Local Harvest Ale - Sebago Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of the sebago collection I recieved from my good friend Matt up north. Decided to do the vertical/horizontal/ whatever it is of all of them. Poured into a pint glass,lol.

Poured a brilliant and hazy cloudy pale amber with a huge billowing white sicky frothy head. Great retention and fantastic side glass lace. This was about the best a pale ale could look in my book. Top notch appearence for sure. Smell was somewhat hoppy with a light floral bouquet that was balanced against an earthy grain and a touch of sugar. The taste was just where its at. A deep rich and sweet orange hop just rolled over the tongue, nothing too btter but nicely melded with a cereal grain like back, giving it a very smooth very easy to drink profile.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 17:19:26 | More by mikesgroove

brentk56

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with the kind of head that fresh hops will inspire; splashy lacing drips down the side of the pint glass

Smell: Candied citrus, floral in tone

Taste: Biscuity malt mixed with ruby red grapefruit, up front, and it just stays that way through to the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Awfully close to an IPA, this is an APA just like I like it - refreshing and well-balanced, with nice hoppy tones and not too much malt

Thanks, Bendurgin, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 01:34:08 | More by brentk56

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Acquired from svosie, so a big "Thank You" goes out to her. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

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

S: The aroma contains fruity citrus, caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out with an almost candy-like sweetness from flavors of caramel and citrus up front. Then a hearty malt character comes in along with a strong but not over-powering hops presence creating a very good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

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

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, not the best APA that I've had but it's a solid beer worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 23:25:00 | More by TheManiacalOne

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very nice rocky head that is two fingers thick. Very cloudy. Dark amber color. Spotty, but sticky, lace on the glass after each sip.

Great balance of malt and hop, although the smell is quite mild. Light sweetness.

This is a bitter APA, but the malt starts the taste. I like the fruitiness of the beer. It has a subtle sweetness that is subdued by the hop bitterness. The body is solid with a higher than expected. For a beer that emphasizes the hop (at least by the picture on the bottle), this has a nice malty presence. I like the balance of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 22:42:39 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to ybnorml for this brew.

22oz. Bomber

Pours a very nice cloudy dark golden orange/amber color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger plus creamy off-white head, with some thick/creamy sticky lacing afterwards. The nose is slightly malty, with some hops, slight chocolate. The taste is malty, sweet, hoppy, bitter, a touch of chocolate/caramel. Medium body, the finish is bitter/dry. Drinkable, this is a very tasty brew, glad I'm having one.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-26-2009 20:51:36 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two finger cream head that fades slowly, leaving a good lace. Cloudy light amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Light hops and caramel nose. Flavor is mild caramel and hops, dry, lingering bitter aftertaste. $2.75 for a 12oz bottle from Bert's Better Beers Hooksett, NH.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

11-24-2010 23:42:17 | More by jdhilt

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A fluffy 1/2 finger head rises up and fades semi quickly over super hazy darker orange-red copper color, with plenty of yeast floating around hazing up the joint.

Nose brings a yeasty aroma at first, quite a bit of yeast actually. Under that is some light malts, some spicy floral hops, a hint of a fruit like an apricot or similar fruit, and just a general overall bitter like aroma.

Taste luckily has very little of the yeast. It's still there, but nothing like the nose brought. The taste brings a nice hoppy bitterness at first, some spicy and little earthy bitter hops. Some light malty flavors under that. The bitterness builds too as it goes. However, the yeast also grows with it and is starting to get a little dominant. Finishes with a pretty good dryness, and some slightly astringent bitterness, as the hops really dominate the finish. A nice spicy hop character, with a mostly clean finish. The yeast doesn't come through on the finish, and the hops really overpower anything else that would be there.

Mouth is medium to lighter bodied with good carbonation.

Drinkability would be better without that nagging nasty yeast all over this beer. It has a nice dry finish, hops hit quite a bit but don't over do it, and no real sticky finish, pretty clean... all except that stupid yeast. What's with that guys? DId you use the wrong yeast? Did you forget to let it finish attenuating before bottling? This would be a really nice beer if it wasn't for that yeast destroying it. If I find it again, or on tap, I'll give it another shot.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

11-04-2010 20:32:56 | More by jlindros

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -39.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark coppery ruby/amber color with dark golden amber hues when held to a light source and a 1.5 finger frothy off-white head with good retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap that leaves chunks of soapy lacing.

Aroma is a lot maltier than I expected with some toasty caramel, biscuit and chocolate malts. Slight earthy citrus hops with hints of pine. Kind of weak for a Harvest Ale. The malt profile is just too strong and completely kills the hop aroma.

Earthy dry piny hops with some subtle notes but the pleasantness of this flavor is instantly killed by way too strong of a malt backbone. Hell, it's not even a backbone at this point because it is the dominant flavor. Roasted chocolate and caramel malt with hints of biscuit, hazelnut and toffee. The hops that are present aren't very floral and don't taste very fresh at all. Not a good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

11-01-2009 05:09:26 | More by corby112

smakawhat

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle pours an off white two finger head. Dark copper/brown, with flakes... there are flake chunks in my APA... uh... not appetizing looking there is this from a muddy river bottom or something??? Very cloudy as well, with some very good soild BIG monster lacing.

Smell is a faint grapefruit and small malts, and a certain sweet orange/tangerine thing going on. Ok this is improving considerably.

Taste is quite good, with a good chew malt and hops, and fruit sweet balance. Nice body and hop finish with a sweet fruit and bitter hop bite. This is actually quite good but it is a really bad looking beer and makes you think the worst is coming but it isn't at least out of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-27-2010 17:04:16 | More by smakawhat

Durge

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A dark tea color with orange highlights. It has a modest white cover with solid lacing served cold in a tulip glass at the South Portland brewpub. I pick up cherry malt biscuit at first sniff, politely sweet and almost soda-like but intriguing with a vague hint of piney hop. The flavor comes on with nothing like the aroma, but it's good. Malty grass hops, a bit tart, bright and clean. In time the hops show some complexity, maybe herbal or pine hints. The malt is steady with some brown bread sweetness, hickory honey, but the hops ultimately shine above all else. A pleasant surprise. It's finely carbonated for a mid-body lively feel and is reasonably drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-11-2009 06:31:18 | More by Durge

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at a beer fest, then found a bomber at Tully's. Nice beer. A hazy red/orange with a tan head and a fair amount of lacing. Aroma of citrus, flowers, and malt. Same taste: pine, some grapefruit, and malt. Perhaps a little too much malt, but still a good beer to drink.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

11-01-2009 12:16:05 | More by lordofthewiens

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice golden amber with dense cap of white froth, good lacing. Scent is balanced between the fresh cereal grain and light caramel malt backbone and light citrus, pine and floral hops... overall quite earthy. Taste follows suit, very earthy and grainy malt profile and the hops balance those out without really staring in the brew. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, dry and grainy on the palate. A decent, fresh tasting pale that could have used a little more umph.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

10-10-2011 13:56:56 | More by rfgetz

argock

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Bukowski's Tavern (Boston, MA) for $6.50 for 12oz. tulip.

A: Pleasant orange-amber with thin cap of off-white head and a few incomplete lace rings.

S: Hoppy with orange and grapefruit tones being strongest but also some light grassy and pine notes. The malts are pale/crystal without much depth.

T: Orange, grapefruit, and pine come on strongest with and a light spiciness. The malt sweetness is dull and one-dimensional frankly.

M: Because the malting is inadequate the feel is similarly light and underwhelming. The aftertaste is pleasantly hoppy with little bitterness but a lot of citrus and spice.

D: I'm glad I tried it but it was one and done for me because of the lack of body and depth.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

11-07-2009 19:24:14 | More by argock

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #34 (Nov 2009):

Hops grown in Maine, used from the mash to the fermenters.

Hazed amber glow with some stellar lacing action going on as rings of lace stick to the glass after every sip. Smells of sangría, passion fruit, tangerines and a hint of taffy. Oily medium body lets the palate know that a heavy hand of hops were used to make this brew. Mild hop coarseness throughout, the bitterness is up there, but the flavor definitely draws the most attention, with lemongrass, cigar tobacco, wildflowers and grapefruit rind. There is a small center of malt base here, and if the taste buds are not completely masked, that base does come forward for a brief moment. Long, hoppy finish.

High marks for bringing hop flavor to new heights, lordy be, this is an amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

01-03-2011 15:22:30 | More by BeerAdvocate

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 12 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on November 12, 2011. The pour is a medium to darker amber with a long lasting but thin head. Good lacing left on the bottle. The aroma is vibrant with earthy hops and definitive dose of wild raspberries or black raspberries along with light pale malts. The body is about medium and smooth. The hops tend to be more powerful in the taste as the wild berries take a more subtle back seat. I found it to be a rather enjoyable harvest ale.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

11-12-2011 21:04:35 | More by puboflyons

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from the fridge.

Pours hazy, dark copper with a beige, tight head of a half inch. A slow retreat revealed plenty of stringy lacework and a solid foam cap.

Aromatics lead off with plump malt, chewy caramel, fresh dew, and some faint, dank hops. Mildly piney with mossy undertones.

Medium bodied with a crisp, chewy mouthfeel.

Doughy malt, cocoa-dusted caramel, and a mild bitterness start the palate. Hints of pine bark and leafy hops try to pull through but the malt base is a bit heavy.

Finishes with lingering malt, chocolate, and a kiss of grassy citrus.

Just a bit of wet-hop character here, and the hopping in general is fairly subdued for a harvest ale. Less maltiness may have helped the hops shine through.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

10-20-2009 23:19:43 | More by brewandbbq

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a hazy dark copper color. Head is mostly white with a tan undertone. Head is small and creamy. It slowly dies off to a thin plate of froth. The head leaves consistent lacing sheets.

S-Smell is not very intense and mostly balanced. It an attractive nose. Caramel malt and solid-enough notes of grassy and floral hops. The hop presence is solid enough to hold my interest.

T-The flavor is better. Hops outmuscle the malt (only slightly). Hoppy, lingering flavors of grass, flower petals and pine with lighter citrus and even some soapy notes are all detectable. The malt is sweet and doughy. Maybe a hint of toffee? The flavors match up well.

M-Medium bodied with buzzing carbonation. Feels a bit creamy. Bitterness is medium-high and lasts for a while.

O/D-My favorite Sebago offering. I enjoyed the balance and the surprising hoppiness that arrives during first sip. A pretty tasty Harvest Pale. Also, although I had it on-tap, I love the bottle art too.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

10-17-2012 22:35:24 | More by VelvetExtract

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Mikro in Hamden, Conn.

A: Medium-dark, copper amber body with a two-finger head of creamy tan foam which left some decent lacing and showed good retention.

S: Floral, herbal and pungent hop aroma mixed with toasted grain and caramel.

T: Sweet and medium-roasted caramel and toffee malt flavors up front with a growing, grassy, herbal bitterness towards the middle. Finishes dry, peppery and bitter with a bit of skunky flavor.

M: Medium-full bodied and pretty smooth and creamy, albeit with a slight grainy touch in the finish.

D: I suppose I was spoiled when I had this brew on cask at the 2010 Brass City Brew Fest and was a little disappointed with this more homogenized offering. Not a bad, slightly higher ABV APA, but I'd tread richer waters if given the option.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

11-19-2010 01:10:49 | More by Gambrinus1184

number1bum

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Finished my last of this 4 pack last night. This was a very strange fresh hop ale. Strangest I've ever had. I would call it a sort of ESB with fresh hops; not very pale ale like at all. Poured a dark amber, almost reddish color, kept decent head.

Smell had a floral aroma with a very odd fruitiness. Almost like a candied fruit sort of aroma but not overly sweet. More like passion fruit and berries maybe. Not sure how best to describe it, it was just odd. Had a big caramel malt component to go with it.

Taste was like the smell, with the odd fruitiness and a good deal of caramel malt. I still don't know how to describe the fruitiness, but overall this beer just seems very English inspired to me, like an ESB, with a slightly buttery flavor even. Did have a sort of subtlety to it that is typical of fresh hop beers. Very modest bitterness.

Mouthfeel was a creamy medium body, a bit on the sweet side.

As I've said a few times this was a strange beer. Not bad by any means, just weird. I'll stick with the bitter or ESB comparison because that's as close as I can come to figuring this one out.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

10-31-2010 00:50:58 | More by number1bum

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A unique turn of events coming from Maine since all the hops that were used in the beer were grown in Maine. I'm very interested in seeing how the hop growing industry turns out here, I read that they're trying to find a farmer who will grow an acre so they can make bigger batches with locally grown hops.

Had last night at the Portland location while watching the Sox take the first game of the ALCS.

Pours an amber color, good sized head that sticks around for a while and also sticks a good deal to the glass.

Smell is, you guessed it, hoppy. Pretty strong aroma of hops, can't tell that they were grown in Maine, but they do smell quite nice. Even my girlfriend who doesn't like anything about beer thought it smelled nice and pretty like a flower.

Taste is not overwhelmingly hoppy or bitter but has some nice balance with caramel malt, does leave a nice bitter aftertaste though, slight citrus aspect.

Overall, a really good beer coming from Sebago that utilizes locally grown hops, I really hope to see more of this happening in Maine.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

10-11-2008 17:29:31 | More by deltatauhobbit

beer2day

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours muddy dark orange. Very rich and earthy looking. 1/2 finger of thick, substantial quarter holding head. Very nice retention and lacing.

Nose is herbal orange. Biscuit and yeast also pretty strong.

Thick, creamy feel right up front. Very tangy finish. Not bitter so much, but metallic. Insane malt presence for a PA. Very thick all the way through the glass. A bit of brown ale presence without the sweetness. Not sure I'd call this an APA, but I'm not sure what else to call it either.

Interesting enough to be worth a shot. Not something I'd want more than one of, though.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

11-09-2010 01:40:11 | More by beer2day

portia99

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a Portsmouth goblet.

A - Pours a dark amber, hazy and for the most part opaque. A finger of cream colored head forms on top...lasts a short time and settles to a thin, even layer on the surface and a thick collar.

S - Some fruity and grassy hops, some yeast and some sweet and caramel malt aromas. Pretty balanced overall, no one aroma stands out above the others.

T - Full and malty. Average amount of bitterness, would probably be on the harsh side if it was stronger in the flavor profile, but it sits in the background. Lots of fruity and yeasty flavors in here.

M - Medium bodied, carbonation is smooth and a touch on the light side, but enough to give a nice prickly sensation. Beer is slick and a touch oily on the tongue.

D - Pretty smooth and easy drinking. Not overly bitter, and pretty well balanced. Very sessionable. Feels like I could have a number of these back to back, but I'm not impressed enough to want more than one. Not bad, and it is enjoyable, but I'd choose something else for my next beer, given a choice.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

12-12-2009 18:13:38 | More by portia99

erosier

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

L: Pours a murky copper amber color with a medium short and medium bodied tan colored head that laces the glass nicely on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet roasted malts, hints of caramelized malts underneath a nice big citrusy, earthy, and floral hop aroma that was quite nice and not too bitter smelling.
T: Tastes of sweet roasted malts, caramelized malts, some sweetness mixed with earthy and floral hops for the end of the taste. The hops weren't too bitter making it a little smoother.
M: Smooth, rich, a bit hot feeling, but a nice amount of carbonation. Perhaps a little maturity in the cask would have done this one well.
D: OK drinkability, I felt it needed some more time to mature.

Serving type: cask
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

10-04-2010 10:25:10 | More by erosier

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brought this to Michigan to share with the relatives (it made a good travel as it impressed them).

We all had it in pint glasses:

A: brown/orange colored body with a one finger white foamy head that takes a good minute before slowly dieing. Some nice speckled spider-web lacing leads gently into the body. Some light carbonation is seen rising.

S: sweet with some light hops entering in with a bit of pine and citrus.

T: sweet, once again, but the hops are fairly strong with a mild citrus taste.

M: light to medium with nothing harsh on the tongue, sessionable.

O: this was one I had years ago when I first moved to Maine. I loved it then, and I still love it. No doubt that I would have this again. This is a Sebago must have. And the Michigan relatives loved it too!

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm St, Gorham

09-27-2012 23:47:25 | More by kangarooAdam59

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber purchased at Whole Foods in Portland, Maine. Pours a murky dark amber-red body with under an inch of short-lived head. Very weak aroma (surprising for a fresh-hopped beer IMO) with just hints of citrussy hops and caramel malt. Tastes herbal and citrussy, with a pleasant caramel/chocolate sweetness toward the finish. Really balanced for an IPA, much more malt-forward than I'd expect, even from an English style one. Medium bodied with low carbonation. A good beer it is, an American IPA it is not. Malt and hops are almost equal and compliment each other, and are pleasant at every taste. Not a bad beer, but not what I'm used to from a fresh-hopped beer.

Serving type: bottle
@ Sebago Brewing Company, 211 Fore St, Portland

11-30-2009 00:19:00 | More by MrHurmateeowish