Zoe - Maine Beer Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Brewed 2 weeks ago, bought at Winooski Beverages. Pours dark brown with abundant soapy off-white head. English hop and rich malts aroma. Soft mouthfeel, though bitterness erases the palate in the finish. Toasty malt. Very drinkable and tasty.Lots of thick lace.I could have bought more!

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 01:33:11 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Recieved this as a very generous extra recently. I decided to open it up today on my first day of vacation to really get things started right. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 06/30/2010.

Huge pour, deep and ark brown in color with a three inch head of light tan that capped the top of the glass perfectly, leaving tons of coating lacing all over the sides of the glass that settled down nicely, and evenly, creating literally the perfect look.

Aroma was very hoppy, loads of orange, pineapple, lots of rich citrus notes riding on the back of a deep malty base. Rich caramel, bready malts, touches of deep citrus all over this. Really quite intense. Drinks like a thick IPA, an a damn good one at that! Really quite an amazing beer. Long citrus flavor in the finish with touches of candied sugar an pineapple slices.

Overall a fantastic beer. Really under the radar here and one of the best extras I have ever recieved.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 19:20:18 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes. Huge thanks to BrewedAwakening for getting some of this out to me.

Pours a nice reddish-amber color with a good off-white head and some nice lacing. The nose is really quite nice with a really strong presence of citrus and pine hops as well as some light amber malt. The taste is a bit of light malt with a good level of bitterness, though not as much as the nose would have indicated. This drinks really well and is a beautiful Red IPA (let's get that new style rolling...) and I'd love to try a few more things from Maine Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 03:40:48 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Chris for sharing this one at Ritual Brewing Company in Redlands, CA.

Bottled 4/9/13.

Pours a hazy copper with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, and herbal hop aromas. Taste is much the same with pine and herbal hop flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is very pine and herbal hop forward.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 04:46:01 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a fairly dark amber color with a very nice head; solid in both the stickage and lacing departments

Smell: For a beer of this age, this still has a strong floral, hoppy aroma about it; rather biscuity, too, but just imagine what it might have been like when first brewed!

Taste: The biscuity, dark bread malt backbone appears right up front and is a strong presence from start to finish; it doesn't take long, however, for the citrusy hops to make a stand, leaving a tangerine bitterness that combats the malt; again, I imagine this would have been extraordinary when fresh so I am going to bump up the score a notch

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Maine Beer Company is a brewery to be reckoned with if you are a hop lover; I, for one, am going to keep my eye on them as this is a great example of a hoppy amber

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 01:40:16 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a clear deep amber color ale with a large dirty white head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of intense hops is quite interesting with nice floral undertones. Taste is a great mix between intense hops presence with limited bitter notes and some really good citrus and earthy hops notes. Malt backbone is quite solid and not too sweet to cut through the hops profile. Body is full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Solid offering with great dry-hopping execution.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 19:24:05 | More by Phyl21ca

oberon

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brewed on 9-29-2012.Poured into an imperial nonic a deep amber with a large fluffy off white head that left multiple broken rings of lace as it settled into a frothy mass.Big floral and piney hops really jump out at ya along with sweet biscuit and brown sugar,the malt base is almost as big as the hop onslaught,a great nose.Sticky piney hops really stand out on the palate up front but a big brown sugar and biscuit malt base is there again to stand up to the hops,I get a little earthiness to round out everything in the finish.This is a complex flavor packed red,to me it's like an old school left coast hopped up red,great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 00:18:34 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Maine Beer Company "Zoe"
16.9 oz. bottle, freshness dated "122312 23"
$7.95 @ The Beer Shoppe in Ardmore, PA

I've had this beer before and I'll have it again. When? I don't know. Why? Well, I can answer that - there's something about the bright and citrusy hops that attracts me. I'm like a fish looking for a shiny lure. Bright and citrusy hops will work. But wait? Is that all that's needed? Are the hops enough? No, not really, I need something to balance the hops. What, pray tell then is that? Well, malt and a bit of yeasty fruitiness, I think. And Zoe delivers all of that.

The appearance is very good, and certainly better than most. It's a clear mahogany (when poured properly to leave the lees behind), and a creamy head of light tan tops it. The head retention and lacing are both excellent.

The aroma is all about bright and citrusy hops. Grapefruit, citrus rind, pineapple...

The flavor adds just enough dark caramel and a hint of chocolate / fudge to balance it along with a spritz of yeasty fruitiness (berries and apple). A very-firm to solid bitterness balances it, and it finishes dry and fruity with notes of berries, citrus, and apple. Maybe even some grape (both white and red).

In the mouth it's medium-bodied with a very-fine bubbled and natural carbonation that leaves it gently bristling and then creamy across the palate.

It's raucously hoppy, and I use that word rather than aggressive or tenacious because it suggests a little bit of fun. Yet it's somehow balanced. And that balance may be teetering, but it still somehow seems to hold. So, although it is a little off-kilter, it's not so far off that it's undrinkable. It all comes together in the end. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:21:35 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head shaker pint glass.

Thanks to the Central PA group of the Gang Bang BIF for this bottle!

At least Maine went with the traditional spelling (though I don't have too much against "Zooey", frankly)... Anyway, it pours a clear russet-garnet topped by a finger of cream-tan foam. The nose comprises pine, toffee, mint, and orange peel. The taste brings in more of the same, though with a more pronounced toffee character and the addition of a touch of cocoa. It's sweet, but not too; and it's hoppy, but not too. Very nicely done here. The body is a light medium, with a rather light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Overall, a very nice amber, the third consecutive winner from this brewery. Get some.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 05:46:00 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is dark reddish brown in color and poured with a short light beige colored head.
S: There are moderate aromas of citrusy hops (grapefruit stands out in particular) and caramel malts in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the overall taste is quite hoppy but a little more complex with citrus flavors and hints of pine resin. There is also a good amount of caramel malts and a moderate amount of carbonation.
M: It feels medium-bodied, quite smooth and a little crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer seems to have the perfect balance of malts and hops. The mouthfeel is also very smooth for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 20:53:46 | More by metter98

drabmuh

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

At the time of this review this beer is the #2 American amber / red ale on the beat of beeradvocate list. Received recently in a trade, thanks. Beer served in a pilsner glass.

Beer is reddish brown and hazy with a nice off white head lots of lacing and carbonation.

Aroma is hoppy, earthy, piny. Smells nice.

Beer is medium bodied and very hoppy, chewy grinding, nice. Moderate bitterness, great finish. I'd have it again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 03:12:29 | More by drabmuh

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this at Eastside Beverage Co. in Portland, ME. 500ml bottle shared with grub. Served in a pint glass. No freshness information that I could find, but I get the sense this turns over pretty quickly.

A - Pours with a generous two-plus fingers of light tan foam. Retention is superb, and the lacing is splotchy and pervasive - things eventually settle to a thick cap. Surprisingly, dark brown body, perhaps too brown to even be called a red ale, let alone the "hoppy amber" described on the bottle. There are some copper-amber highlights when held to the light.

S - Initially it's a nice fresh burst of aromatic hops - citrus, pine, and general fruitiness. As it warms, a true red ale malt character emerges, with caramel apple, cotton candy, and toffee.

T - The taste is a little less successful in my book, as some of the complexity and depth of flavor vanishes. There is a lot of bitter grapefruit hop character, that eventually reveals some caramel malt at the back of the palate before finishing with more bitterness that lingers into the aftertaste. Never gets overwhelming, but I could have stood for a touch more hop flavor and complexity here.

M - Soft body, good lively carbonation, chewy medium body that's big enough for 7.2%. Finishes with light dryness and a bit of enamel-coating hop oil.

D - I had no problems with the 250ml in my glass, and would gladly have finished the rest of it. It's a shame I didn't buy more of this one, as it's a very successful and enjoyable brew. Looking forward to more offerings from these guys.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 01:58:13 | More by MasterSki

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.83/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Acquired from svosie, so a big "Thank You" goes out to her. Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a dark reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is full of floral hops and fruity citrus along with caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out with a strong burst of grassy hops that quickly transitions into a very complementary citrus and caramel sweetness. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and provides an excellent balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Very tasty and flavorful, goes down quite easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is an excellent beer with a lot of flavor and substance that make great drink for an entire evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 23:32:36 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My aunt and uncle picked up a bottle of this while they were in Maine a month or so ago. The beer poured out as a deep looking amber color. In darker light it looked brown. The head was white and had a good retention and lacing. The smell of the beer was hoppy, there wasn't too much else really happening besides some citrusy hops filling the nose. The taste is bitter but yet. Dry drinkable in my opinion. Has some sweetness in the flavor also. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and has a pretty good carbonation to it also. Overall I thought this brew was really good actually. I would drink this one again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 00:53:02 | More by Knapp85

Gavage

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a dark cloudy brown color with a one finger head. Moderate lacing develops.

Smell: pine and grapefruit dominate.

Taste: decent malt level here with some pine, grapefruit, prunes, and a spicy yeast flavor. Bitterness is sharp but provides some nice balancing here.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Crisp to start, less crisp at the finish. Short lived aftertaste.

Overall: this beer had a nice flavor profile and was very easy to consume. Worthy of a try by anyone who likes the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 18:45:06 | More by Gavage

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 500 mL bottle from Al's. In my new Asahi mug.

A: The amber is a caramel brown color, just a bit of red to liven things up. It's fuller hues leave it generally opaque with some orange highlights throughout. A thick white head, over two fingers, laces nicely around the glass.

S: Caramel and bread, both strong. Citrusy hops, equally strong. The aromas are bright, vibrant for an overcast winter day - reminding me of warmer weather. The malt has enough heft to verge on a black ale, the darkness and the hops coming together nicely.

T: The citrus hoppiness abounds, a fresh sharpness that lingers. Paired with the hops are plenty of caramel malts, a darker undertone that continues the aroma's trend towards black ale territory. The hops have a leafy, freshly pulled flavor that adds to their vibrancy. The combination of big flavors is nice, making the ale taste far stronger than it is. Another winner from Maine.

M: The big head saps the carbonation from the ale, allowing the flavors to intensify and not disappear in each sip. The spicy hops are comforting, a piquant flavor content to linger.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 19:32:04 | More by akorsak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Very happy to be trying something from this brewery. Worth the minimal extra coin to get it; as opposed to having to take a road trip.

Looks beautiful. Nose is great too; berry amber kind of thing going on. Hops are definitely biting on the palate. Great flavor ride. Kicks in on the end and gives a nice overall wave. Carbonation seems a bit too high and biting really. It really hissed a good bit when I opened it up. A very nice amber. A good first beer from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:09:36 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Large, thick head that leaves a solid blanket of lace. Settles like a dome. The liquid is light brown and clear. A beautiful looking beer.

Very mild aroma. More chocolatey than any other smell. Light hop nose.

This is a smooth beer. Nice malty start to the taste--mostly the paler versions without any graininess. Excellent hop as a spice, not as a predominate flavor. The alcohol is present as a warming effect. Long aftertaste of white peppered hop. The body is full with a decent level of carbonation. In short, a very good, well-balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 21:40:10 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks goes out to portia99 for this brew.

Poured into a true pint glass a very nice cloudy dark amber color, very nice carbonation, HUGE three-finger thick creamy off-white head, with alot of nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is hoppy, with some nice malt notes thrown in, slight citrus, and caramel. The taste is AWESOME!, hoppy, nice blend of malts, with a slight citrus note thrown in. Medium Body kinda creamy, smooth feel, ABV is non-existent. This is one of the best amber's I've had to date. Thanks Bill!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 20:35:40 | More by Wasatch

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This finally made it to MA, yay!

Creamy almost 1 finger head gasses slowly with lacing over darker molasses brown color.

Nose of fresh earthy and floral hops, some dark earthy malts, bit of fluffy dark malts, touch of roast.

Taste starts rich and creamy dark malts, bit of fluffy roast and almost chewy nougat, toffee, earthy and slight nutty malts, earthy and floral hops, light spicy, fresh hops, not too bitter, light fruit hops as well. Finish gets a bit more bitter, with a nice lingering hop character, light toffee, roast, and earthy malts.

Mouth is med to a bit heavier bodied with good carb.

Drink is great, a nice hop character not too bitter, the dark malts add a nice flavor without too much body or syrupy flavor. Very well balanced, tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 19:21:05 | More by jlindros

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.15/5  rDev -26.1%
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

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -13.6%
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

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16.9oz bottle purchased as a single at Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/4" tan head over the slightly cloudy reddish copper brew. Dense head isn't going anywhere fast, with sticky lasting lace. Aroma is forward with fresh hops character.

Taste is hearty grain husks to start, comes on strong in the middle with citrus hops, with a smooth segue into the prominent bitterness, which lingers with a light alcohol warming. Mouthfeel is smooth, maybe a touch grainy, and drinkability is good. Nice fall brew, even if it's available more often than that.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 00:12:30 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appears a light amber toned orange with a luscious white head that never fades away. Scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of danky weeds with a floral blast along with citrus and perfume.
Taste is of a balanced sugary blend of perfume and floral hops. Pretty damn tasty stuff.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, full of flavors with an herbal tea lasting finish. Well done beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 02:36:21 | More by weeare138

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

16.9 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a deep clear ruby, with a couple fingers of thick light tan colored head. This retains with a creamy ¾ finger of rich froth and slathers the sides of the glass with thick sticky swathes of foamy lacing. The aroma just explodes in the nose with a huge floral feel that contains notes of grapefruit, spice, and pine. This immediately gives way to dense and malty smelling layer of sticky caramel and dark roast. This is just so flavorful feeling in the nose, with everything seeming to have fresh and powerful presence.

Hops and malt pull equal weight in the taste, with a blast of herbal tones and zesty grapefruit bitterness that propels resins and spice out in the profile. The malt however is equally robust, with a mix of caramel sweetness and burnt roasted notes that lay heavy in the finish along with a strong resinous dryness that seems to linger forever. As this warms, the flavors seem to meld and balance even more and take off some of the initial assertive edges that hold this back a little in the beginning. The mouthfeel is medium to fuller bodied, with a wonderful even feeling creaminess in the mouth that has just enough of an effervescent sharpness to the carbonation. While the alcohol does give this a bit of a powerful beefiness like a Double Red would, this is still very smooth for 7%, with only some trailing warmth being present and adding some extra boldness to an already aggressive finish.

As a lover of hoppy Red Ales, I just have to say that I’m in love with this beer. From its beautiful look, to its flavorful yet well balanced profiles, to its super easy drinkability, this one just all the right notes for me. The other two Maine beers I’ve had (Peeper & Lunch) got close for me but this is the first one to really knock it out of the park, as I think this is definitely the freshest that I’ve been able to try one of their beers. I’m super excited to here that this is going to be distributed in SE PA going forward, as I’ll definitely be picking up some more bottles.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 15:33:44 | More by Kegatron