Zoe - Maine Beer Company

Willytee3

New York

4.63/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap poured into an 8oz sniffer glass, perfect.

Pours a dark chocolaty black with large tan head that the bartender kindly allowed to flow off when filling this smallish glass.

Smell of roasty malts and bittersweet chocolate with good hop aroma floated in there.

Tastes of toasty bittersweet chocolate malts, with pine and fruity hops present in the background. Nice bitter blends with the toast through finish. Nicely balanced!

Very smooth and velvety mouth feel with perfect carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 05:04:05 | More by Willytee3

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on-tap at "The Pony Bar" in NYC.

I'd been wanting to try this one forever since it's #2 in the American Amber/Red category here on BA right below my favorite, "Nugget Nectar."

Served in an 8oz. shaped-glass.

A: Poured a glistening amber color, with a slight chill haze, and with a head that had huge, almost chunky bubbles.

S: Pow hop fruitiness with a good bit of yummy red velvet cake batter in the mix as well. Nice malt to ALMOST equal out the hops. Bold, assertive, and fresh!

T: Almost as intense as "Nugget Nectar" with quite a bit of hop sizzle and interesting malt bill, with a bit of warm candy-coated alcohol thrown into the mix. Excellent!

M: Bitter and very hoppy, but I dug the nearly dark, chocolatey malt undertow. The lacing was moderate to substantial and my palate was totally coated with hoppy, pixie stick dust candy!

O: Man, this one gives the Troegs a run for its money and I think if I were to have access to it all the time, it my become an "old shoe" the way "Nugget Nectar" does when the season rolls around.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2012 02:35:13 | More by Chaney

davewlfpckfan29

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I previously had Zoe from a bottle that was not even a month old.
However, the difference from bottle to draft was a huge difference.

Had this on tap at the dirty truth in Northampton on a beautiful summers day.

The pour is a nice dark red, almost brown. Which really leads me to my next point that.. Maine Brewing calls this an amber but its really its own category of greatness.

There is so much going on in the taste of this beer. Spices that are also in the smell, citrus taste, bitterness (just the right amount) from the hops, as well as a roasted malt taste.

There is nothing I can really complain about in this beer.
Maine Brewing definitely knows what they are doing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2012 06:14:50 | More by davewlfpckfan29

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

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at devils den in philly

Pours a deep clouded amber color with a thin beige head, patchy lacing coats the glass. Film retains with a cloud across the top of the brew.

Nice hoppy punch in the nose with a kiss of citrus, slight pininess, caramel bready sweetness. Really inviting and balanced.

Begins with sticky hops and resin, citrus peel and bitterness. Bready malt backbone, decent sweet caramel flair with a touch of fruity sweetness. Finishes with bitter grapefruit and bread crust.

Medium body, a little higher carb, sticky and refreshing. Everything I've had from this brewery has been really on point - I'm looking forward to more!

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2012 18:21:40 | More by xnicknj

StJamesGate

New York

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Ginger Man, NYC.

Dark amber with tan film that leaves trailers. Gooey strawberry orange marmalade nose.
Strawberry jam, Ryvita, a bit of chocolate, a sour roasty bite, then resin and cedar oil hops.
Lemon zest finish and drying linger. Medium, soft, crisp.

Nice, but nothing special. Wondering if there’s Simcoe in there. A touch of dark malts makes this one different.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2012 12:48:55 | More by StJamesGate

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap

Maine Brewing Company Zoe pours out the dark amber I Envisioned. A nice dark amber with some light brown shade and a tannish cap of foam up top leaving good amounts of foam on the glass. a decent amount of bubbles rising up. Smells awfully hoppy right off the tap. A nice mix of pine/earth backed with citrus. Trace amounts of pale malt ride up the tail end. Smells awfully clean and ready to drink. Drinking this is nice, what is advertised is delivered, a hoppy amber ale. The amount of biscuit coming from the malt drives down this nicely hopped ale into something more balanced, leading in the amber directon. Caramel seeps through gently and glides with the earth/pine/citrus. Feel is a step up from light with a nice carb that is felt. I could do a pint of this if the day and mood was right, I just don't see myself going out of my way for it. Reminds me of celebration ale.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 05:34:40 | More by onix1agr

pmarlowe

California

3.7/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 04/09/13. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a very deep, almost black amber color, though it manages very good clarity. Three fingers of fine, dense, light sand colored foam which is slow in deflating. Leaves behind generous an intricate lacing.

S: Piney hoppiness, a hint of bready malt and toffee, hint of blackcurrant, and spice. Nice. Fairly muted aroma.

T: Lots of bready, rye-like malt flavor. Tastes like I'm eating multigrain bread. A little spice, not much hops. Finishes with a mild bitterness and grainy flavor, and nearly bone dry.

M: Medium body and medium, sharp carbonation.

O: Meh, it's OK. Not exactly the "hoppy, hoppy amber" it's advertised as. The taste picks up the hop bitterness without the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 04:57:21 | More by pmarlowe

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16 oz bottle into a tulip. Purchased in Wakefield ri. Bottled 2/26/13.

A - pours a hazy amber-cherry body with a 3 finger thick, dense, khaki colored head that reduces slowly to a mushroom cloud of frothy foam. Exhibits thick lacing. Picture
Perfect.

S- pungent pine, citrus, resin aromas. Very upfront and easy to detect, I can tell
This beer will be hoppy. das dank

T- Big malt character upfront- caramel , toffee, vanilla. Following this comes the hops- pine and huge weed resin notes. Smokey, roasty flavor on the finish. Aftertaste is bitter and borderline astringent. Super flavorful .

M- medium heavy body with medium carbonation. Fairly easy to drink.

What a beautifully crafted beer - you could call this a dipa and no one would question it, but the huge malt character balances out the hops and makes for a delicious red ale. Recommendable.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:37:54 | More by gcamparone

mscott1975

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: From a bottle into a nonic pint glass. Pours a cloudy, dark brown and leaves an amazing rocky head that sticks around for a good five minutes leaving tons of lacing around the glass. I can see some little floaties suspended in the murky goodness. This is a beautiful looking beer.

Smell: I smell quite a bit of grassy hops along with some citrus and sweet malt. Smells great but I'm having a hard time placing some of the aromas.

Taste: Again with the grassy hops with a wonderful citrus bite like grapefruit. Sticks on the tongue and has some lingering bitterness. I also taste some brown sugar. This is a fantastic tasting beer that is put together really well.

Mouthfeel: Some prickly hop bitterness that coats the tongue. Pretty easy drinking beer for the ABV. Alcohol not noticeable.

Overall: I was really impressed with this beer. Very well balanced. The hops aren't too overwhelming. I kept wanting to take another sip. I'm a huge fan of "bigger" amber/red ales and this is one of, if not the best I've ever had. Well Done. This is my second Maine beer (Lunch was first). I'll be picking up a few more bottles of this when I'm Philly next month.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 02:18:05 | More by mscott1975

JohnQVD

New York

4.29/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Deep hazy rust color with a big foamy head that leaves chunks of foam behind. Smell is malty, with citrus and pepper. At first, taste is caramel and pine resin with a spicy finish and a bit of bite from the carbonation. As it sits, the carbonation dies back and a breadier taste emerges. Feel is light with ample carbonation that gets lighter through the glass without going flat. Overall this is very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 23:02:43 | More by JohnQVD

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- poured into a snifter. This one was a gusher, poured dark and murky copper brown with a thick foamy head that had great retention and lacing

S- pine and citrus hop notes with a bit of grass, deep bready malt profile with notes of chocolate and caramel, a bit of graininess

T- piney hops with a citrus-rind kick, sweet-bready malt with caramel and some earthy & herbal flavors, huge buiscity malt on the finish with subtle notes of chocolate that lead to a dryish finish, citrus hop & buiscity yeast on the linger

M- medium body with just enough carbonation to give it a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, leading to a silky smooth finish. ABV is barely detectable, if at all. I don't think it could get any better.

O- I loved the chocolate/biscuit malt profile and it was well balanced by the citrus/pine hops. Mouthfeel was about perfect, high drinkability, one of the best of the style that I've had for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 20:23:05 | More by Treyliff

Jacobob10

New Jersey

4.39/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Born on 1/20/13
Reviewed on 3/18/13

Large, frothy, long-lasting head sits atop the ruby colored brew. Heavy grapefruit aroma with some bready malts. Full bodied, thick textured, softly carbonated, and a bit of a chalky finish. Another winner from Maine Beer Co. I prefer the MO to this one but I would be happy to have either anyday. Love what this brewery is doing right now.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 01:18:51 | More by Jacobob10

rodney45

New York

4.14/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Hazy walnut amber with an antique paper colored head.

S: Cascade and centennial hop notes with notes of citrus and pineapple.

T: First notes of blueberry, citrus floral hops and blackberry jam. Secondary flavors of chocolate and crystal malts. Dry finish with a reoccurring blueberry notes.

M: Moderate body with medium level carbonation. Hoppy with little alcohol ether presence.

O: A good beer, needs to sit in the glass for a bit and warm to room temperature before all the intricacies come out. Perhaps a bit overpriced but worth a try at least once. I really like Maine Brewing Company.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 12:04:45 | More by rodney45

PHBoiler

Illinois

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Roughly 6 week old bottle poured into Spieglau glass

This is the deepest darkness Amber I've ever poured. The balance between the sweetness of the malts and the bright hops is impressive on the nose as well as in the taste. Almost a nuttiness or roast on the tongue from the deep Amber at first. There are plenty of citrus hop notes as well as bittering hops. The malts round this beer out quite nicely. Impressive beer beyond the sea of DIPAs and barrel aged offerings that seem to dominate craft beer lately.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 18:54:40 | More by PHBoiler

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle into tulip.

A - Dark ruby/brown with a gigantic light tan head.

S - Sweet bready malt, pine needle, grapefruit and light citrus hops. Earthy, fresh aroma.

T - Waves of piney hops, grapefruit, and orange citrus. Bready, nutty malts provide some balance. Finishes somewhat bitter with spicy herbal notes, grassy hops, and grainy malts.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and creamy. High carbonation, crisp and refreshing. Dry finish.

O - This is a delicious hoppy amber ale. Pine is the dominant flavor here, but there is a lot of complexity in the taste. The soft, bready malts blend perfectly and lend just the right amount of sweetness. Very impressive offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 02:03:33 | More by mooseo

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.59/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Maine Beer Company - Zoe

Look - Pours dark maple syrup then settles dark brown, almost amber around the sides. Great soapy head. Unfiltered sedimentary body. Glorious lacing. These brews tend to intimidate those who are not into craft beers. Pour carefully to avoid getting too much sediment, unless you are like me and you don't mind eating it.

Smell - Dark malts, sweet but subtle. Toasted caramel. Burnt citrus hops are a nice addition here.

Taste - Wow! Dark fruity complexity of an advanced malty dubble. Bitter hops are there in the back, nice and deep.

Mouthfeel - Not boozy, sweet and burnt caramel. Drinkable for sure. The burnt bitter hops are quite unique and round this out quite well.

Overall - Interesting brew. Almost like burnt maple syrup or burnt dark brown sugar, but in a good way. Thoroughly enjoyed. Would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 13:19:00 | More by JMScowcroft

Pencible

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a hazy mahogany with lots of light tan head.
S: It smelled like citrus zest and candied apricot, with some copper hops and wild clover honey.
T: It tasted like sweet wild clover honey and candied apricot, with bitter citrus zest and copper hops. It had a clean and lasting bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was fairly thick with moderate carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This was a nice brew with very enjoyable scent and taste. The body was solid, but the finish was harsher than expected, so it was not super easy to drink. A rewarding drink, but not as delicious as, say, Mouflan.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 02:34:57 | More by Pencible

Greywulfken

New York

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Unfortunately came across a bottle older than the recommended 90 day period (bottled on 11/04/12, consumed today, 4/13/13 - so two months older than recommended)...

A: amber brown body in a pint glass; full head of tan left plenty of lace

S: hoppy bitterness, citrus, and pine

T: up front hops following the nose, followed by a nice, complex maltiness that slips in a little sweetness

M: medium bodied, fuzzy carbonation, slight bitter coat

O: a well-executed beer - nice drinking, but I'm sure my review would have been higher on a fresher bottle - I'll have to keep my eyes open for one.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 19:44:42 | More by Greywulfken

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.51/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into a nonic pint glass. Bottled on 2/28/13, nice and fresh.

A- It's catagorized as an American Amber/Red ale and that's no joke. It is a beautiful, hearty looking reddish amber, some brown too, depending on the light. A dense 4-finger head, khaki-tan in color, lasts and lasts leaving heavy lacing and a heavy 'plop' of creaminess in its middle.
Just hazy enough to highlight the bottle conditioning, and it starts off with lots of bubbles.

S- Fresh pine is the first smell that I pick up. Following are the citrus hops, bready malts, and some note of alcohol making it a subtle blend.

T-Citrus and raisin malt bread with some pine resin and a mild chocolate finish. How's that description...?...yeah, that's what I said!

M-Lots of chewy body, a bit of oily pine. This beer feels good on the palate.

O- A flavorful, powerful brew. The only downside that I see is that it's not an everyday 'go-to' type because it's aggressive. As a hearty amber, it's the real deal.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 20:15:51 | More by NiceTaps

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.26/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled Dec 23, 2012. Unfortunately just past the 90 day recommended drink by period.

Beer is dark red with a good-sized light tan head. Pretty good retention.

Smell is a nice blend of malt and hops. Bread, chocolate and caramel scents are strong. Some pleasantly dank pine along with citrus scents. Malts are probably more prominent than they would be if the bottle was fresher, but it is still a very nice scent.

Taste is also very good. Citrus fruit (orange, some grapefruit), pine and a big malty backbone- caramel, bread and chocolate. Well balanced, fairly dry. Good mix of flavours.

Medium bodied, moderate to strong carbonation. Chewy.

Overall, very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:44:51 | More by jrenihan

sommersb

Tennessee

4.26/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Tasted On: 04-01-2013
Freshness: Bottled 02-26-13
Packaging: 500ml brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Globe glass
Purchased: Received in a trade

Appearance has a big off-white head on the dark amber, clear beer. Head retention and lacing are excellent. The last pour adds some cloudiness from the bottle-conditioning yeast

Smell has spicy hops with big pine and citrus elements. Some caramel malts and dark fruits counter for an overall lovely bouquet

Taste has a fairly strong hop bitterness with typical grapefruit notes, but the malts show up with a bit of sweetness and keep things interesting so its not a one-trick pony. A bit of astringency is a negative factor

The feel is crisp due to the high carbonation. Finishes hoppy and semi-dry, but with some balance.

Overall a very nice treat. I'll admit this is typically not one of my favorite styles, but this is a very good rendition -- hoppy, but complex enough to keep me wanting more. Recommended

Thanks to DrewShal9 for this one!

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 02:59:17 | More by sommersb

gr0g

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The pour yields something like four fingers of foam atop a much darker than amber beer -- much closer to the mahogany typical of a brown ale. Excellent retention with a rocky head persisting, while lace formation is similarly awesome. Aroma is hop-forward, as expected. Pithy grapefruit and orange rind is most prevalent, sitting atop a rich toffee base.

Overall flavor profile is malty yet dry, with a solid citric, grassy bitterness. The dryness, not unexpected based on previous experiences with Maine offerings, is a bit unusual for a 7+% ABV amber, but the flavors here are beautifully integrated. A great variety of malts, including some chocolate malt, makes for a robust backbone that can stand up to the bitterness. Mouthfeel is oily like an IPA, not surprising giving the generous hopping, while the sudsy carbonation has a very delicate touch.

Top notch hoppy red ale here, and though certainly expensive at $7 for a 16.9oz bottle, it's absolutely worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 00:18:43 | More by gr0g

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a darker than anticipated ruby brown with large and frothy head. Excellent retention and lacing. Nice looking brew.

Smell leads in with a barleywine-like maltiness, catching me off guard for a hoppy amber ale. A bit of chocolate followed up with a sweet citrusy aroma.

Taste is opposite from the nose in that the hops lead off, bringing tangarine and a backdrop of pine. The malts then shine through as rich caramel and chocolate.

Mouthfeel is both slick and sticky, sign of both the hops and malt in this beer.

Overall really enjoying this beer, but it definitely doesn't fit in the category. Maybe it's all other amber ales that don't fit though. A+

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:05:29 | More by CurtFromHershey

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Complex and bold. Bold pine hops. Earthy, grassy. Some grapefruit citrus, tangerine. Lightly toasted malt.

Appearance: Deep amber. Hard to see due to the deep color, but there are many small particles in suspension. This is a bottle conditioned brew. Head is tan in color, and is thick and frothy. Great retention and lots of lacing.

Taste: Bold but balanced. Crisp pine hops, followed by sweet barely roasty malt. Mild tangerine citrus. No grapefruit here. Not overly sweet, which is a plus.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body. Moderately dry. Medium carbonation is smooth, not stinging. 4

Overall: Not exactly a classic example, but a creative variation of the base style. Very smooth given the near-imperial flavor and compexity. A great example of how American brewers are doing some great things.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 12:38:46 | More by soulfly1492