Zoe - Maine Beer Company

HopHead84

California

2.88/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

8/11/11

Bottle thanks to kingkong. Opens with a loud hiss. Poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a tawny rust water color with a big foamy beige head. Good retention and lots of lacing, but the body is unattractive.

S: Pronounced perfumy floral notes with grapefruit and herbal tea characteristics. There's a distinct sour note in there with a little chocolate. Pine is resinous and pretty strong. There's an underlying bready sweetness with a dash of caramel and a whisper of toffee. Big earthy notes with grass and a slight metallic note. Sort of a strange mixture of characteristics.

T: Lightly tart, with biscuit, bread, and caramel. Lots of pine, grass, and earth, with a hint of chocolate. Bitterness is at an upper moderate level and very dry, with some astringency. There's a lot of grapefruit find with a faint metallic note in the dry finish.

M: Medium in body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel has a strange chalkiness to it.

Overall: I'm not quite sure what to make of this beer. It's not bad, but the flavors are strange and it almost tastes like there's an incipient infection, though I can't be certain. Definitely a strange beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 04:03:18 | More by HopHead84

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

2.9/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a Russian River tulip. Dark amber brown with almost 3 fingers of white fluffy head. Nice lacing.

Lots of resiny pine hops on the nose, bready malts and just a touch of diacetyl.

Hoppy, caramel bread notes on the tongue. A tad buttery. Odd hop astringency on the finish. Light cardboard. Not bad, but not really good either.

Mouthfeel is almost creamy with decent hop bitterness throughout. Buttery feel. Feels off for a hoppy amber. Can't really get rid of the diacetyl presence.

Overall, this is a slightly below average hoppy amber. Ok, but there are many better beers out there in this category.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 00:38:01 | More by sisuspeed

Steasy66

Minnesota

2.95/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A Dark Brown with champagne head that lasts
S Cascade? hops, a little bit soapy i think?
T A bit hoppy, a bit malty, not a lot here, expected more
M Undercarbed, fairly thin
O No freshness date, I suspect I might have gotten an old bottle. Just not much here.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 08:14:14 | More by Steasy66

tprokop7

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Sampled this right after my first Nugget Nectar of the season. Fresh bottle from Liquor World, Cambridge.

Poured from the 500mL bottle into an Ithaca shaped pint glass. Color is slightly browner that amber, clarity is fine, head is just right at about half an inch.

Smell is great, american citrus hops abound. Some sweetness and malt flavors, but the aroma is dominated by the hops. Good so far.

The first sip lets me down. Pleasant hop flavor up front, but then loaded with toffee, caramel sweetness that must be from a heavy hand with crystal malt. I like all the flavors in this beer, I just think they go together about as well as toothpaste and orange juice.

Mouthfeel is fine, plenty of body, no issues with the carbonation. These guys are pretty hyped in this area right now, but I'm pretty disappointed with this offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 14:10:13 | More by tprokop7

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.15/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a two-finger cream head that takes fades slowly leaving some lace. Deep opaque, brown/black color some yeast left in bottle. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Hoppy nose. Flavor is pine and resin hops, malts try to balance but don't. Lingering bitter aftertaste. Doesn't look like an amber but tastes like one. $6.10 for a 500ml bottle from a Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, ME.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 23:05:34 | More by jdhilt

Sneers

New York

3.15/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16oz. bottle, bottled about a month ago.

Amber? I think not. Pours a reddish brown that is a beautiful orange-ruby in the light. The beer is capped with an enormous light-tan head that leaves tons of lacing.

Piney hops dominate the nose, but they avoid the sticky, resiny qualities that often accompany them. A bit of grapefruit comes through as well. There's really no malt aroma of which to speak.

As in the nose, hops dominate on the palate. The bitterness itself is only moderate. It's interesting to note the dark color of the beer versus the lack of malt presence in it. The malt is just there in the background and is most notable in the finish, where it has a bready character. With a some warming, a very light caramel note comes through. The finish is dry and with a lingering bitterness. The profile is pretty clean overall.

The mouthfeel is just on the heavy side of crisp.

Zoe will be a big hit with hopheads, but I was hoping for more out of this beer. She's bright and snappy, kind of unidimensional, but also unobjectionable.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 02:30:36 | More by Sneers

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Zoe pours a rustic chestnut-brown hue, and is topped with a sturdy cap of sudsy tan froth. The nose is sweet, imparting maple-ish tones, and it is spicy in an earthy sense. There also is quite a bit of discernible alcohol in the aroma. The flavor offers a bit of toasty-roasty nuttiness atop the sweetness, as well as an earthy-herbal understated hoppiness. Unfortunately, it is, again, unpleasantly alcoholic (especially for 7%) Not a bad beer, but not terribly special.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 01:57:22 | More by ktrillionaire

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: brown with reddish orange highlights and a thick tan head that stays forever. So far this is looking fantastic. The head sticks to the side of the glass, covering nearly all of the glass it touches.

S: smokey and hoppy smelling. Like burning evergreen trees. Lot more roasted malt than I expected.

T: very smokey for the style with spicy hops. The smoke comes and goes with more sips, and the taste recovers to give a nice hoppy amber beer flavor. The roasted malts again come through a lot. Some citrus hops.

M: well carbonated with medium body. It's crisp but still coats the mouth.

O: this is a hoppy brown ale. I don't really care for it, though it has some excellent characteristics. Too much roasted malt with fruity hops isn't a great combination for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 00:21:58 | More by Holland

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Glad to see this arrive in MA. Bottle date is 1/14/11.

Very dark colored, almost looks black from a distance, but it's dark red with some amber highlights. Insanely solid spongy tan head retains at a finger, leaves crazy lacing.

Scent leans more towards hoppy but alot of malt there too. Mint especially noticeable along with pine and grapefruit. Big caramel malt.

Odd taste. Grapefruit, grassy hops, resin. Mint is still strong, an interesting quality I haven't experienced in many beers. Malt is about even between with the hops, pure caramel with slight cocoa/roasted flavors as well. A bit of alcohol and light pineapple.

Carbonation seems a little low, I wish it was a bit more lively.

Way different than I expected. Flavor combo was kind of strange, malt was really strong. I was thinking this would be comparable to Nugget Nectar but it was quite different.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 00:10:27 | More by Chico1985

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle.

It pours a dark, hazy rubyish amber with a frothy, foamy off-white head.

The smell is good. It is musty with some acutely citrusy and tropical smelling hops with a big load of malt.

The flavor is pretty good. It is malty with even a hint of roastiness. The hops are herbal, almost minty with a pine finish.

It is an interesting one for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 04:32:17 | More by crossovert

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle via Glouglouburp-pours a cloudy dark chestnut/iced tea with a lively white head and delicate lacing. Nose- grapefruit, caramel and tea. Taste- nutty, herbal and almost slight chocolate roast underlying character. Grassy hop bitterness is intertwined with sweet bread on the finish. Touch of alcohol head. Crisp carbonation and somewhat chewy mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 19:42:41 | More by oakbluff

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.48/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Maine Zoe, bottle bought at Whole Foods Portland for $5.50. Bottled on September First 2011 and enjoyed on November Third 2011.

Appearance: This is one heck of a dark amber/red ale! Looks more like a brown ale, or even a barleywine. It's got a deep chestnut color, like the bottom of a dirty lake. The pour is quite gorgeous, with a great two-finger head that lasts.

Smell: Bubbling caramel on the stove, creme brulee. Then vanilla, cinnamon and dessert spices. Weird! Also floor wax/wood-polishing product. Definitely not what I expected, but not bad. Intriguing. I don't get any of the fresh hops many reviewers talk about. Maybe my Zoe is too old?

Taste: Here is where Zoe is lacking. There is a nice, mellow hop base and some roasty/caramel flavors, but that is about it. Spicy, tingly finish. Malt all around.

Mouthfeel: A little thin around the edges, with an almost watery finish that leaves me wanting more. Both body and flavor could use more strength, while carbonation is adequate (but not spectacular).

Overall: Not impressed with this one. I love Lunch and respect Peeper, but this is just alright, almost blah. Sure, it is drinkable (that 7.2% drinks more like 5%) but this is just not interesting.

Hopefully a fresher bottle is better?

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 02:27:54 | More by DoubleSimcoe

maximum12

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to stormking47 for this cool little bottle. Always excellent to be introduced to a new brewery, & a hoppy amber sounds fine right now. 16.9 oz presentation.

Bonus points for the cool, minimalist label. Having two daughters about the age of Zoe, I appreciate the story, too. Poured in its entirety into my Terrapin snifter, which I love 'cause it holds any beer. Real dark red, bordering the international date line to woody brown. Smells like wheaty bread, citrus hops, & sweet malts.

Zoe tastes like rye bread with hop leaves baked into the crust. The malt is bready, chewy, with minimal sweetness but plenty of toasted character. The hops are earthy, grassy, with bare citrus & a modicum of finishing bitterness. A touch heavy for an amber, whether due to the alcohol or other ingredients, but it's the equivalent of a big meal followed by a one thin mint.

Interesting twist on a red. Good beer, smooth, easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 03:33:35 | More by maximum12

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

An opaque brown. I can see some ruby red highlights when held up to the light. Big fluffy off white head that sticks to the sides. This beer is way to dark to be an amber ale.

The aroma is a big dose of grassy, tea like, and citrusy hops. Taste goes in the same direction. A tasty amount of hop flavor like the nose described to me. A weak backbone of roasted and/or chocolate malt lets the hops play a big role in this but in the end the beer comes up a little flavorless. Not that bitter but the mixture of the hops and malt adds a slight coffee like bitterness. Dry finish. Light and foamy in the mouth.

A refreshing beer for the summer I'd say. I just wish it was a little lower in alcohol since I'm barely getting any sweetness/malt flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 23:32:30 | More by BearsOnAcid

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500 mL bottle tried 23 Oct 2011. Courtesy of amphion1065, thanks! Served in the 0.5 L Adambrau becker. Bottle code 090111.

Starts to foam out of the bottle as soon as I open it. Probably not a good sign. Big thick tan head. Well carbonated. Cloudy dark chocolate brown in color. Aroma is nice, but a bit strange; combination of resiny hops, cinnamon and vanilla. Aroma is more reminiscent of a IPA, heavy on the resin. A fair amount of resiny hops to start. Some root beer spiciness. Resiny and earthy. Light body, warming ethanol. Moderate hoppiness throughout. Some faint roasty notes linger.

Overall just a little something odd that I can't put my finger on. If the foaming is any indication of infection, it didn't seem to have any obvious off flavor indicators.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 04:55:31 | More by htomsirveaux

jneiswender

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer at Mead Hall in Cambridge. On tap, served cool in a wine glass.

Dark brown mahogany body and an off white head. Herbal and juicy scent. Flavor is prickly hop and a nice sweet malt balance. Medium mouthfeel and carbonation.

I really like this beer. Nice interpretation on a pretty wide open style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2012 01:51:53 | More by jneiswender

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a Birra del Borgo tulip. Thanks to Tony for sharing this one.

A: The body is a clear orange hue with some yeast swirling in ropey strands (I was a little late to the tasting, so the dregs were all that was left); lovely finger of tan, sticky head. Attractive, despite the sediment.

S: Simple and elegant, with richly fruity hops and pure caramel malt. Nothing crazy, but entirely enjoyable.

T: The hops flavor fades pretty quickly into nondescript bitterness, and unfortunately the pure bitterness is strong enough to outweigh any malt complexity that I feel must be lying underneath. It's not bad, but definitely doesn't live up to the inviting aroma.

M: Smooth, soft medium body with light carbonation. Decent.

O: I'd have enjoyed this beer considerably more if it had either more or less hops presence; as it was, I felt that bitterness overwhelmed the malt backbone entirely, but didn't really bring any exciting flavors of its own. The alcohol was nicely hidden, but there just wasn't as much going on as I would have hoped and expected. I'd gladly drink this again, but won't be seeking it out.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 23:43:27 | More by woosterbill

myspoonistoobig

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up on a recent trip to Boston. I saw it there months ago and neglected to grab one, had been regretting it ever since.

Appearance: A difficult pour, the head billowed up large and fluffy, with an impressively tiny bead. Slightly hazy, and quite dark for an amber. Lacing was impressive, too; won't be using this glass again tonight.

Smell: nice, but a bit restrained; the malt comes through but the only hops you're faced with are mostly green and muted at that, really have work to find them in there.

Taste: again, a bit muted and restrained. Quite dry, the bitterness of the hops comes through more here than expected based on the nose, plenty bitter and still some sweetness from the malt.

Mouthfeel: as noted above, quite dry and astringent, but in a very good way. A bit round and lush, even silky before fading away to the dryness, which just makes me want to pick up my glass.

Overall: a very nice beer, but the general lack of hoppiness gives me pause. Perhaps this bottle was a bit old, but then again, who knows? Love the simplicity of the labels, and their mission statement makes me want to love it. I'll have to give this another try down the line, maybe when I'm up in Maine and with assurances that it's fresh.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 23:07:03 | More by myspoonistoobig

suspect

New York

3.65/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A: Cloudy amber color. Aggressive pour leads to a two finger latte colored head that disappears very slowly. Lacing is thick, consistent and super sticky.

S: Very nice malt mixture perks up first in the nose followed by slight hop zest and resiny blend that almost smells like a faded IPA.

T: Follows the nose and brings with it flavors of a faded IPA with a nice malt blend that again makes me unsure of whether I'm drinking an amber or an old IPA. Malt blend is most definitely the highlight.

M: Thick mouthfeel, hop oils coat the mouth making me reach for more. Bitter finish.

O: This is a solid beer but again, not one that is amazing. Maine seems to be brewing up some solid, not risky, beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 15:34:32 | More by suspect

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16.9 oz. bottle into my Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary tulip.

a - Pours a murky nut brown color with one finger of tan head that has high rentention. High carbonation evident.

s - Smell is all citrus hops. Hints of piney hops too, pretty nice.

t - Taste is some bitterness from the hops, followed by some smooth malts. Decent.

m - Low carbonation and medium body. Smooth after the initial bitterness.

d - A decent amber ale. I thought it smelled really nice but was somewhat lacking in the taste. I just didn't think the citrus and pine hops came through in the taste like they did in the smell. Would try again.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 00:11:33 | More by mdfb79

eggplantwiz

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

a 12.09.2010 bottling poured into a 20 oz nonic glass.

A: deep amber brown with a foamy coffee head and sticky lacing

S: Very mild aroma, delicate. pine and citrus notes predominate a carmel backdrop

T: Carmel maltiness with a hint of citrus astringency is most apparent here. Mildly bitter finish. I wonder if I'm missing out on some hop magic here in having a month old bottle. Overall, it comes across as impressively balanced and delicate for the style, with a nuianced complexity.

M: Incredibly smooth, but quite full bodied and perhaps a tinge overcarbonated

D: Easy drinking for sure, but this is not my favorite style in general, so I would be somewhat reluctant to have a second -- I will not hold that against this fine beer in my review, of course . Not a whit of booziness is detectable despite a moderately high 7.l2% ABV for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 00:34:01 | More by eggplantwiz

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16.9oz bottle purchased at Trader Joe's in Portland, ME. Pours a slightly hazy red-brown boy with nearly an inch of khaki-colored head. Smells sweet and fruity. Tastes malty but not overly sweet, with roasty dark chocolate and espresso notes as well as some herbal and earthy hops. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Pretty good overall - roasty and malty but light and drinkable. The best of all worlds.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 23:57:47 | More by MrHurmateeowish

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to wishuwerebeer for sharing this one with me. Poured into a tulip, the brew appears a dark brown initially that when held to the light looks more of an amber to ruby. 3 fingers worth of tan froth appear and slowly fade leaving a webby screen of lace on the glass. A light swirl revives more than a finger.

The smell is sweet with toasty and toffee-like malt. It has a bit of a burnt aspect about it before getting filled with citrus and herbal to pine-like hop character. A bit grassy and solvent with alcohol across the back.

The taste is toasty grain to toffee-like burnt sweetness. Some herbs and pine character of oily hops. Just like the aroma, it gets grassy in flavor with solvent alcohol. There is a moderate bitterness to this brew that gets a bit pulpy and fruited like grapefruit.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. It is resinous and hoppy with an interesting burnt character about it that keeps it back from being more drinkable. I've certainly enjoyed most of the offerings I've had from these folks and wouldnt mind trying more. However, from what I've had, I've been least impressed by this offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 18:35:07 | More by stakem

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - the beer pours out much darker than expected. a deep opaque mahogany with red highlights. 2 fingers worth of tightly packed off white foam leave lots of spotty lacing on the glass.

S - nose is muted. earthy notes are easy to tease out. autumn leaves, bitter orange peel, and caramel. there is a hint of smokiness or possibly tobacco. but overall nose does seem week.

T - bitterness starts immediately. bright citrus notes color the tongue while chocolate and cereal notes of the malt profile balance out the strong flavor. hints of dark fruit at the back end which carry out on the long bitter finish.

M - full side medium bodied. medium carbonation, tight and bubbly. creamy texture.

O - while the nose isn't strong the flavors of this beer do make up for the short coming. a well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 05:32:47 | More by Teleweizen2

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500mL bottle courtesy of claspada. Thanks!

A: Pours a deep, dark red. Half inch of fluffed foam. Looks quite good.

N: Wow. A ton of pineapple and mango up front. A moderate amount of pine. Some prickly and sweet malt.

T: Quite bitter and almost roasted. Biscuit, pine/spruce. Very grassy. Doesn't have the same tropical notes of the nose, rather more orange and lemon zest. (Good dry hopping?). Reminds of a ramped up pilsner with the malt.

M: A touch on the heavier, syrupy side. Not too distracting, but not perfect either. Some alcohol here.

O: Pretty nice beer and something I'd have time and again if it was available here. Well balanced, but still hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 19:48:26 | More by writerLJBerg