Lunch - Maine Beer Company

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

Hendry

Vermont

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I'm always perusing the Maine Beer Co section in my local shops in search of the legendary LUNCH, and a stop in to get some jumbo shrimp for the grill was my lucky day. Bottled 5/7/13, this batch is nice and fresh and doesn't have time to age on the shelf as they disappear quickly in multiples.

Pours a cloudy off orange with an enormous cloudy white 4 finger head on a pour straight down the middle of the glass. Lively carbonation.

Aromas are hop forward and become prominent with a bit of warming: subtle nose of orange blossoms, tangerine, ruby red grapefruit: this has a juicy vibe to it with some noted pine needles.

Taste is more bold than the nose, and plays out as either a huge IPA or an 1.5IPA with regard to strength and bitterness of the hops. Tropical orange flavors along with grapefruit and piney resins end up as almost sticky, yet the finish is dry, zesty hops resting at the back of the palate for a long bitter finish that is a requisite quality for a great IPA

Mouthfeel is medium to full, enormous for what is supposed to be an IPA. Drying grapefruit rind aftertaste builds as you make your way through the 16.9 oz bottle.

Overall, I'm very glad I bought 4 of these. LUNCH is a top notch IPA with a thoughtfully balanced hop wallop tempered with careful malt selection. There is a noted increase in enjoyment as it warms and works its charms on you.

Those that complain that LUNCH isn't available in 6 packs, or that is overpriced expect too much from small batch hand crafted Northern New England brewers. I've spent the same or more on bombers that were mediocre at best, so you have to pay up if you want the quality.
Highly recommended and worthy of the legendary reputation.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 04:48:58 | More by Hendry

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

54 day old bottle, poured into my Founders snifter.

Bright/hazy light peach/orange color. Poured lightly so not much of a head, but initially there is a about finger of crispy white fluff. Not much lacing at all. Color is just awesome though, and I don't necessarily believe it's a letdown without a huge head.

Hop citrus aromas seem a bit subdued. Nonetheless, there's grapefruit/orange and light lemon zest, with a bit of pine in there as well. As the beers warms up a bit, a slight floral situation reveals itself.

Citrus zest is most noticeable in the flavor. Less malty than other IPAs I am used to. But really this beer is all about the hop-forward citrus -- grapfruit, orange, some lemon, and maybe a bit of pine in there as well. Flowery session character to it as well.

Feels smooth up front, and crisp on the end. Dry but refreshing overall. But probably a bit too carbonated for me to session.

This is a solid IPA. Not my favorite, but very nice. Flavors and aromas open up as it warms. The one thing it lacks that I think is present in most IPAs and APAs I enjoy is sweetness. Would love to grab this fresher. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 22:48:18 | More by rodlavers

mahak213

New York

4.26/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

13 day old bottle into a FFF Teku-

Appearance- Really pretty, hazy, golden orange with a big, fluffy white head that leaves nice lacing around the glass.

Smell- Huge grapefruit, pine, and orange zest. Totally hop forward, with no real detectable malt presence.

Taste- Similar to the nose, tons of bitter grapefruit and orange. As it warms up I get a bit more sweetness and some peach flavors. Finishes with a big blast of pine

Mouthfeel- Carbonation is light, but present. Has a bit of a creamy feel to it, and a super dry finish.

Overall- I'm digging it, and glad I was able to get a super fresh bottle. I'll for sure be picking up another bottle next time it comes around.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 22:31:03 | More by mahak213

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 9/9/12... a little old.

Pour is a hazy golden orange with 2 fingers of light fluffy white head which lingers for a while.

Nose is moderately fragrant, with lots of resiny dry hops. Some soft hints of citrus and grapefruit.

Taste is very dry hop forward with a sticky flavor. Some subtle notes of citrus, but really just a lot of dry hop. Finish is a little more resin and sweetness.

Feel is pretty medium bodied with soft bite from the hops.

I like it. Definitely west coast style IPA with loads of dry hoppiness. Would like to try it fresher to see if there is more going on. Either way, really enjoyable, though pricey for the small format bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 00:15:04 | More by dheacck11

Sam21

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Purchased for $5.95 at Domaney's in Great Barrington, MA. Bottled on 3/26/13. Nice labeling with a simple approach. It says to drink within 90 days of the bottling date. This beer is a touch under a month and a half old.

A- Slightly hazy golden body with a great thick white cap of foam. Fantastic retention and vigorous lacing. It truly looks the part of a great IPA!

S- The nose is very expressive with heavy notes of freshly cut grapefruit. The juice notes burst from the glass. Spending a little more time in the glass, I am noticing orange, pineapple, and peach. It's a great balance of citrus, stone, and tropical fruit.

T- It's really hop forward on the palate with a big kick of grapefruit. Notes of peach and sweet caramel malt notes follow closely behind. There is a clean aspect to the sweetness, where I wish there was more of a caramel malt presence.The hops have a leafy character to them as well, which gives the fruit notes a nice edge. The hops in general carry a very fruity and citrusy bite and the overall profile is very clean in the way that the malt sweetness melts right into the peachy notes. It does not stand out on its own, but rather blends with the hops.

MF- Medium-bodied with light mouth-filling carbonation that surprisingly carries a creamy edge. There is a lack of viscosity that adds a wonderful thirst quenching edge.

O- This was a fantastic, clean, and heavily hopped IPA. The hop flavors were interesting, the clean malt backbone was a great change of pace, and I am glad I picked it up!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 02:05:08 | More by Sam21

cw577enfield

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at a local restaurant on 05/07/13

A: Golden orange hue, with two and half finger head. Left some sticky residue inside the glass when settled down.

S: Strong aroma, could pick up grapefruit, lemon, and tropical fruit. Very nice with this one.

T: Definitely hop-forward taste, bitterness comes at first, and sweetness follows at the end. Aftertaste will stay around for awhile...

M: Can be misleading from its appearance. While it looks thick and heavy, it doesn't give that impression via mouth-feel. Somewhat light and balanced drink. Grainy and hoppy flavor but light at the same time.

O: One of the best beers from Maine Company. While it's a strong hop-forward beer, it doesn't leave you feeling bitter and it will make you feel refreshed at the end. Very enjoyable beer and would suggest it to anyone.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2013 14:38:45 | More by cw577enfield

LSx

California

4.54/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very enjoyable IPA, lives up to their description as a great version of a West Coast IPA. My overall rating would have been higher if not for the hefty price tag, there's quite a few beers just as good or better even, that cost half of what this one does.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 21:01:49 | More by LSx

pmarlowe

California

4.18/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 032613. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a clear, orangish pale color with two fingers of off white head. Head is sticky, leaving generous lacing on the glass's wall and having excellent retention.

S: Delicate hop aroma with citrus and floral notes, a little malt.

T: Mild hoppiness and a little malt. There is a very light, integrated bitterness which provides some structure. Quite dry, with no alcohol evident. Nice, though a little lacking in flavor.

M: Soft, light carbonation and medium body. Creamy texture.

O: Light tasting and highly drinkable. So drinkable that it reminds me more of a pale ale than a 7% IPA. I could probably down a pitcher of this, and I don't say that often. That being said, the level of hoppiness and flavor is quite low.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:15:39 | More by pmarlowe

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle into tulip.

A - Deep golden, slightly hazy, with a titanic creamy white head.

S - Juicy tropical fruit, mango, peach and piney hops. Hints of sweet caramel and lemon citrus.

T - Lots of juicy, fresh hop flavors. Mango, pine, orange peel, and lemon. A light bready malt backbone lends a little sweetness. An earthy hop bitterness builds up and really kicks in during the finish.

M - Smooth and creamy, medium-full body. High carbonation, crisp, and refreshing. Dry finish.

O - This is an excellent IPA - very hoppy with superb drinkability. This bottle was only a few weeks old and was extremely fresh in both smell and taste. It definitely rivals most of the highly rated west coast IPA's out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 02:27:49 | More by mooseo

MCain04

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle courtesy of BostonRyan, much appreciated. Bottled 3/26/13, drank about 3 weeks fresh. Poured into a HF glass.

A: Opaque orange amber color with a nice 2+ finger head of great retention and lacing.

S: Great citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Orange, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, a little pine, very nice.

T: A lot of bitterness. Like the bottle says, definitely a bite to this beer. The hop flavors from the nose are present but subdued. No alcohol presence.

M: Moderate-high carbonation, medium body, dry finish.

O: Definitely enjoyed, probably wouldn't go too far out of the way for it, but it is a solid IPA from a solid brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:28:22 | More by MCain04

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.48/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - medium amber in color, like an organic honey, the pour brings up a pure white thin head, small amounts of slow carbonation

S - even though I am thoroughly congested, I can still lsmell the piney hops shine through. I can tell its a hop bomb.

T - yo hops!! Piney and bitter at its best! Splendidly one sided, all hops and glorious in its hoppiness. Some cloying, teasing, sweetness right at the end; but then the hops remind you whos show this is.

M&D&O - fantastic, an amzing great hop flavor. We need more craft brewers making IPA's like this to compete with the west coast to share the IPA respect.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:39:15 | More by sinstaineddemon

claspada

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 03/26/13, sampled 04/05/13.

Pours a clear light golden color topped by a very pillowy, soapy, white foam head that recedes to leave some sticky lacking.

Aromas begin with a ton of astrigent, juicy grapefruit with lesser blood orange, lemon peel and some light resinous pine. Some light pale malt sweetness in the background as it warms but the hops are the main deal here.

The tastes begin with more of the same, though the malt sweetness is a bit more evident. There is also some fruitier stone fruit hop flavors to join the super grapefruit and citrus forward hop profile.

The mouthfeel is a medium boided with medium/moderate carbonation. FInish is quite dry and has a pleasant amount of lingering bitterness.

Overall, this is just a reidiculously super great IPA, that I'm really glad I was able to try.
The only detraction is the value of the 500ml bottle for $8 plus tax. Is this exponentially better than the numerous amounts of hop-forward American IPAs, probably not, but amazing good and worth a try at least once. The price is worth while at least for one go around, same with Zoe from this brewery, but I can't say the others are worth the hefty investment.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 12:03:29 | More by claspada

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.26/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a pale golden yellow. 3 fingers Pillowy pearly white foam with lots of thick lacing sticking to the glass.

S - completely hop dominated. Lots of citrus, tropical fruit and floral notes. Fleshy orange pulp and sugar sprinkled grapefruit rind. Hints of pineapple and white pepper, maybe a touch of vanilla cake batter.

T - lightly doughy and cake like malt profile. Green leafy floral notes come in quickly followed by sweet and bitter citric notes. Flavors of bitter orange peel and sweet pineapple coat the pallet. Finish is lingers for quite some time.

M - light bodied closing in on medium. High carbonation.

O - great take on an IPA. This would be perfect for summertime

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:15:01 | More by Teleweizen2

B-Stein

Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured from a pint bottle into a tulip. Color is golden amber and very clear, ample ivory colored head that settles after a few minutes leaving nice lacing and a thin fluffy head around the edges of the glass.

S: Sharp citrusy notes jump out of the glass at first. After sitting a minute and smelling again aroma becomes a little catty (not bad), but definitely more dank now than citrus. Very hard to pick up, but also get some faint sweet notes from the malt, but unable to pick out specific malt characteristics.

T: If this was a wine it would be french; that is to say no one flavor component jumps out they all sing together very harmoniously showing a great deal of restraint. The malt is biscuity and couples well with the crisp carbonation. Finishes very, very clean almost like a lager, just a touch of bitterness lingers on the tongue.

M: Light/medium

O: This beer is much lighter in mouth feel and overall vibrato than I anticipated. It shows amazing restraint which pays off with complete balance. It is fresh and light, opposite again from what I would expect with a name like LUNCH. I am impressed and thoroughly enjoyed drinking this beer. I can see why some comments I've read say this beer is watery, it does feel light on your palate and depending upon your mood some beers will speak more to your taste. That said would I enjoy a lunch with just a bit more malt body sure, but I also can appreciate what has been crafted in this bottle. There are many BIG IPAs on the market so therefore I believe there is also a place for a well balanced well crafted refreshing IPA. Bottled on 3-26-13.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 22:10:19 | More by B-Stein

dar482

New York

4.81/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

I got this fresh 9 days out of the brewery. Brewed on March 23, 2013. It is bottle conditioned

It comes in a very pumpkin orange with a one finger fluffy, lingering head. Out of the bottle and pouring it, I could already smell the fresh aroma it has. Just a beautiful beer. Big lacing for an IPA.

The aroma is incredible and vibrant. Fresh orange, grapefruit, piney, fruity hops. There’s a bit of a malty backbone, but it really has this wonderful fresh aroma like Sculpin and Sucks. One of the best aromas from an IPA.

Wow, the flavor is great. It immediately has some characteristics that reminds me of Stone Enjoy By. There’s a huge pop of grapefruit peel and then it becomes tangerine and bitter orange. Then this perfectly balanced gentle maltiness cleans it up to help the finish. There’s this strong, but a good dry finish. Compared Stone Enjoy By’s lasts a bit too long and just lingers too much.

The top qualities of this beer are the aroma and its clean aftertaste. This is almost perfect. It really holds strong being up with some of the top West Coast IPAs. The bottle conditioning and hazy qualities gives this such a great body. It’s drinkable, but not watery. Just wonderful and one of the best IPAs I've had.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 06:32:48 | More by dar482

Greywulfken

New York

4.55/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: medium to deep gold beer in a pint, big-as-you-want-it off-white head; moderate lacing down the glass

S: lots of hops up the nose, with citrusy and piney Warrior, Amarillo, Centennial and Simcoe action

T: hop flavors are in line with aromas, suggestive of resin and grapefruit, with a balancing underbelly of pale malt sweetness

O: a very nicely weighted drink - not heavy or thick, but it isn't a brisk drink either - very balanced-feeling; wonderful bittering finish

O: I suppose this was the freshest beer I have ever consumed. Bottled: 3/26/13. Consumed: 4/3/13. Uh, let's not kid around here: This was an awesome beer. Any fan of beer owes it to themselves to drink a bottle of this beer. And quickly! lol

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:02:13 | More by Greywulfken

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.1/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle date 02/19/13 (5 weeks old) from the fridge @ Max's taphouse in Baltimore, MD

The beer pours a slightly hazy, rich golden yellow with a generous amount of fluffy white head that settles down into a thin blanketing. Even with >1 month of age on it the nose presents dank grapefruity hops with a good backbone sweetness. I can imagine what this beer would be with week-old freshness. The taste is initially grainy & sweet, but then the juicy/bitter hops kick in and create a savoring/balanced APA. The potent grapefruit in the nose and taste do not translate into the mouthfeel, which has more grainy sweetness and subtle, non-lingering bitterness as an afterthought. I taste more of a lingering graininess than hoppiness. It could afford to ferment out more sugars to dry out the finish. This beer is very distinctly hoppy, although more grainy than hoppy in the taste/mouthfeel, and could afford a bit more attenuation.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 01:45:40 | More by ThePorterSorter

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lookin' for the East Coast equivelent to Pliny the Elder? I found it in Maine Beer Lunch!

Opening with a bright glowing, burnt orange color- Its hazy "hop" appearance sprinkles in a few currents of yeast that float into the the ale as the pour concludes. A firmly cream-textured head tops the beer like ivory meringue and holds its creamy texture until the last sip, leaving rich islands of lace in its wake.

Bold and zesty aromas of citrus hops overshaddow anything malt or yeast related. Grapefruit peels, freshly zested oranges, pineapple, lemongrass, and pine needles show a juicy and dry scent all at once. Low lying candy-ish malts never really announce its grain character, but rather give a riper presence to the impressions of fruit.

The beer's dry taste starts slightly juicy and vividly ripe with tropical and citrus fruit. But the beer has no problem shedding its malt sweetness in order to show supreme favoritism to hop flavor at middle palate and sharp citrusy bitterness to finish. Nearly teeth-grinding, the fruit impressions from hops are mouthwatering and succulent all at once. A quick and clean fade to dry bitterness of pine resins and citrus oils close the beer with a confident refreshing taste of citrus peels.

As with taste, the beer's texture starts with a short-lived sweet creaminess from early malt taste and racy carbonation. But the beer soon throws the malt and carbonation to the wayside and celebrates a bone-dry mouthfeel that celebrates hop bitterness, light alcohol warmth, and sheer drinkability.

With medium complexity and simple succulence, the beer is remarkably hop-balanced, dry, and clean- giving the ale a unique and clear near-perfect demeanor from the initial sip 'til its deeply resinous finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 03:20:20 | More by BEERchitect

ScottieD

Connecticut

4.7/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle dated 2/19/13 poured into a Lagunitas Large Mouth glass

A: Hazy orange with excellent carbonation, good fluffy white head, and excellent lacing.

S: Big citrus notes with floral hop aroma.

T: Wonderful notes of grapefruit and tangerine combined with a nice hop balance finishing off with a good bitterness. This is not an unbelievably hoppy beer, but the hop is well balanced and finishes nice and bitter with the bitterness lingering. The citrus notes certainly dominate here with no real malt taste to be found. Deceivingly easy to drink.

M: Balanced. Feels medium bodied with excellent carbonation and a dry, bitter finish.

O: A winner for Maine Brewing. This is Plinyesque in its ease to drink. While not a hop bomb, it does a great job of balancing citrusy flavor, hop, and bitterness. I found it be extremely enjoyable and would recommend it unequivocally.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:41:38 | More by ScottieD

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

bottled 11.18.12. poured into a snifter.

A: pretty hazy brew, but I it bounced around a bit on the ride home. very thick tightly bubbled head. retention is great. slightly off-white. tons of thick lacing.

S: I could smell hops as soon as I popped the cap. lots of pine. the citrus is definitely a bit muted. a little oxidized.

T: very piney. very floral, a little bit of rose water. grapefruit is there, but definitely more on the earthy pine side of the flavor wheel. a sizeable amount of grain sweetens things out a bit. slight oxidation follows onto the palate.

M: mouthfeel is great. a vibrant carb on a medium/full body.

D: even with the bottle conditioning, they aren't fucking around with the consume within 90 days from the stamped on date. there is a slight oxidation that takes it down a peg for me. bummer. however, ill keep my eyes peeled for a fresher bottle and try again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 00:20:42 | More by Jimmys

HopChef44

Massachusetts

4.64/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Tasted this one on tap in Portland Maine and had to have some more so I got some bottles. This review is from a fresh 16.9 oz. bottle.

A: Poured into a wine glass and got an awesome three finer head. Nice rich orange color with a somewhat unfiltered look.

S: Maybe the best part of this beer. Nice clean, hoppy, citrus smell that you want more and more of.

T: Big citrus hop flavor with some bitter notes. Really clean and refresshing.

M: Mouthfeel was smooth and crisp. Easy to drink.

O: Overall I love this beer. Makes me proud to be a Mainer. Currently my favorite IPA...glad I have a case in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 01:49:15 | More by HopChef44

Damian74Shensky

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

bottle served in pilsner glass

Thank You KangarooAdam59!

A: Orange color with 3 finger head,retained well, lacing everywhere.

S: Wow! best part of beer, hops, citrus, more hops.

T: citrus, orange rind. Tons of hops.

M: Light body, medium carbonation, easy drinking beer.

O: Top notch beer, taste like a west coast. Taste great would get again!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 01:08:25 | More by Damian74Shensky

teromous

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle date 021913 (19FEB2013)

A: Slightly hazy, light pumpkin-orange color with loads of carbonation shooting to a very fluffy white head. The head is extremely fluffy and large, and leaves loads of lacing.

S: I get a lot of citrus, with some grapefruit and a tangerine-like scent. There is some very faint pine resin scent in the background as well. Mostly this consists of citrus scent.

T: There is mild perceived bitterness in the flavor. It's probably a lot stronger than I taste, but there is very little hop flavor to drive the bitterness home. The flavor is very faint and mostly woody. There is a tad of pine flavor, but again it isn't that strong. Some mild caramel sweetness creeps out after the bitterness starts to fade in the mouth. There is a slight carbonic flavor that comes through as well.

M: The mouthfeel is very dry. It also feels a bit astringent but I wouldn't call it unpleasant...just there. Good carbonation, which helps it pop in the mouth.

O: Overall I thought the beer had good bitterness and a great appearance. I wish it had more actual hop flavor to marry with the bitterness. For an American IPA, I would expect to see more presence in the beer instead of just blatant bitterness. There was also a strange (what tastes to me) carbonic flavor that was off-putting. I'm on the fence about recommending the beer...it's good but I think it could be matched or beat by many of the other IPA varieties on the market. I probably won't by it again, given the available alternatives.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 16:54:30 | More by teromous

nootch23

Massachusetts

4.59/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.75

Grabbed a bottle that was just over a week old. One of my favorite IPAs out there.

S - The smell was everything you could ask out of an IPA, filled with floral and citrus with traces of pine. Great smelling beer.

T - right off the bat you're hit with the citrus flavor that pretty much dominates. The hop bitterness is there and goes down really easy. The taste of this bottle was a little more bitter than what I remember but it might have something to do with the freshness. I can't recall how fresh the other bottles I've had were. Very light tasting and not filling at all, just refreshing.

M - this beer is easy to drink and leaves a dry finish for me. The bitterness stays with you well after a sip. Doesn't leave a bad aftertaste, just a florally, citrusy one.

O- Like I said before, this is one of my favorite IPAs and I really look forward to it's release. Even though this bottle was a little more bitter than what I remember, it still didn't take any enjoyment out from drinking it. This is definitely a must buy whenever and if ever you come across it. This brewer knows they have a dependable recipe for this IPA and continues to make it great.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 18:40:55 | More by nootch23