Favorite Maine Beer

[keelkemper]

as a die hard Maine Beer Drinker, I believe the pine tree state is holding its on in the micro-beer phenomena!...Bar Harbor maine now sports three different micro-brews...that got to be largest number of brewers per capita in the world!...my favorite maine beers are:

Allagash - theire attempt to recreate Belgian Style Ales is definitley worth a try...not quite a Westlveteren but very good

Gritty McDuffs...Great Guys' Great Beer...the Blackfly stout is a must seek out kinda beer...The Halloween Ale....an long conditioned ESB...is another great one...

My personal favorite is the 420IPA by stone coast ....great beer

what's your favorite maine beer?

[newportstorm]

I dig much of the stuff from Atlantic Brewing Co. - Coal Porter, Bar Harbor Real Ale, Brother Adams Bragget, SOB, etc.

Gotta give props to Cadillac Mountain Stout and Thunderhole Brown from Bar Harbor Brewing.

Used to really like most of the Geary's line. The HSA lost some novelty when they went with yearround production. And their Summer (used to be a Kolsch, I thought) was a buttery, yeasty mess last year. Better for dipping lobstah in! ;)

Shipyard was one of my earliest craft beers, but they too have suffered from Ringwood yeast problems. Still love Old Thumper - on cask, too, when I see it.

Gritty's makes some nice beer - the Halloween (Boo!) and the Christmas Ale are fairly similar, imo, but both damn tasty. I've found that the 22 oz. bombers and kegs to be better than the 12 oz. bottles - friends in the industry tell me that Shipyard produces the 12 ouncers - figures.

And I agree that Allagash is a top-notch brewery that has caught the experimentation bug lately. Used to be 4-5 beer styles (done well, mind you) - but lacking a bit in variety. Saved the empty bottle from Grand Cru Batch #1 - one of the best beers I ever enjoyed.

Cheers!

[wortchillergoal]

The only Maine beers I recall having are Geary's and Shipyard products. I have not been unhappy with any ot them.

[tarapin]

I was visiting Bar Harbor when 9-11 happened and we got to go to Atlantic Brewing Co. and enjoyed most of thier brews. I was lucky enough to be sipping on thier Coal Porter this past weekend at a local place by me, I couldn't believe it when I walked in and saw it on tap. I did have the Thunderhole in the bottle while I was there and it was quite enjoyable. I love that part of the country, real beautiful. Especially Arcadia National Park, watching the sunset off the side of Cadillac Mtn. w/ a couple of good brews in early Sept. doesn't get much better.

[hops99]

I really like the Old Thumper as well - drank a LOT of it this past Fall. I tried a "Ginger" beer from Bar Harbor that I could've done without, but otherwise like their stuff as well.

[Lamprey]

Geary's HSA.

I'll have to get up there more often and check out the breweries.

I did end up in the basement brewing area of Gritty's once years ago - I was looking for the toilet late one weekend night. Luckily, one of the brewers followed me down and directed me to the proper place. He also gave me a description of the brewing process - at that time it was all greek to me!

[keelkemper]

.Ive not had the luck with the Atlantic Coast in Bar Harbor that is indicated here...I bought two kegs for my wedding back when they first started...the keg of porter was great the keg of real ale was tainted...I made a big scene at my own wedding, and refused to serve the "real ale"...my thought was if i serve it, the guest will think this sucks...and more importantly I wont get my money back!...so I capped it up, much to the chagrin of my wedding guest...and raised hell at the brewery..they refunded my money no problem....here are some real sleepers to look for, but likely only found in maine...

Andrews Ale out of Belfast Maine...a real english ale..much better than the ringwood stuff from Shipyard. Shipyard is a real big disppointment to me, you can taste the corn in their ale..

Oak Pond Brewery out of Skowhegan...some occassional problems with exploding bottles and tainted beer, the brown ale is worth a try.

Carrabassett Ale - which is actually brewed by the folks at Allagash for all the skiers on the sugarloaf ski slopes..Allagash brews are tops

Belfast Bay - I think they trying to sell beer based on a lobster logo...marginal...nothing to write home about..

Hard to beat Gritty's...consistently good quality...very good people who run this show!

HSA.....was great until it became a year round thing...seems to lost some of the taste...but that could be me...

[Lamprey]

Originally posted by keelkemper
.HSA.....was great until it became a year round thing...seems to lost some of the taste...but that could be me...

If it used to taste better - wow! I think it is great now. Did it used to be a bit higher abv? I seem to remember it around 8, but the last 6-pk I purchased indicated 7. I could very well be wrong about the 7.

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by keelkemper
.Carrabassett Ale - which is actually brewed by the folks at Allagash for all the skiers on the sugarloaf ski slopes..Allagash brews are tops

HSA.....was great until it became a year round thing...seems to lost some of the taste...but that could be me...

Fairly certain that Casco Bay brews the Carrabassett line. Not bad at all. Enjoyed many a Pale Ale and Summer Ale on a trip to Bootbay Harbor in 2003. Casco Bay also makes the nice Riptide Red and their Ofest, while a hoppy Americanized version imo, is still nice. Prefer a truer Marzen, though.

And I think HSA has simply lost some appeal with die-hards when they started the year round production. No longer only available when the weather is crappy! ;) Don't think they tinkered with the recipe, abv%, etc. There is a guy on BA (JohnnyP) who is a self-proclaimed HSA fanatic - elected himself (or drank himself?) to the rank of president of the HSA Appreciation Club. Seems a bit nutty at first, but if you are a Maine beer lover, he's your best friend. Good guy.

Cheers!

[keelkemper]

your right newport storm about CASCO bay brewing the Carrabassett.....I knew that, i just had a brain fart...better go get another beer....Casco makes some great beer, as I understand it, there brewmaster is the only "certified" beer judge in Maine...not sure what that means, but he does brew a good beer...

Newport Storm is not a bad beer, I try it every year I am at Cape Cod, does not seem to be available in maine...what other RI beers should i look for?

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by keelkemper
Casco makes some great beer, as I understand it, there brewmaster is the only "certified" beer judge in Maine...not sure what that means, but he does brew a good beer...

Newport Storm is not a bad beer, I try it every year I am at Cape Cod, does not seem to be available in maine...what other RI beers should i look for?

Beer judge? Means someone (BJCP?) gave him the authority to tell you your beer "officially" stinks ;)

Other beers from RI? Sorry - Newport Storm is it. Available in MA, RI, CT and VA. We have a few brewpubs that make some good beer now and then - and they can all sell growlers now, including Coastal Extreme Brewing. Trinity brewpub has been working on getting Cottrell Brewing in CT to bottle their RI IPA - hasn't come to fruition yet - seems to be a ATF labelling snag or something.

When on the Cape, take the ferry to the Vineyard for some Offshore Ale Co. brews - Casco Bay contract brews & bottles their Amber for mainland sale, but Matt brews some really nice stuff - good IPA, Scotch Ale, Impy Stout and an experimental beer called Rye Knot (rye, carraway seed, orange peel, etc.). Or head to Nantucket for fresh Cisco - mmmmm...Bailey's Ale.

Cheers!

[J Lennon 27]

I love Maine beer!!!! Of course I may be biased because I have lived in Maine all my life. Carrabassett is my favorite go to brew. I used to love Oak Pond Brewery's Nut Brown, but have yet to try it since the ownership changed some time ago. Kennebec Brewing's Gurglin' Sturgeon stout is also a favorite of mine. Gritty's is generally really good and Casco bay Brewing products are very good. I will agree, though, that Belfast Brewing leaves a little to be desired.

[chazwicke]

Welcome Johnny L! Is your name really Lennon or is it a tribute?

I have had nearly all of the Maine beers listed above. From the delectable Andrews beers to Todd Foster's Cadillac Mtn. Stout and Thunderhole. And I have visited most of the breweries. Even Kennebec River.

Maine beers are consistantly good and that coupled with the beauty of the state and the Lobstah are some of the reasons I have considered retiring up there. You Mainers are lucky.
I love Maine.

Sun Coast was at the Extreme Beer Fest and I had a version of the 420 but it was called 840. Imperial I'd say.

[J Lennon 27]

Thanks for the welcome Chazwicke!! Just to answer your question, it is a tribute. The name, obviously is for John Lennon, and the number is for former Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk. Anyway, thanks for the warm reception...I love this page.

[keelkemper]

cant blame you for wanting to retire up here...come see me sometime on your next visit north and we will chase down some of those good beers.....you want me to send you a check to cover postage on those six pack holders?....pre-pay so to speak....what do you think it will cost....

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Sun Coast was at the Extreme Beer Fest and I had a version of the 420 but it was called 840. Imperial I'd say.

Stone Coast. And they make a nice IPA - didn't get a sample of the Double version - too many beers, too little liver.

Cheers!

[chazwicke]

I hear ya!

[fretlessman71]

Hey, that's what I need - a 2nd liver to process more alcohol in a sitting! PERFECT! ;)

[chazwicke]

Well they invented the artificial heart. Liver might be next.