194. Maine Beer Company Mean Old Tom

Maine Beer Company makes some of the best hop filled beers out there and I enjoy them all. Their take on a stout is not as good as others but still a well brewed beer. Pours truly black with mid sized tan head - a great looking beer. Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and just a hint of vanilla in the nose. Taste follows the smell and nothing really stands out about this stout. I was hoping for a bit more vanilla flavor. Overall feel of the beer is a bit thin for a stout and maybe a bit more carbonation that it really needed. My least favorite of the beer from MBC but still worth trying. 
Pros: Appearance

Cons: Thin

Alcohol Content: 6.5 ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Maine Beer Company

Brewers Description: Stout aged on special vanilla beans - Bottle Description - I think it was the Summer of '76, I was 5 years old and my uncle Tom came to paint our house. It was in the tiny town of Louisiana, Missouri, on the mighty Mississippi River, where he would take me to troll the roadside ditches to gather one man's junk (beer cans). In honor of his magnificent treasure (his beer can collection) and his spirit for fast cars, tough motorcycles and mean smile, we brink you Mean Old Tom. Thank you for drinking our beer, David & Daniel Kleban. 

183. Maine Beer Company Thank You Allan

This is the Maine Beer Company's limited release beer - 250 hand numbered bottles with $10 from each going to the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund (see below for details). I was fortunate to pickup bottles #10, 11 & 12 on the first day of the sale and decided to open bottle #12 today. The bottle is amazing - better picture available in my prior post and the beer inside is different than any other beer I have had before. First they use brettanomyces (see Wikipedia info here) as the yeast which is typically only used in sours. This is probably the first beer I have reviewed that uses this type of yeast and then they aged it in Syrah barrels. Syrah is a type of grape used to make wines in France and by aging beer in a barrel used previously for wine it takes on a lot of those characteristics. The appearance is not all that different than other beers, light in color, slightly hazy with a thin head after an aggressive pour. Head disappears quickly and leaves no lacing on the glass. Lightly carbonated with a slightly sour aroma, like a green apple. Taste has some wine characteristics but feels more like a champagne with light carbonation. A bit of the sour apple/grape in the flavor profile as well a slight spice finish. The beer is very easy to drink and I am not sure what the alcohol content is but it seems to be fairly high with no alcohol bite to it. Overall this is a unique beer from Maine Beer Company and it is well crafted as they all seem to be. I have two more bottles and will age at least one to see how it taste a year or two from now. 
Pros: Unique, easy to drink

Cons: Only 250 bottles released

Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Maine Beer Company

Brewers Description: This is our farmhouse ale. It was fermented with a blend of ale strains and aged in french oak Syrah barrels with brettanomyces. $10 from your purchase goes straight to the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund. Thank You!

182. Maine Beer Company MO

MO is a new brew from Maine Beer Company. It was bottled and crated when I visited the brewery on 2/10 and made its way to the distributor sometime early last week, I bought my bottle on Friday so I know it is fresh (and fresh beer just tastes better). This is MBC's version of a pale ale which means it still has a good amount of hops for the style. Color is a nice orange with a huge white head that lingers and laces well. Lots of citrus aroma and some pine. Taste is great, a bit of malt up front then the hops kick in with grapefruit, lemon and a bit of pine. Feel is a little on the light side but very typical of MBC beer and it makes it super easy to drink. This is a great beer for new or experienced craft beer drinkers. I doubt you will find many people that would not enjoy a MO. Excellent stuff and if you have a chance stop by and visit MBC as they are great guys doing what they love. 
Pros: Citrus aroma, very well balanced 

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 6.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Maine Beer Company

Brewers Description: MO aka Madeline & Oliver Welcome to the world! Daniel (my brother the brewer) had twins while starting a brewery. Cheers to his courage and beer making skills. 

Maine Beer Company - Thank You Allan

This is not my usual beer review post but wanted to share some information and a picture of a new release from Maine Beer Company. On a snowy Thursday in Maine they released their Thank You Allan beer. 250 hand numbered bottles available only at the brewery for $25 each. I was there early and was able to pickup bottles #10, 11 & 12 and the bottles are a piece of art by themselves. The photo here gives you some idea of what I am talking about. Green bottle, hand labeled and corked. The brewers description for this one is;

This is our farmhouse ale. It was fermented with a blend of ale strains and aged in french oak Syrah barrels with brettanomyces. $10 from your purchase goes straight to the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund. Thank You!

When I got to the brewery this morning both Daniel and David were there selling bottles along with a couple of employees. There was already 3-4 inches of snow with lots more on the way but that did not stop me from visiting and picking up a few bottles of this limited release.

I am not sure why they chose the gorilla fund but I am sure there is a story behind it as there always is with Maine Beer Company. If you happen to be in Maine and have the chance to get to the brewery they do have some bottles for sale tomorrow March 2, 2012 and the brewery will open at 9:00. Looking forward to drinking this and doing my review, will probably age at least one bottle and possibly share the third with someone that was not fortunate enough to make it to the brewery.

164. Maine Beer Company Zoe

Well I have been looking for a good amber/red ale for some time and this certainly ranks up there as one of the best. It does stray a bit from the traditional amber/red as it has a lot more hops than others in the style. It also pours a bit darker than most reds with a nice light tan head with big bubbles. Aroma is full of citrusy hops and a bit of biscuit. Taste is well balanced with plenty of hops but the strong malt character helps keep them in check. Very easy to drink and would go down easy in any season.
Pros: Citrus aroma, Well balanced 

Cons: Not your typical red (is that a pro or a con?)

Alcohol Content: 7.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Maine Beer Company

Brewers Description: Our Happy, Hoppy Amber Ale - One rainy fall day in 2009, my five-year-old daughter Zoe and I were wandering the streets in Bar Harbor and stumbled across the Whale Museum. Zoe loved it. It put a smile on her face. Hopefully our ale will do the same for you. Cheers!

For all the smiles that whales put on children's faces we decided to give 1% of our sales from this beer to Allied Whale through their Adopt-A-Whale program. Allie Whale is a non-profit organization committed to the understanding and preservation of marine mammals. They respond to marine mammal strandings from Rockland, Maine to the Canadian border and operate the most remote field research station on the eastern seaboard of the United States: Mount Desert Rock. To Adopt-A-Whale go to www.alliedwhale.org

157. Maine Beer Company Lunch

Picked this one up at Whole Foods in Portland this week and enjoyed it for supper last night. The beer is one of the best looking beers I have reviewed with a great golden color, 1-2 finger bright white head that lasts throughout leaving great lacing on the glass. Aroma has lots of citrus with a bit of hops but not as much as I expected. Taste is complex for an IPA; starts sort of sweet then some hops kick in but the malts quickly balance things out. Aftertaste is there but not overpowering and slightly sweet. Lunch is easy to drink and surprisingly refreshing for a 7% ABV IPA. Could have easily enjoyed another bottle of this one but only had one in the fridge. 
Pros: Appearance, Aroma, Taste

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 7.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Maine Beer Company

Brewers Description: Lunch is a Fin 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. At Maine Beer Company we strive to produce ales that are unique and fresh. As artisans, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our beers for your enjoyment. Keep on swimming!

129. Maine Beer Company Peeper

Well it is almost the end of the year and just like everyone else I will be posting my top beers of 2011 list. Fortunately I have picked up some excellent beer over the past few weeks which will make the processing of choosing the 10 best that much easier. Got this one from Florian's Market in Auburn and enjoyed it last night. Color is a a great copper with minimal head. Fruit and breads in the aroma with a taste that is well balanced and complex for a pale ale. Lots going on but no one characteristic stands out, they just blend together for a very satisfying experience. Unlike many small brewers that us 22 oz bottles Maine Beer Company uses a 16.9 oz bottle and I was missing the 5.1 oz as I really enjoyed this beer. 
Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing

Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Maine Beer Company

Brewers Description: My brother and I  started homebrewing in a small garage in Portland. We wanted to make some really good beer so that we could drink it of course. One winter, after many days of brewing, our fingers numb (the garage was not heated), we decided we should begin to share. So, we moved into a bigger garage (our new brewery with heat) and here it is Cheers. Dry, American style, well balanced ale with generous amount of hops