Taste this... Maine Micros...

After trying a couple of the different local micro's available here in Maine, I've decided to try to taste them all. I've tried the Sea Dog Raspberry Wheat, and the Shipyard Export, both were good, but I didn't take any notes...

Please note: The opinions within this thread are strictly those of an amateur, I do not consider myself a beer connoisseur, nor have I had enough samples to know what each style should taste like.

Tonight's Brew:

Shipyard Brewing Co. - Pumpkinhead Ale


Opening & Pouring: A very nice 'fssst' when I first opened the bottle. It poured very nicely, with not much head. The head was thin and a nice white color.

Appearance & Aroma: I was expecting it to be a little darker in color being a pumpkin ale, but oh well. Very nice amber hue, with good head retention. Carbonation isn't too much, but there are bubbles climbing the sides of my pint. First smell is very distinctly cinnamon & nutmeg, but not too overpowering.

Taste: Wow... that's spicy. That first taste really bites your tongue with the cinnamon & nutmeg, it really matches the aroma nicely. After a couple drinks, the spices move to the background, and stay mainly in the aftertaste. Nicely carbonated, very easy to drink. Halfway through the pint, the head has reduced to just a light ring around the edge.

Final thought (after the first bottle): I'm not really a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I do like this beer. The spices hit you up front, but become kinda subtle after you've had a couple tastes. For my first pumpkin ale, I'd say it's good. I think I'll drink the other 2 (splitting a 6'er with SWMBO), and enjoy them.

Noobie scale: 17/20

One of the signatures of a lot of the Maine beers is a diacetyl character from ringwood yeast, which was brought to this country from England by the guy who runs Shipyard (which is connected to Grittys, Sea Dog, etc). Ringwood is mainly a new england (particularly maine) thing as a result. It's noticeable in all the Gritty's beers (best bitter, brown, and classic pale ale, for example) and for a more extreme example, try Shipyard's 'Old Thumper'.

I'm not all that fond of the Shipyards, I wonder if the yeast is why...
Then again, I tend to order it on tap when I'm in the boonies of Maine and it's the only halfway local beer they stock -- usually the only non BMC -- I wonder if I'm just getting stale beer...

Oh, thanks for the post on the pumpkinhead, Adolphus! I still have yet to try any pumpkin beer (drink or brew) -- maybe in the next few weeks, seems like there are dozens of them out this year.

Thanks for the post! I love a good pumpkin ale. I've got a pumpkin ale on deck to brew sometime soon.

I've had the SeaDog Blueberry. Tasted like blueberry extract soda.

PseudoChef said:

I've had the SeaDog Blueberry. Tasted like blueberry extract soda.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not sure what their obsession is with fruity beers. I've been to their restaurant in Bangor and had the sampler (all 11 beers), and didn't really enjoy any of the fruity ones (blueberry, apricot, raspberry) but the rest were okay, and yet when I go to the store, they carry all of the fruity varieties, plus their IPA. They've won a number of medals for different non-fruity beers, and yet even though I live just a few miles away, the local stores don't carry any of those.

Sorry it's been so long since my last review...

Tonight's Brew:
Sea Dog (Pugsley Brewing Co.) - Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale


Opening & Pouring: It didn't seem to have much carbonation, as I only got a slight 'fssst' upon opening. As soon as the bottle was opened, before I even began to pour it, the room was filled with a distinct blueberry smell. Upon pouring, I did not get much head, and what little there was dissipated soon after.

Appearance & Aroma: Brew is a nice dark straw color, with only a slight haziness to it. Carbonation is very light, with almost no head, almost no bubbles rising from the bottom of the pint either. The aroma is very strong of blueberries. Upon sticking my nose into my pint glass, I really can't smell anything other than the blueberries. There is a very, very, slight 'beer' aroma in the background.

Taste: Yup, that's blueberries. With the aroma as strong as it is, I wasn't expecting to taste anything either. I was surprised, a very nice wheat flavor does make it through. Little to no aftertaste. A very refreshing brew, with a good balance of blueberries and wheat.

Final thought (after the first bottle): This is a good brew, IMHO. A nice balance of fruit and beer, with a surprisingly strong aroma. Nice and light, with no aftertaste, I think this would make a nice session brew. I will definately enjoy finishing off this 6'er.

Noobie scale: 18/20

The Pumpkin head ale is good and I don't like pumpkin beers ( I did make one back in Sept but it overdid the allspice)

Had the Export a couple weeks ago. That's an awesome session beer, IMO.