Mount Desert Island Ginger - Atlantic Brewing Company

neobassman

Maryland

3/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I bought this in a sampler pack (to try the other styles) and frankly had avoided trying it for several weeks. Today was a hot day, and I wanted to clear this out of the fridge to make room for Belgians :-) and so decided to give it a try... I will not buy this beer again, but I enjoyed it more than I feared.

This beer is highly carbonated, and it forms a voluminous head that subsides quickly. Typical cloudiness of a wheat beer, and no strong impressions from the smell. The taste is, again, typical of a wheat beer with some additional spiciness. The ginger is not strong but is clearly present. It is somewhat astringent in the mouth and has an aftertaste that is more characteristic of pickled ginger than of beer. This is NOT a ginger beer in the style of true ginger beers I have tasted in the South. It is a light, summer domestic wheat beer with some added spice. I agree with many other reviewers that the flavoring is not distinct, not crisp. I did not find it unpleasant overall and was willing to enjoy the second bottle. Occasional beer consumers who like Corona might find this a tad more interesting, but beer aficionados are likely to seek something that better represents the brewers' art. I do not expect to purchase this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2009 22:04:08 | More by neobassman

Bill235

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-09-2013 21:38:20 | More by Bill235

mportnoy

Pennsylvania

1/5  rDev -69.8%

04-29-2013 02:52:51 | More by mportnoy

BGsWo22

New York

2/5  rDev -39.6%

03-20-2013 23:58:00 | More by BGsWo22

jibjib513

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%

02-26-2013 16:08:14 | More by jibjib513

schoolboy

Ohio

3.71/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I probably have a more open mind about brews like this than most of the experienced beer drinkers I know. Most don't much care for the styles that stray this far from the norms, but I'm always impressed by something truly unique.

This one pours out as an ale but pretty yellow, with a fine head. There is a faint aroma of ginger and yeast.

The taste is fairly sweet at first, but it breaks down as you get used to it and it has a sort of tart finish. The ginger taste really makes it a refreshing drink. This would be a nice one for a day that was about 60 degrees warmer than today.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 22:44:03 | More by schoolboy

williamjbauer

West Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%

02-16-2013 12:06:54 | More by williamjbauer

dan027

Pennsylvania

2/5  rDev -39.6%

01-28-2013 21:52:16 | More by dan027

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.98/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: hazy orange amber body leaving a small half finger white head lasting for less than ten seconds. Small streams of carbonation were seen rising. There was barely any lacing.

S: ginger up front with some light malts coming out as the beer warmed, not much else going on.

T: basically the same

M: medium and sharp as hell, probably due to the ginger, so its expected (it tells me the ginger is real and not fake). For 5.2, I'd say this is fairly drinkable, but the sharpness of the ginger helps to bring it down a bit

O: I can see why some might like to drink this in the summer, but hey I'm just glad I finally got to try this period. I'll try to keep the rest of these as long as I can since I'm a fan of ginger (as the ginger dominates pretty much every aspect of this beer). I'd probably come back to this, eventually. Oh yeah, this is a palate wrecker.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 15:18:54 | More by kangarooAdam59

IanWingy

New York

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%

12-17-2012 01:58:35 | More by IanWingy

DrFunkenstein

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -9.4%

11-22-2012 23:46:00 | More by DrFunkenstein

woosterbill

Connecticut

2.4/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a clear orange-amber body under an inch of frothy white head. Ok retention, light lace. Pretty good.

S: Well, it does smell like ginger root, but it's rather dull nonetheless. One-dimensional and uninteresting.

T: Spicy ginger right away, with some wheat malt and a touch of fruitiness (grapes?) midway through; a harsh, bitter, astringent finish ruins what could have been a decent tasting beer, though. Yuck.

M: Light and lively. Appropriate.

O: Disappointing beer, even for a mediocre brewery. I'm toying with the idea of drainpouring the rest of this and moving on to better stuff.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 18:23:57 | More by woosterbill

IPAchris

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +28.4%

11-12-2012 22:53:41 | More by IPAchris

TheBigBoy

Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -47.1%

11-12-2012 02:38:06 | More by TheBigBoy

bzach

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%

10-16-2012 09:16:44 | More by bzach

Ivanhoes_Backpack

New Brunswick (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -16.9%

10-09-2012 17:11:13 | More by Ivanhoes_Backpack

harpus

Alabama

3/5  rDev -9.4%

10-06-2012 03:06:05 | More by harpus

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -1.8%

09-07-2012 20:23:20 | More by mendvicdog

EFR94

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%

09-03-2012 23:54:26 | More by EFR94

kevgod

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -24.5%

08-19-2012 20:53:52 | More by kevgod

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -9.4%

08-19-2012 01:10:05 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

OriolesFan1008

Maryland

2.5/5  rDev -24.5%

08-13-2012 23:55:59 | More by OriolesFan1008

ububru

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -24.5%

07-23-2012 19:30:57 | More by ububru

Cavanaghty

Maine

3.93/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into an Atlantic Brewing Company glass I got with the beers.

Appearance: Nice clear amber color with about three fingers of white head that lasted about two to three minutes. Not a lot of carbonation, but enough to keep a little bit of head on the top for most of the beer. Moderate lacing on the glass.

Smell: Toasted grains and some hints of spices. I could smell a little of the ginger. Not overpowering on the smells.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth and i want to say light bodied, but I feel like this is supposed to be a medium bodied beer. Up front I had toasted malts and hops with a little ginger snap at the end, but not so much that it was overpowering. Spices (and citrus? maybe)on the aftertaste that lingered for some time.

Overall: Quite the enjoyable brew. Certainly will be having this one again. I see this being paired well with seafood or asian inspired foods.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 17:21:02 | More by Cavanaghty

Rook162

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -9.4%

07-05-2012 18:54:32 | More by Rook162