Lunch - Maine Beer Company

KevinGordon

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

03-02-2013 14:37:43 | More by KevinGordon

Chugger

New York

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

05-26-2013 15:10:25 | More by Chugger

Houser

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

05-26-2013 12:16:05 | More by Houser

Rempo

Indiana

5/5  rDev +14.2%

05-26-2013 11:27:37 | More by Rempo

DmouthCaliBrewz

New Hampshire

3.86/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Finally got my hands on this one!!! Been a long time coming! Bottled on 5/7/13 (050713).

A: Poured into a tulip, a slightly hazy gold, with a rocky white head that hung around leaving nice lacing. Head dissipated after a few minutes, leaving a lone rocky island in the middle of the glass that remained until the end of the beer.

S: Wow, thats a nose folks. Up front, a blast of mango, pineapple, and a citrus fruit assault. Like Grapefruit and orange, tangerine, and their other citrusy compadres decided to declare war on my olfactory system. Very little pine or any other resiny characteristics.

T: Unfortunately, the aroma was the high point of this highly sought after brew. I really did not get much more than a crisp clean hop bitterness, pleasant hints of some tropical fruit and pine, and a slight honey sweetness from the malt backbone. I was really disappointed by this one, not going to lie. While it was indeed pleasant to drink, it was very dry, and much of the taste seemed to just be remnants of what I picked up from the aroma. Very dry and crisp finish. Constantly searching for more of a fruit presence, but it is just a mellow and crisp bitterness, with some slight fruit notes.

M: A bit fizzy, and on the lighter side, but nothing too out of the ordinary for the style.

O: Unfortunately, this one just did not live up to the hype. I was SOOO excited to try this one, and the second I took a sip, my immediate impulse was to check the bottled-on date to see if this was fresh....a definite red flag. Despite a bottling date of 5/7/13 (050713), a mere 19 days old, this beer tasted a bit lifeless. Pleasant no doubt, but not even close to comparable to some of the greats of the style. I went into this beer thinking it would be comparable to Pliny, a beer I am very familiar with, but this one fails to compete. While the nose was out of this world, that was the only stellar aspect of this brew. Reading some of the other reviews, I am really questioning my palate right now...Might come back and edit this one after I crack my other bottle. Maybe I am still coming down from my cold...

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 06:00:17 | More by DmouthCaliBrewz

JJSmash

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

05-25-2013 21:43:34 | More by JJSmash

jtladner

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -14.4%

05-25-2013 11:35:33 | More by jtladner

mpedara429

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours out a very hazy amber color. Three plus fingers of off white head. Retention lasted quite a while. Lacing created a picturesque netting around the glass.

S: Mango, grapefruit, and pine. Smell is pretty vibrant.

T: Grapefruit and pine are dominate. Mango is in the background. An earthy hop finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation. This one is pretty crisp, not leaving a sticky or oily feeling in your mouth.

O: A top notch brew. Actually, reminds me a bit of Heady Topper. Fruity and earthy. I think this one is slightly less malty and more bitter than Heady Topper. Nonetheless, it is quite the honor to have tried this beer and put it in the ranks of IPA's elite.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:32:06 | More by mpedara429

weiserr

Connecticut

4.96/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Bottled on 5/21/13; poured into a Bell's nonic pint. I didn't seek this beer, it sought me and demanded that I consume it. Pouring itself into the aforementioned vessel, it jumped out of its holding container to exclaim, "I am IPA; marvel at me." A huge, two-finger cap of foam gives way to myriad lace patterns resembling broken guitar strings, frayed curtains, and shower-glass film residue. The nose is permeated by a citric cornucopia that is backed by just enough malt to create a majestic balance of hop perfection. To characterize the taste would never do this beer any justice, as words pale in comparison to the sheer pleasure that follows the first sip. As I consumed more, I began to sense a tectonic shift within the craft beer industry. This isn't just Maine Beer's version of a West Coast style IPA; this is their version of a better one. You know the brewer has struck a chord when you can hear the cherub and the seraphim rejoicing holy, holy, holy while you're drinking it. Maybe none of it was real. Maybe I woke up one morning and imagined what the perfect IPA would taste like. All I know is that this version of IPA is without rival. Rumors have already surfaced that it can re-grow hair on bald men, and resurrect lifeless medical patients from their catatonic state. You know what, I believe them. If you're fortunate enough to get your hands on this brew, consider yourself among the chosen. Ladies and Gentlemen, Lunch is served.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 20:45:16 | More by weiserr

2Xmd

New York

4.78/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle with a date of 05/09/13 so fairly fresh (2 weeks old) wonderful yellow-orange color with a huge fluffy white head. A light piney, citrusy smell that I cant get enough of. Not overpowering but just enough. Goes down easy would definitely buy this again but too bad it's eight bucks for a 500ml bottle. I want more.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 12:10:11 | More by 2Xmd

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.46/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle served in a glass beer mug.

L - dull brass color with a white head that hung around for a long time leaving spots and some trails of lacing.

S - lots of tropical fruit and citrus.

T - sweet and tart it's a tropical fruit and bitter citrus flavored roller coaster ride for the palate.

F - medium bodied it goes down smooth and easy.

O - very good example of the style, it totally kicks ass if you drink it straight from the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 04:20:50 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

SwG237

New York

4.25/5  rDev -3%

05-24-2013 03:58:50 | More by SwG237

brewstervt

Vermont

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

05-24-2013 01:48:26 | More by brewstervt

Billpare

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

05-24-2013 01:02:58 | More by Billpare

smccann

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +14.2%

05-24-2013 00:41:08 | More by smccann

huddyball

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +14.2%

05-24-2013 00:19:47 | More by huddyball

Bnoise11

California

4.25/5  rDev -3%

05-23-2013 21:28:56 | More by Bnoise11

AltBock

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle with a plain Jane egg shell white label. Everything on the label is in small print. Break out the magnifying glass. The back of the label only contains the mandatory US info and a description about the brewery. Off to the left side of the bottle is an inked bottled date. My bottle was bottled on 03/26/13. MBC would like it if you drink their beer within 90 days of the bottles date. My bottle was close to being 2 months old when I cracked it open. Still good!

When poured into a Peg's Cantina Snifter, this lunch was an easy on the eyes hazy golden apricot orange with a faint streak of lemon yellow toward the bottom of the glass. The head of foam was equally impressive as the sweet ass color. On top was of this golden brew was a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch cotton white head if foam. This head of foam didn't have to be somewhere else so a small skim of foam and a moderate sized string of rings stuck around until the last drop of beer was gone. Beautiful appearance!

The first whiff of beer was a subtle mix of tart citrus fruits and pine. It was pretty good, but I thought it could have done better. When I swirled the beer around a tad, that awoke the beast from its slumber. Out comes the strong aroma of tart citrus fruits. Leading the citrus pack was the grapefruit. Following the grapefruit was the lemon, apricot, pineapple, and oranges. When the citrus fruits settled down, it then let the pine to come in and play. This beer still wasn't done. After the pine, the beer then finished up with a subtle whiff of caramel, a pinch of grass, and a few floral notes. My eyes and nose couldn't get enough of this beer.

My first two senses couldn't get enough of this beer. Let's see if my tastebuds couldn't get their fill of this beer. I could tell this beer didn't want to mess around. Right off the bat was the bitter citrus hops. These hops lingered on for a few seconds before it let in the tart citrus fruits. There was more of a fruit variety in the aroma. The taste still had its fair share of grapefruit, lemon, and orange. Following the fruits was a layer of pine. Once I got passed all of the citrus elements and pine, I found a tiny taste of toasted caramel malt. I would have though the citrus hops & fruits would have completely covered that up. After that the beer finished up with some floral notes. A very good taste, but my nose and eyes enjoyed this beer more than my tastebuds.

This was a medium bodied West Coast Style IPA that wasn't lacking in either carbonation or aftertaste. The aftertaste was full flavored and bitter with citrus hops, a select citrus fruits, pine, and floral notes. Like the head of foam, the aftertaste had nowhere to be so it stuck around. It will take about two glasses of water to rid your mouth of this nice bitter aftertaste.

Wow! What a beer. I've had 2 MBC beers so far and every one of them has been really good. They must be doing something right up there in Maine. Would I drink this again? I certainly would like another one! I would like to thank my good BA friend RCM505 for hooking me up with this winner.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 00:49:40 | More by AltBock

MarkIntihar

Michigan

4/5  rDev -8.7%

05-22-2013 13:34:51 | More by MarkIntihar

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3%

05-22-2013 13:13:30 | More by SpdKilz

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -3%

05-22-2013 00:53:16 | More by Onenote81

aslamm75

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -3%

05-22-2013 00:30:10 | More by aslamm75

scoot64

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

05-21-2013 22:53:17 | More by scoot64

Busker

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -8.7%

05-21-2013 18:02:07 | More by Busker

bahnfire

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev -3%

05-21-2013 13:51:59 | More by bahnfire