MO - Maine Beer Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours orange bodied with a lasting bubbly off white head. Great smell, grapefruit and oranges. Smooth mouthfeel, great drinkability, creamy. Very tasty orange creamy good hoppyness. The proof is in the taste and this is an excellent American pale. From Capone's Restaurant.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:39:49 | More by northyorksammy

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to chowdahead for sending this bottle out my way. Served in a Maine Beer wine glass.

Pours a clear light apricot color with a nice white head and a pretty good ring of white lace as the head falls. Good cap and collar throughout.

The nose carries some faint tropical fruits and a bit of citrus. Light mango. Just a touch of pale malt lingering in the background for some depth. The flavor has the same elements with a bit of orange peel sneaking in. Nice and light. Light body with crisp carbonation and a slightly-bitter dryness through the finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 00:33:45 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

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

At the time of this review, this is #11 on the "Top Beers - American Pale Ale" list on beeradvocate.com. This beer is far better than everyone told me so. Shame on all of you for not liking beer. Served with sediment (sorry Maine). Beer is yellow and amber with a yeast based haze, nice one finger / two finger tight white head, small bubbles. Lots of lacing, decent retention.

Aroma is very hoppy, fruity, floral, strong aroma, a little biscuit.

The hops are a little clashy on the palate, there is simultaneously a strong fruity hoppy sense with this other pine hop flavors, they don't play well really well but it is still a good beer. I'd ditch the pine hops and just make a second pale ale with those hops. Beer is medium to light in body, moderately bitter at the back, a good beer, minimal malt character, no sweetness. I'd have this again. Especially on draft.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 13:33:27 | More by drabmuh

metter98

New York

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very hazy amber-yellow in color. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that has good retention properties and never completely faded away.
S: There are moderate to strong aromas of citrusy hops in the nose—grapefruit really stands out in particular.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has lots of flavors of grapefruit along with some hints of tropical fruits. A light amount of bitterness is present.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied and slightly smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has lots of hoppy aromas and flavors like an IPA but is very to drink since it is an APA.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 01:58:06 | More by metter98

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Happy to have a chance to try another brew from these folks.

Looks good on the pour. Nice citrus nose. Good punch on the mouth, in a refined way. That's how I would define this beer: refined. It's not overdoing it just for the sake of things. Carbonation is a bit much and biting. But overall a very nice drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 21:07:51 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Large, frothy near-white head that settles in a dome-like fashion. Cloudy liquid with a gold to amber color. Sports spots of chunky lace on the glass.

Fresh evergreen and grapefruit hop aroma with a touch of pineapple. Appealing.

Slight fruitiness initially. Dry bitterness takes over quickly and is particularly tingly on the tongue. Exceptionally long bitter aftertaste. The body leans on the richer side while the carbonation is as expected.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 22:03:13 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4.23/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to portia99 for this brew.

Pours a very nice slightly hazy golden yellow color, nice carbonation, with a very nice one-finger plus white creamy head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, slight malt blend, citrus, and some pine notes. The taste is very nice hoppy, a little malts thrown in, nice citrus and slight pine note. Medium body, with a nice dry/bitter finish. Overall a very nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 23:13:52 | More by Wasatch

mdfb79

New York

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 01/06/12 notes. Not sure of the exact date but was told this was almost a 2 month old bottle. Shared by WheretheWildBeersGo; thanks Joey!

a - Pours a clear orange-yellow color with one inch of bright white head and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, tropical fruits, pine hops, grapefruits, and some fruity malts. Nice nose, lots of fruits and citrus to it.

t - Tastes of grapefruit, citrus hops, pine hops, tropical fruits, fruity malts, floral hops. Tiny bit of bitterness but almost none at all. More grapefruit here and less tropical fruit than the nose.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty easy to drink and almost no bitterness for a hoppy beer.

o - Overall I thought this was a good beer, but like all Maine Beer Co. beers, make sure you check the bottled daye before buying their stuff in NYC or it might be months old. This one holds up much better than 2-3 month old bottles of Peeper and Zoe, but I get the feeling this could be great if you got it super fresh. Still a lot of nice fruit and citrus and something I'd certainly revisit if I saw a fresh bottle/it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 16:17:05 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 2/23/12, gotta love when they date the bottle. Pours a big fluffy 2+ finger fluffy pasty white head that fades pretty slowly with some soapy and fluffy big thick lacing, over semi clear honey darker orange colored beer.

Nose is somewhat like peeper if I remember correctly, fresh hops, bit of resinous fresh hop aroma, very slight hints of tropical fruit, peach, grapefruit that disappear after the first couple sniffs, then slight pine and even touch grassy with some earthy hop aromas. THen just a touch of a malty base that props up the hops, with a hint of caramel or another reddish malt.

Taste starts with a light pale ale flavor, some sweet malts start it off, with a hint of caramel and toasty reddish malts, and almost syrupy. THen the hops kick in with a decent bitterness, pretty average bitterness for an APA, with some spicy hops, hint of resinous fresh hop, not really any tropical fruit this time and no real citrus either, but I do get a hint of apricot like fruit. THe malts break through again to add another wave of toasty malts. Then the finish dries quite a bit, but leaves a slight sticky malt feel, and a decent hop bitterness with some grassy, slight spicy and earthy hops.

Mouth is med bodied, good carb.

Overall not bad, def not their best beer so far. It's more like an amber than APA with the amount of malty flavors in it, esp the reddish toasty malts. THe hops aren't quite what I was expecting either, but all in all a decent tasty beer that is worth a try. I would like to try this again on tap and see if it changes, like Peeper did.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 23:27:43 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

16.9oz bottle purchased as a single from Spirit Haus, Amherst, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 1 3/4" white head over the clear golden amber brew. Head rises and lasts above the rim, with coating lasting lace. Aroma is a little skanky hops, citrus and pine.

Taste is sweet pale malts to start, citrus in the middle, with ample pine through the close. Mouthfeel is so smooth, and drinkability is great. Price is somewhat prohibitive for an APA, but if I don't think about when I'm drinking, it's so good that it's all worth it.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 22:04:22 | More by ppoitras

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

On tap. Pours a burnt golden orange in the glass with a ½ finger of bright-white head. This stay smooth and creamy looking, leaving back a robust smattering of lacing behind. Smells fresh and floral with a little dankness and pine mixed in. Lot of juicy tropical fruit notes. Taste has a zesty grapefruit bitterness with a resinous finish. Sticky notes of fruit, herbal flavors and neutral malt sweetness do a tremendous job of balancing and adding extra flavor to this. The mouthfeel is medium with a firm and sharp feel in the mouth which is undercut by just the right amount of creaminess. This was really nice. An APA with a good bit of aggressive to it yet was still extremely well balanced, with those tropical passion fruit flavors in particular really standing out. Well worth checking out.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 12:39:49 | More by Kegatron

corby112

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a slightly cloudy, pale golden orange color with a 2.5 finger frothy, pillowy white head that has great retention, only slowly fading into a lasting ring. Large chunks of soapy lacing left behind.

Dank, juicy hop aroma that's bursting with tropical and citrus fruit notes which are countered by a floral, grassy presence and some pale malt. Slightly piney and earthy along with some orange peel, mango, papaya and grapefruit. Subtle bread like yeast and biscuity malt. Smells great!

Medium bodied with dry, sticky hop bitterness that lingers over the sweeter notes and pale malts into a dry finish. There's a decent amount of tropical/citrus sweetness but it isn't as prominent as the nose suggests. More of an earthy/floral character than expected overpowering hints of pineapple, orange peel and grapefruit. Decent malt backbone but it doesn't hinder the hop flavors, giving off hints of biscuit and cracker. Well balanced, flavorful and easy to drink but could use a bit more sweetness for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 08:22:59 | More by corby112

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out like a standard good pale ale should: copper, white head, about 7/8" in height. Aroma was mostly Cascade and C hops I'd venture to guess. Balanced in the way of bitterness and hop aroma aside from straight bitter.

Taste, fractional crystal/caramel malt, solid hopping, not bracing bitterness, solid body, but not an in your face kind of way. Really good mouthfeel that doesn't get old, nice and delicate breadiness that is subtle, allowing the hops to come across. Minorly grassy and grapefruity. Pretty dry throughout. Another winner as far as I'm concerned from the Maine brewing company.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 20:41:59 | More by Beerandraiderfan

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.21/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Capones the other night.

The beer pours an attractive golden amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is also quite attractive in this beer, as I pick up light wet tobacco, dry citrus, white pepper, light tropical fruit and a hint of pine. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this well crafted pale ale, and I appreciate the amount of flavor it delivers in a (relatively) low alcohol beer. This pale ale is very much on the dry side, with a light, crisp, bitter finish. Alcohol is barely noticeable in this delicious, medium bodied (at most) pale ale, and so drinkability is excellent.

Maybe not quite up there with zombie dust and bone-a-fide, but nevertheless, this is an excellent, well made pale ale. I just wish it were available where I live!

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 15:00:32 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Pinocchio's, Media, PA

Poured a hazy golden orange with a delicate white head; moderate retention and lacing. Aroma is hop-dominant, with scents of fresh citrus. More of the same in the taste, loads of fresh juicy citrus hops, floral notes, orange, passionfruit, light caramel sweetness. Light and crisp, medium body, very drinkable. Another MBC success.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2012 15:12:49 | More by Rifugium

plaid75

New York

3.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On draft at The Black Sheep, Mineola, NY.

Poured a hazy dark straw hue with a one finger frothy white cap. There was Goid retention and lacing.

The smell featured balmy tropical fruit aromas, with a touch of pine.

The taste consisted of thick and resinous waves of apricot, mango and pine atop a chewy muddled pale malt.

The mouthfeel was full with a low level carbonation and lingering hop spice.

Overall a balmy hop bomb that lulls the palate to sleep with the dulling body.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2013 23:17:01 | More by plaid75

Brad007

Vermont

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a bright golden color with amber hues and a thin head into my glass. Bright and a bit cloudy at the same time.

Light and fluffy with a splash of citrus upfront. A touch of pine lingers underneath and there appears to be a good malt background to tie everything together.

Citrus and pine notes carry over to the flavor, contributing to a mild bitterness that caresses the tongue.

That same bitterness lingers in a reduced capacity. The carbonation is strong and sticks around afterward, which to me is unwanted. I'd prefer it to fade completely.

A decent pale ale that is well worth checking out....fresh that is (if you read the bottle). It certainly shows but the carbonation bothers me. Then again, it could just be me and not the beer itself. Another solid offering from MBC!

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 03:24:30 | More by Brad007

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a snifter. Bottle stamp is 8/12/12 which puts this at about 3 months old. I threw this in the fridge and consumed it within 24 hours of seeing it for the first time on a shelf. I really wish I could get at least one of these hoppy Maine Beer Co bottles fresher... The brew appears a hazed golden copper with 2 fingers worth of yellowish stained froth. The cap slowly fades leaving thick patches of lace sticking to the glass. Rising bubbles of carbonation maintain just shy of a finger throughout the entire duration.

The aroma contains hop character smelling somewhat zesty like orange. Hints of herbal components are also present with a soft grainy character and mild hint of cheese. The malt is bready and brings with it a hint of sweetness that uplifts the fruited quality of hops that at this point are also started to smelling a bit perfume-like and floral.

The flavor has plenty of hop attributes tasting of the previously described orange zest and minor accenting grapefruit appeal. A hint of cheese and sulfur blend with a cheesy note. The malt is present with a toasty to bready or biscuit quality that while maybe focused a bit more than I would like, is still fitting and appealing in the style. As the brew warms up, the hop aspect really draws into more of an herbal quality with a touch of grass.

This is a medium to lighter bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation that is effervescent yet it is soft enough on the tongue to not distract and help move the flavors across the tongue. The 6% abv is very well integrated and overall this is a pretty solid pale ale. Again, I can only image that this brew is pretty awesome the fresher it is. Since this is the freshest I have been able to get one, I can only call it as it is. It is good and I would certainly drink it again if the opportunity arose. No questions asked if it was fresher than 3 months old of course.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:56:24 | More by stakem

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to Hollie for this one! I could instantly smell the citrus when I cracked it.

Poured into chalice. Pours a finger of off white head. Good retention with a lot of sticky lace. Color is a hazed dull golden orange.

Aroma: A massive amount of hops and citrus. Grapefruit, oranges, and clementimes. I get some floral hops and a light amount of caramel with some bready malts.

Taste: Very citrusy to start things out. All kinds of fruits. Grapefruit, oranges, and maybe some blood orange. Some bready malts with a caramel sweetness that shoes up in the backgound. Floral and earthy hops.

Mouthfeel: Bitter and sweet. Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Ends sticky.

Overall, this was a great APA. I have been impressed 2 out of 2 times with this brewery. Their hoppy stuff is legit. Very flavorful and very drinkable. This is right up there with TH APAs for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 01:52:19 | More by mothman

smakawhat

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Thanks Toasterchef!!

What a perfectly forming uniform off white head on the pour, large, but settles nicely in due time, the bubbles are practicaly on forming all the same perfect size. A gorgeous nearly clear but a little hazy bronze and brass gold. Shining and shimmering.

What a great soft hop smell on this with a cushy malt. Fruit basket citrus, and great crispy bready toast. Malt dry character takes over, boy this feels like something good is coming.

The palate gets hit and I notice a bit of wetness. Even for a pale ale this is still I find a bit watery, but then the flavors hit so perfectly. An easy toasty whole wheat bread, crisp hop tasting and faint citrus, then eventually some apricot. Afterfinish on this is LOOOOooong, but not like an IPA but just a good solid pale ale. Previous sips jam the nose citrus angle slowly.

I am just blown away by how good this brewery makes beer. Just another solid offering regardless of mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 21:55:21 | More by smakawhat

FosterJM

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1645th Review on BA
Bottle to City Beer Store Tulip
500ml

Bottled 9-16-12
Thanks to Thegerm87 for this one

App- A dark orange with some yellow running throughout. A bit clear with a 2 finger of pure white head that just stays put as the beer falls. Huge webbing and cling. Not as good as Peeper but close.

Smell- A nice soft but assertive aromatic profile. This has a large amount of tropical citrus but yet retains a good hop note with only a touch of bitter and a bit of malt backbone.

Taste- Taste the follows the nose but just tastes a little better. This is a bit more in line with a bigger "Hoppy Birthday" from Alpine. or a "Zombie Dust" from FFF. A good amount of flavors but just brewed a bit bigger. Floral, Citrus, a little bitter. with some good tropical notes and a balanced pine flavor.

Mouth- Medium bodied and medium carbonation. A very clean profile. Residual flavors are of piney hops and tinges of citrus.

Drink- Just a very good beer. Right on par with ZD and Hoppy Birthday in the hoppy pale ale category. Super refreshing. Would love more of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 17:10:33 | More by FosterJM

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.09/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Prime 16 served in a ¾ pint glass. Why is a 6% APA not in a full pint? Hmm…

A: Very lightly hazed pale amber body, with a finger of dense, pillowy white head. Terrific retention and lace. Excellent.

S: Floral hops dominate, with some light fruity and honey notes as well. Fairly light, very fresh. Enjoyable.

T: Follows the nose at first, with bright floral hoppiness dominating the front and middle; toward the finish the honeyed malt comes into play with a bit of biscuity sweetness ahead of a cleanly bitter aftertaste. Hop-forward but still balanced. Simple and very tasty.

M: Light-bodied and highly carbonated. A bit too thin and bubbly, but not bad for the style.

O: Very good APA, and well-worth the $3.50 price at happy hour - even for a 12oz glass. It's nowhere near amazing enough to justify the price of bottles, though. If this came in a $10 sixpack I’d be all over it.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2013 22:12:41 | More by woosterbill

Durge

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clear light amber color with lots of tiny bubbles racing skyward and a very healthy eggshell colored head and an undeniable wall of lacing. The aroma is a beautiful, delicate floral-citrus combo and a touch of biscuit...simple and classy. The flavor is a bit more bready but continues to offer a brisk, herbal citrus medley. Lemon and toasted grains, floral edges, perhaps a bit of oak. This is a solid but light bodied brew with a tingly, lively feel. Very enjoyable and highly drinkable. A picnic must!

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-25-2012 18:23:54 | More by Durge

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange in color that glows when held up to the light, there is also some light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation near the surface of the beer at the edges of the glass. The beer has a half finger tall creamy light beige head that reduces to very thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Strong aromas of tropical fruit hops - combination of passionfruit, guava, peach, and mango. Lighter amounts of citrus and grapefruit hops with some caramel malts.

T: The beer has a solid caramel malt backbone with some light sweetness but not too strong in flavor and it does not overpower the hops flavors. There are some really nice hop flavors in this beer with the strongest being tropical fruits - peach, mango, and passionfruit. Very light notes of grapefruit + citrus hops. Light to moderate bitterness but not overly agressive, it lingers slightly.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: This beer is incredibly enjoyable - a delicious aroma and flavor that is very enticing. Wonderful tropical hops. I found this beer easy to drink and not too strong in ABV making it very easy to drink - I would enjoyable sitting back and having a couple of these.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 21:28:03 | More by dbrauneis

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

022312 on the label.
In an imperial pint glass the beer was amber colored with a thick white head and a lot of lace.

Hoppy aroma. Grassy and piney, a little bit of citrus. Some sweet malt.

Hops at the forefront in the taste. Mostly piney and grassy hops, but there was a bit of grapefruit there too. Nice biscuity background.

This was a hoppy, but not overly hoppy, beer. Very pleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 10:40:27 | More by lordofthewiens