269. Widmer Bros Drifter Pale Ale

When I don't feel like any specific style of beer I usually grab a pale ale from the fridge as I always seem to have a few on hand. Also when I just need to drink a quality beer I usually grab a Smuttynose or something from Widmer as it is hard to go wrong from these 2 breweries.


The Drifter Pale Ale from Widmer is a solid pale ale providing a nice balance of malts and hops. Color is a deep copper with slight white head. Aroma has a bit of malt and some nice hop smell. Nothing overpowering but certainly pleasant. Taste is much the same with some sweet malts that give way to grapefruit hops.


Very smooth and easy to drink. This is a great example of a pale ale and something most beer drinkers would enjoy.
Pros: Very well balanced and full of flavor
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 5.7% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 28
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Widmer Bros

Brewers Description: Kurt and Rob Widmer have never been known to "follow the leader"; their take on a pale ale is no different. With its unique citrus character, smooth drinkability,and distinctive combo of hops and malts, drifter pale ale is truly an original. 

241. Widmer Brothers Nelson Imperial IPA

Picked this one up at RSVP a couple of weeks ago and was not sure where the name Nelson Imperial IPA came from. Assumed it was named after the brewer but in fact it is named after a variety of hop from New Zealand.


Beer pours a dark orange almost amber color with a nice white head. Lots of grapefruit and citrus aromas coming from this one. The taste is all hops to start but evened out nicely by the sweet malts Complex flavor which changes a bit as the beer warms. Easy to drink for the amount of alcohol in and leaves little to no aftertaste. Very well done. 
Pros: Complex flavor

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 8.6% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 70Rating:
Brewers Website: Widmer Brothers

Brewers Description: Take your taste buds on a journey to the far side of the world. New Zealand's legendary Nelson Sauvin hop gives us a powerful hoppy character, but none of the heaviness you sometimes find in imperials IPAs. The result is a big brew with a sweet, malty character that perfectly balances the intense hop aroma and flavor.

235. Alameda Brewing Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA

This is the last of the Imperial IPAs from my LetsPour.com order. If you have not checked out their site yet you should. Lots of great West Coast brews at reasonable prices and free shipping when you order 6 or more bottle. I have placed 2 orders with them already and both arrived quickly, well packed and the beer was top quality. I really enjoyed the 6-Imperial/Double IPAs from my first order. All from brewers I would not otherwise be able to get in Maine.


This was probably my least favorite of the 6 but still a quality beer. Pours an unfiltered orange with solid white head. Picture is a good representation of the beer's color. Aroma is almost all hops; pine and fruity and very pleasant. Taste is just OK with some citrus notes that lingers. Beer is easy to drink for an 8.2% ABV beer and was certainly refreshing. Overall a quality beer but not up to the high standards of other West Coast Imperial IPAs.
Pros: Easy to drink

Cons: Mediocre taste

Alcohol Content: 8.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 103
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Alameda Brewing Co

Brewers Description: With over 100 IBUs Yellow Wolf has enough eye-popping intensity to satisfy even the most ardent hopheads. It has bright piney nose and light golden color. We suggest pairing it with sunshine.

221. Rogue XS Old Crustacean

This was the fourth and final pint from Ebenezer's Pub and by far my least favorite. I am not sure if this was just too much of a contrast from Stone Ruination (a double IPA) to a barleywine style or what made this one so difficult to drink but I ended up sharing with my brother in law and I am still not sure we finished our glasses before heading out to our next stop.

Deep red / light brown color with minimal head, almost no carbonation. Aroma is all malt as is the taste and it feels like you could chew this beer it is so thick and creamy. Big alcohol taste and as I stated before it was hard to finish. It may have been the combination of beers I had prior to this one but I am not sure I will ever try it again to check out that theory. 
Pros: 

Cons: Huge malt flavor and extremely thick mouth feel. 

Alcohol Content: 11.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 110
Rating:  

Brewers Website: Rogue

Brewers Description: An unfiltered and unfined Barleywine. Intense, robust, malty and dark. The cognac of beers. 7 Ingredients: Hugh Baird Carastan and Great Western 2-Row Malts; Chinook, Cenntenial, and Perle Hops, Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water. 

Specs: 25º PLATO - 110 IBU - 83 AA - 57º Lovibond

World Class Package: Draft, 750ml

216. Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA

I am not really sure why the beer industry felt the need to create a black IPA but they did and I will drink them just like any other IPA. The theory is the black IPAs will blend the chocolate, coffee taste of the malts with the hops from the IPA but most I have tried are still hop heavy just darker than the normal IPA or DIPA. 


The Widmer Pitch Black IPA follows this pouring a deep black with thin tan head, a very nice looking beer with only light aroma of citrus and pine. The second glass had a bit more malt smell as the beer had warmed slightly. Taste follows the smell with plenty of hops and a some malts coming through. Nothing too special here but a solid black IPA. Worth a try but don't spend any time seeking out a bottle of it. 

Pros: Appearance

Cons:  

Alcohol Content: 6.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 65
Rating:  
Brewers Website: Widmer Brothers

Brewers Description: Pitch black IPA takes you to the dark side with our take on Cascadian dark ale. Debittered black malt lends a midnight hue along with rich, toasty malt flavor. Generous doses of alchemy and cascade hops provide a complex herbal aroma and subtle citrus note, balanced perfectly by a smooth Widmer Brothers finish. Embrace the dark side.

191. Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Sometimes you have to wonder where the breweries come up with the names for their beer. Hop Henge certainly is original in name and has some excellent art work on the label. Deschutes describes this beer as their monument to hops and at 95 IBUs they are right. Color is typical of the style with a solid head, smell of orange and other citrus fruits that draws you in. Flavor is well balanced with plenty of hops and just enough malt character to balance it out. The hops work well together not fighting but complimenting each other. Finishes smooth and goes down easy even at 8.5% ABV. Really enjoyed the west coast IPAs I ordered online.
Pros: Well balanced, easy to drink

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 8.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 95
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Deschutes Brewery

Brewers Description: Hop Henge Experimental IPA is our annual exercise in IBU escalation. An outrageous amount of Centennial and Cascade hops are added to each barrel, with a heavy dry-hop presence as well. It is dense and muscular, with a blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creating an overall biscuity characteristic. It’s all hop, no apologies.

180. Ninkasi Brewing Tricerahops Double IPA

This is another Double/Imperial IPA from my letspour.com order. Quite an impressive lineup of craft beer and 6 bombers for $32 shipped is not a bad deal. Enjoyed this on a drab winter day but this beer made it brighter. The color alone will get your attention. Aroma has some pine, citrus but is fairly light for a DIPA. Taste is surprisingly smooth for a beer with 8.8% ABV and that claims to have a 100 IBU rating. I am not sure I believe the 100 IBU but have very little to compare it to as not many brewers make the leap above 60. If you are looking for an over the top hop experience look elsewhere, if you prefer a more balanced approach than give this one a try. Really enjoyed my Tricerahops and would not mind having another. 
Pros: Color, balanced

Cons: Not available locally

Alcohol Content: 8.8% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 100
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Ninkasi Brewing

Brewers Description: On the bottle: Tricerahops is double everything you already love in an IPA. More hops, more malt body and a higher gravity define this Double India Pale Ale. Fiercely flavorful, guaranteed to satisfy.
Tasting Notes: Double IPA's are noted for their hop profiles. Earthy and floral hop aroma and flavor are abundent in Tricerahops. The bigger body and higher alcohol balance the large volume of hops to create a beer that is very flavorful while still being balanced and drinkable. At 8.8% the beer can be deceiving as it is very smooth.
Food Pairings: Buffalo, Lamb, Pork, Ceviche, Wild Mushrooms, Goat Cheese, Short Bread

44. Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen

I remember the first time I had this beer at a restaurant in Portsmouth NH after a day of golf. On that day it was one of the best beers I had ever tried and different than anything I had before. This was the first Hefeweizen and still is the best in my mind. When compared with the others I have reviewed this has a much more cloudy appearance as an unfiltered beer should have. Overall the aroma is great - taste is smooth and it is very easy to drink more than one. I was fortunate to find a 12-pack in a local grocery store and I would be surprised if they made it through the weekend. Be sure to drink this from a glass, add a slice of lemon and I am sure you will enjoy. Check out this video on how to properly pour a Hefeweizen (video link)- because it is unfiltered it is important to drink from a glass and swirl to get anything that settled to the bottom of the bottle. 

Pros: Easy to drink - great cloudy look and aroma

Cons:  Hard to find in Maine

Alcohol Content: 4.9% ABV
Calories: 156
IBU (Bitterness): 30
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Widmer Brothers

Brewers Description: Meet the beer that started it all. Our naturally cloudy flagship brew starts with the highest quality wheat. It's bold, clean flavor and pronounced citrus and floral aromas are what define American style hefeweizen. So pour yourself a cool, cloudy glass, finish with a lemon and enjoy the original.