Bar Harbor Real Ale - Atlantic Brewing Company

williamherbert

New York

4.13/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark reddish brown color, like a dark cola. No head whatsoever. Can see through it but it's still a bit murky. Zero carbonation.

Smell of dark chocolate as well as a roasted malt backing. Has some of the bittersweet qualities of a Scotch ale. Dark and quite nice.

The taste is dark caramel; malt is more mild than the burnt smell. Sweet but with a balance. Some tobacco, beef jerky. Sweetish berries come out as it warms. Complex and utterly pleasant. Leathery.

Dry but smooth. Medium body just this side of watery. It's really easy drinking for a so-called "real ale." Rich with smoky, darker flavors, but not harsh ones. Excellent drinkin'.

Serving type: growler

05-04-2008 05:12:48 | More by williamherbert

Amalak

New York

3.3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A. It has a very dark brown color, but semi-see through. A smallish tan foamy head. Mild lacing. I don't really see any bubbles.

S. Strong malt scent. Some nuttiness.

T. It is quite malty. There's something of a chocolate undertone. A leafy nut taste. The malts make it taste like malt liquor almost.

M. Crisp, some tingly bite.

O. The malt taste is too overpowering. It's not bad at all, but there isn't much there in the form of complex flavors and tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 18:57:32 | More by Amalak

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I poured this beer into my snifter. I get really light foam from the initial pour. This foam sits around for a while.

In the nose I get the english hops and malts. This smells just like you would expect an english ale to smell.

The flavor is good. You get more of what came through in the nose. There is some additional nuttiness and a touch of sweetness in there. I like the balance of the flavors in each sip.

This is a pretty good example of an english brown ale. I recommend trying a bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:17:02 | More by ummswimmin

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into standard pint glass, color is brown with light brown edges; head presents about 1/2" thick, then dissipates to a ring and bubbles with some light lacing, color is off white to light tan.

Smell is subdued, but nice light roast, hints of toast and oats and light fruitiness; bitterness is there but in the background, light earthiness.

Taste is light, subdued, but tasty; nice light toast and roast are dominant, hints of light oats, chocolate and hint of nuttiness, light hop fruitiness is noted mixed some earthy flavors.

Mouthfeel is a little bitter in the lingering phase, but some nice fruitiness and sweetness balances for the most part.

Overall, this is a very easy drinking brown ale, why is this style not more popular?

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:09:18 | More by mvanaskie13

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Chestnut brown with a creamy rocky road ice cream colored head. Strong retention throws up several tiers of zig zagging lace. Drank fireside in nearby Acadia National Park which probably adds to my appreciation of this beer.

Earthy sticks and dirt toffee aroma. Tastes pretty much like it smells: earthy, bitter carob and lightly sweet toffee tea. Thin but it's a pretty thin style.

While touring Atlantic Brewing I found out they bought Bar Harbor brewing 5 years ago. Ever notice how similar the portfolios are? Real Ale English brown vs. Thunder Hole English brown? They each have a blueberry beer. I'm just sayin.' Not really sure what I"m saying actually, it was just a passing thought I guess.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 23:19:43 | More by donkeyrunner

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two-finger cream head that fades quickly to a ring leaving a trace of lace. Clear deep amber color, medium bodied and low carbonation. Roasted malt nose and flavor is slightly sweet anise and malts. $2.00 for a 12 oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 22:21:41 | More by jdhilt

Brad007

Vermont

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with a thin head into my glass. Very dark with a hint of ruby.

Sweet malt with a hint of molasses in the nose. Very much like the style.

Much the same except that there's a decent amount of hazelnut and molasses upfront.

Mouthfeel is quite mellow with some lingering nuttiness. Very easy going.

Not bad. A decent ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 03:03:47 | More by Brad007

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with an off-white head that reduces to a skimpy ring. A touch of clarity.

Some brown bread and nutty aromas. Some pumpernickel elements.

Soft brown malt forward, a little nutty, then this gets lean, with an element of crispness I didn't expect but liked. As the palate clears, a little bitterness, some nuttiness, very light sugar. Pleasant.

Medium body, a little tingle on the tongue.

Not over sugared, good structure, nice balance of malt and sugar and bitter. Bought on whim and something I've stared at literally for years. What a decent brew and a change from hop bombs that find us all. I have a friend who loves brown ales -- this is a recommendation for him. Nice job. Not perfect, but very solid.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 01:39:08 | More by OtherShoe2

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a copper brown color with bright clarity.
Head formation is lacking quite a bit even though it has good carbonation. Aroma is a bit weak with some roasted amlts and nuts.
Taste is pretty much lightly roasted malts, pretty simple taste.
Drinks with a medium weight but thin and watery around the edges. Finishes semi-dry and light bitterness.
Standard fair here nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 15:35:01 | More by micromaniac129

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a reddish-brown colour with a solid two-fingers worth of dirty beige creamy head. Good retention and spotty lacing noticeable.

S: Caramel, molasses, faint banana, hints of coffee, and hazelnuts. Lingering fruity hop aroma. Appealing aromas, albeit perhaps a bit difficult to detect.

T: Unlike the aroma indicated, the taste is leaning towards fruity hops rather than more caramel malt dominant, which presents a crisp and refreshing taste. Hints of sour citrus elements in the finish along with the roasted flavours.

M: Light body with a medium-low carbonation level. Crisp and clean mouthfeel with a slightly tart (citrus) finish.

D: A nice English Brown Ale that's certainly sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 23:10:09 | More by Digimaika2

bubseymour

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Nice brown ale look with decent head.

Smell - some hop with roasted malt scents

Taste - Very nice smooth brown ale. Some chocolate and almond notes. No hop bite at all. A light flavor but very pleasant. A slight metallic taste.

Mouthfeel - quite watery and not ver full-bodied.

Overall - A fairly good brown ale. Easy to drink, some good flavor but nothing really noteworthy here.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 19:31:32 | More by bubseymour

silentjay

Massachusetts

2.83/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

a nice looking tan head on top of a dismal brown colored ale that leaves decent lacing.

nuts, butterscotch, caramel, toffee, honeyed biscuit. an unpleasant graininess lingers after that with some slight herbal and tea-like hops that only present themselves because I seek them out.

nuts, grains, butter, butterscotch, toffee, caramel. a slighhht roast and a noticeable bitterness on the swallow are the only redeeming characters of this beer, before the swallow its just a subtle sweet nutty flavor that can be found in numerous other beers including Newcastle. not too sure what is so "real" about it.

mouthfeel starts syrupy, a slight carbonation kicks in before it falls flat.

very underwhelming beer. The best selling beer on tap on the Island, but I have no idea why. It's decent, maybe, but I don't see the appeal in any aspect. It fails to create an identity of its own and is only memorable for being forgettable, if that makes any sense.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 06:25:32 | More by silentjay

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Shipyard Brewing Co. Brewer's Brown Ale.

Appearance: Clear brown with moderate carbonation. Two finger, off-white head that diminished somewhat quickly. The lacing was fair.

Smell: Light toasted aroma. A bit sour. Perhaps a bad bottle.

Taste: Light sweetness and bitterness. Little flavor. The finish was about average.

Mouthfeel: Light body that was watery. The carbonation was almost flat.

Overall: I wanted to like this brown ale but couldn't give it more than an average rating. It's possible I got a bad bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 02:49:33 | More by SolipsismalCat

BLove

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tasted on tap at Rupununi in downtown Bar Harbor, ME.

A - pours a deep brown with an amber tint around the edges when held up to light. Minimal head with tiny bubbles, little to no lacing on the glass.
S - Faint smells of sweet chocolate initially, with mild grain aroma, little to no hop aroma
T - Tastes prominent of chocolate, bread, and other malt
M - Medium body, dry finish with a small hop bite in the end
D - The highest selling beer in Bar Harbor (beating out BMC), so its easily drinkable and appeals to many. For my tastes, I thought it was above average & I could easily drink several. However, there are other beers out there that I would seek out before returning to this one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 18:33:38 | More by BLove

portia99

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle (place for a date on the bottle, but no notch that I can detect to indicate best by date) poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A - Pours an extremely dark brown color with very good clarity as far as I can tell (very dark beer). A low finger of creamy dense foam that is just off white in color falls quickly to a thick skim coat and foamy collar with marginal lacing.

S - Sweet, nutty, roasted malts, a touch of coffee, fruity and earthy hops. Smells quite good.

T - Roasty, a bit of coffee, rather earthy overall, low toffee, hazelnuts and some lingering sweetness. Bitterness is on the high side for the style, but gives it a good balance and makes for a more desirable take on the style to my palette.

M - Medium bodied with a somewhat creamy feeling medium level carbonation. Lots of roast and earthy flavors throughout...well balanced - not as sweet as most English brown ales tend to be.

O - I'm plowing thru this beer in record time on this hot evening after an afternoon in the sun of work and play. Surprised a bit by the balance and also far darker and roastier than I expected before opening the bottle. Surprises that end up being quite pleasant. Can't see myself drinking this regularly, but this will make it into the occasional rotation into my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 00:27:23 | More by portia99

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: deep copper, small beige head, some light trickling lacing

S: faint roasted nuts, light caramel malts, light hops

T: sweet yet more bitter as it goes down, balanced

M: light to medium, dry aftertaste, bitter finish

O: good for its style and good for me

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 20:37:40 | More by kangarooAdam59

Beer4Baltimore

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

- from the notes and a sampler pack
12 ounce bottles
A - a fairly nice foamy and lacy head over a dark brown clear ale.
S - sweet malt is all I get.
T - mild coffee bitterness with a backing of sweet malts.
M - feels a little thin and sticky.
D - it's OK but doesn't stun me.
I wouldn't avoid it, but I wouldn't worry if you don't get any.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 19:28:08 | More by Beer4Baltimore

gford217

Georgia

2.75/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle from Ben.

Pours deep copper with a tight beige head that recedes quickly to a thin cap. Not much lacing.

Aroma is pretty unimpressive, faint roasted nuts and light caramel malts. Maybe some hops but you've gotta really search for it.

Taste is really tame as well with some light hops. A bit of caramel malts but there is a little too much bitterness in the finish without enough flavor or malts underneath.

The mouthfeel is light bodied and fairly thin.

Not one of the better brown ales I've tasted. Weak aroma and flavor with thin body.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 04:20:05 | More by gford217

idurra

Maine

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Clear mahogany color. About 1 cm head that almost disappears within a minute. The lacing, however, is generous and pleasant.

S- Sweet, caramel, and some nuttiness. Not much of a maltiness smell.

T and M- Crisp, acidic, slightly metallic. Medium hoppy bitterness. The carbonation is a little like a soda pop. Not much of a finish.

O- Above average, but with little complexity. The soda like carbonation is off putting.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 01:26:32 | More by idurra

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I enjoy all of what Atlantic Brewing has to offer. I visited their brewery on lovely Mount Desert Island during the summer of 2007 and had a terrific experience. Somewhat surprisingly, considering their fairly wide distribution and availability in my area, this was the first time I've had this particular ale in a few years...

This is a decent, simple brown. Clean drinking - not real malty. Flavors are nice and subtle. Probably sessionable.

Red-orange-brown color - tea-like - on par with its style. The head pours okay, with neat blobs of lacing, and maintains a cap on through.

Dark malts show boldly in the scent - a little hoppy and mild-roasty - but fruity esters and caramel dominate the aromas. Mellow, but I suppose pretty standard for the style as well.

The taste closely mirrors the smell. Moderate malt intensity and a little bit of chocolate in the aftertaste. I'd say it has a medium-light body, quite clean, with a tiny carb scrub, though it's not detracting anything. Yes, decent all-around.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 06:52:52 | More by Bouleboubier

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12-ounce bottle into a Cavalry Brewing Co. pint glass.

A: Reddish, medium amber-brown in color with a one-finger head of beige foam which settles to a thin veil leaving a bit of lace on the glass. Carbonation is lazy and sparse while the clarity is pretty good.

S: Medium roasted grains and a bit of spicy malt aroma rise with some hints of wood and nutty mustiness.

T: Thin roasted malts up front with some light caramel flavors leading into a nutty malt sweetness. Light, floral bitterness creeps in towards a somewhat creamy and lingering spicy malt finish. A slight twang of sour coffee and metal hits fight before the aftertaste kicks in with a low roasted malt smoothness.

M: Medium bodied with crisp carbonation and a little bit of creaminess wafting over the otherwise watery malt character.

D: In all honesty, it's not a bad English brown ale with the exception of some off flavors of tartness and metal. Otherwise, it's a decent session brown at 5.2% ABV, but it doesn't have the malt character or balance for me to rush back for more and more.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 00:11:17 | More by Gambrinus1184

claspada

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aromas are mainly malty with some chocolate and perhaps caramel in there. Much lesser notes of dark fruit and lighter citrus fruits as well.
Nice, average-lasting flavor of malt; definitely chocolate and caramel biscuitiness tones in there. Smooth and creamy on the palate, and medium-bodied, with soft carbonation. Tastes sweet at first, but actually finishes slightly bitter. An enjoyable brown ale that isn't exemplary, but is definitely drinkable and a pretty good representation of its style.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 15:09:45 | More by claspada

Mora2000

Texas

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a medium to dark brown color with a cream-colored head. The aroma is caramel and toffee with some nuttyness. The flavor is toffee, chocolate and caramel with some grassy hops. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not bad, but nothing too special.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 23:35:58 | More by Mora2000

Samp01

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of slightl toasted caramel malt. Taste is caramel malt a bit of nuttiness, and some slight hops. Palate is med body with moderate carbonation. Finish is toasted caramel malt, ending is nutty with some light bitterness. Overall an average brown ale but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 18:02:07 | More by Samp01

ChugsMugs

Maine

3.33/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice deep amber brown. One finger offwhite head that quickly fades. Nice creamy lacing remnants. Some nice sweetness from the malts and slight smokiness in smell, smokiness reflected in taste. A good brown ale, but nothing stand out about it. A bit thin and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 22:01:14 | More by ChugsMugs