nice beer for a hot afternoon as it is light, refreshing and easy to drink.
Pros: Easy drinking
Cons: Simple
Alcohol Content: 4.75% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 30
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Woodstock Inn Brewery

Brewers Description: Light golden in color. Dry and crisp with a semi assertive, Fuggles hop bitterness. Hops are prominent but not overwhelming. Overall, a well balanced representation of the golden ale style. O.G.1.050

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.

254. Freeport Brewing Blonde Ale

Had only seen a few random mentions of Freeport Brewing Company before reading Tom Atwell's article in the Portland Press Herald (see link here). After reading the article I made sure to stop in Freeport my next time through to grab a growler at Royal River Natural Foods. They had both the blonde and brown ales and being late Spring I opted for the Blonde Ale. Price was very reasonable at just over $10 including the $2 deposit on the growler.


The beer is light in color as expected with minimal head and almost no lacing on the glass. Aroma is lightly hopped and a bit spicy. Taste is smooth, clean and very refreshing. Not sure what the ABV or IBU rating is but I assume it is low as this is an easy drinker. An excellent example of what a blonde ale should be and I am looking forward to the brown and whatever else Ken decides to put out. If you find yourself in the Freeport area be sure to stop and I also heard Bier Cellar in Portland will have a few growlers in the store soon. 
Pros: Very drinkable and refreshing
Cons: Hard to find
Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating:  

Brewers Website: No website

Brewers Description: 

189. Sebago Brewing Saddleback Ale

Had this one on Friday night after a very good beer tasting event at The Vault in Lewiston. Since I had already had a variety of beer from Allagash and Penobscot Bay Brewing I decided to keep it light. After a week of drinking imperial and double IPAs with ABV%s in the 8-11% range a 4.1% session beer seemed weak. Color is a pale  yellow with small white head. Aroma has some malt and floral aspects but nothing overwhelming. Taste is light and crisp, Sebago describes this as the perfect session beer and they are right. Grab a 6-pack when you are headed to a family gathering and enjoy. 
Pros: Easy drinking

Cons: Not a lot of flavor

Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 20
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Sebago Brewing

Brewers Description: Saddleback Ale is a crisp light all malt beer with roots from an Eastern European lager. The Czech hops balance the pale malt, revealing balance and natural drinkability. Saddleback Ale is the perfect session beer.

62. Atlantic Brewing Bar Harbor Summer Ale

I should have known better when I saw a Summer Ale still in the store in mid-October but the Best By date was December of 2011 so I thought it might be OK. The beer poured with no head, minimal carbonation, a skunky smell and tasted out of date. I will give this another try next Summer in hopes that it truly was a bad bottle or beyond its freshness date. Lesson learned to drink out of season beer. 

Pros:  

Cons: Flat, skunky smell, 

Alcohol Content: ?? ABV

Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??

My Rating:  (Gave it 2 stars as I hope it truly is not this bad and will give it another shot next Summer)

Brewers Website: Atlantic Brewing Company

Brewers Description: Now in six pack! This ale is light and crisp, yet retains the body and character of a micro brew. 

32. Shipyard Export Ale

I attended a wedding reception this afternoon and was able to grab a couple Shipyards as it seems to be the beer that all the local function halls have for people that do not enjoy the Bud, Michelobs and Miller Lites. Overall not a bad beer but certainly low on my list if I had a long list of beer available. I think it is the slight hoppy aftertaste that spoils this one for me. It is certainly best when enjoyed with a meal as that tends to dampen the aftertaste. Had a great time at the reception and anytime you can have a beer surrounded by great people having fun it is a good day. 

Pros:  Available almost anywhere in Maine

Cons: Aftertaste 

Alcohol Content: 5.1 ABV

Calories: ???

IBU (Bitterness): Unknown
My Rating: 

Brewers Website: Shipyard Brewery

Brewers Description: Shipyard Export Ale, the flagship brand of Shipyard Brewing Company, is a full-bodies ale, with a hint of sweetness upfront, a subtle and distinctive hop taste, and a very clean finish. 

9. Gritty McDuff's Vacationland Summer Ale

The thing I like most about Gritty's is the beer from the bottle tastes almost exactly as it does in the brew pub. Maybe it is because it is local and the beer is fresh even at the local supermarket. Their summer ale is typical of many other summer ales, light refreshing and easy to drink. Not my favorite summer ale and not even my favorite Gritty's style but still a very solid beer for your summer enjoyment. The photo makes it look like it has a lot of carbonation but that was simply a bad pour on my part. 

Pros: Easy to drink, light and refreshing

Cons: Slight after taste

Alcohol Content: 4.9%
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 22

Rating: 

Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff's

Brewers Description:You can't put summer in a bottle, but we may have come close! When the weather gets warm we roll out our summer seasonal, Vacationland Summer Ale. Vacationland is an Extra Special Golden Ale that's light in color but full-bodied, with a snappy hop finish. A bit of extra time in the conditioning tank rounds out and mellows the ale. We use generous portions of pale malt with just a touch of wheat malt to give VSA unique flavor that?s richer than most summer brews. Cascade leaf hops add a delicate and forward hop character as well. It's the perfect brew for all things summer. Available April-August on draft, in 6 and 12-packs, 22 oz bottles and 5-liter mini-kegs.