Portland, ME Guide

[steimie]

Made a stop at Bier Cellar yesterday. Nice store and had a good chat about beer with the dude working there. He said Rising Tide is releasing Calcutta Cutter this week. What's the story on this beer? Worth making a stop for a glass or two?

 

[tehzachatak]

Made a stop at Bier Cellar yesterday. Nice store and had a good chat about beer with the dude working there. He said Rising Tide is releasing Calcutta Cutter this week. What's the story on this beer? Worth making a stop for a glass or two?

I have enjoyed it a lot in the past. Citra heavy DIPA. Preeeeeeeeeetty good. Rising Tide makes a phenomenal APA (Maine Island Trail Ale, their best beer IMO), a great DIPA (Calcutta), and a terrible IPA (Zephyr). Haven't ever really been able to get my head around that one...

 

[steimie]

I have enjoyed it a lot in the past. Citra heavy DIPA. Preeeeeeeeeetty good. Rising Tide makes a phenomenal APA (Maine Island Trail Ale, their best beer IMO), a great DIPA (Calcutta), and a terrible IPA (Zephyr). Haven't ever really been able to get my head around that one...

Drank a Zephyr last night and thought it was pretty decent. I just missed Maine Island.

Thanks for the info...will likely seek out Calcutta.

 

[tehzachatak]

Drank a Zephyr last night and thought it was pretty decent. I just missed Maine Island.

Thanks for the info...will likely seek out Calcutta.

Yeah, I have heard plenty of others who like Zephyr too. I guess there's just something about that beer that doesn't work with my palate.

 

[lukaduke]

I recently saw some people checking into something called "Saison Brett" on Untappd- sounds like it exists?

https://untappd.com/b/allagash-brewing-company-saison-brett/695479

HevvyMetalHippie you checked in, is it real, or is this just Session Brett (sic)?

EDIT: I guess you said "wine barrels" - this sounds just like Saison with brett.

Session Brett does exist, it has been poured on draft around Portland and a few 375mls have appeared unlabled via brewery employee's. Pretty sure its heavily hopped with Mosaic, heard a few whispers about it being a four pack release in the future but these are just rumors and Allagash does not rush many beers, just think how long it took for the "saison" to actually be released !

 

[lambandtunaphish]

I have enjoyed it a lot in the past. Citra heavy DIPA. Preeeeeeeeeetty good. Rising Tide makes a phenomenal APA (Maine Island Trail Ale, their best beer IMO), a great DIPA (Calcutta), and a terrible IPA (Zephyr). Haven't ever really been able to get my head around that one...

So Calcutta Cutter is worth picking up this weekend when I'm up there? Might as well reserve a 4pk @ bier cellar then...

 

[steimie]

So Calcutta Cutter is worth picking up this weekend when I'm up there? Might as well reserve a 4pk @ bier cellar then...

From what the guy at Bier Cellar told me yesterday, it'll go super fast. Rising Tide posted on FB today that they have bottles at their site.

 

[tehzachatak]

Session Brett does exist, it has been poured on draft around Portland and a few 375mls have appeared unlabled via brewery employee's. Pretty sure its heavily hopped with Mosaic, heard a few whispers about it being a four pack release in the future but these are just rumors and Allagash does not rush many beers, just think how long it took for the "saison" to actually be released !

Yeah, I wasn't talking about Session Brett - that beer's been in a lot of places, not just Portland. This is Saison Brett.

 

[lambandtunaphish]

From what the guy at Bier Cellar told me yesterday, it'll go super fast. Rising Tide posted on FB today that they have bottles at their site.

They have it available to reserve on their website now. Figure I stand a better chance of making it to Bier Cellar than another brewery.

 

[lukaduke]

Yeah, I wasn't talking about Session Brett - that beer's been in a lot of places, not just Portland. This is Saison Brett.

Ahh, yes my bad. I've never seen the Saison Brett and would assume its just a misentered version of session brett.

 

[Brez071]

They have it available to reserve on their website now. Figure I stand a better chance of making it to Bier Cellar than another brewery.

I drank a growler of it last night. You should do the same!











don't actually do it, I feel terrible this morning

 

[lambandtunaphish]

I drank a growler of it last night. You should do the same!











don't actually do it, I feel terrible this morning

Considering I'm spending a few days working virtually from a house my gf's parents rented in Maine next week... I might need to take down a growler one night


actually not going to happen; will be working nonstop... these people couldn't have picked a worse week to force me to go away

Do I goto Rising Tide over some of the breweries out by Allagash? Planning to drive up early Saturday, get to Allagash first then head to some of the others when they open at noon/1pm. The answer to this question probably depends on who has what on tap this weekend...

 

[Brez071]

Considering I'm spending a few days working virtually from a house my gf's parents rented in Maine next week... I might need to take down a growler one night


actually not going to happen; will be working nonstop... these people couldn't have picked a worse week to force me to go away

Do I goto Rising Tide over some of the breweries out by Allagash? Planning to drive up early Saturday, get to Allagash first then head to some of the others when they open at noon/1pm. The answer to this question probably depends on who has what on tap this weekend...

Rising Tide is open the latest (till 7) and will likely be the least busiest, so you should be ok to go there last. Plus it's basically in town, where as Allagash/Austin St/Foundation/Bissell are ~10-15min outside of town.

Typed that out and realized it didn't answer your question. Um... Cutter and Gose are good, but if you're pressed for time I'd just stick with Industrial Way

 

[tehzachatak]

Considering I'm spending a few days working virtually from a house my gf's parents rented in Maine next week... I might need to take down a growler one night


actually not going to happen; will be working nonstop... these people couldn't have picked a worse week to force me to go away

Do I goto Rising Tide over some of the breweries out by Allagash? Planning to drive up early Saturday, get to Allagash first then head to some of the others when they open at noon/1pm. The answer to this question probably depends on who has what on tap this weekend...

I'm going to agree with Brez07 here, if it's either or, just do the 4 Industrial Way breweries, especially if you're already going to Gash. Rising Tide is not particularly close. If you want to kill a lot of birds at once, and have time, do all 4 industrial way breweries, plus Rising Tide, Urban Farm Fermentory, Bunker Brewing, and Maine Craft Distilling - those 4 are all close to each other.

And yeah, Calcutta Cutter is good, I'd definitely grab some if it's easy, but not a beer to drive around looking for IMO.

 

[Brez071]

10th Anniversary Curieux magnum (1.5L) bottles in the shop. Also have special commemorative glasses!

 

[JBP]

Hope you clowns have fun at Novare on Saturday. Unfortunately I'll be traveling to VA that weekend so won't be around town. Somebody post a pic of the draft list/bottle menu when you get a chance. Last year it was fine but just a tiny bit disappointing, knowing the hoard of Loons they have in the cellar at that place.

 

[richardflyr]

Hope you clowns have fun at Novare on Saturday. Unfortunately I'll be traveling to VA that weekend so won't be around town. Somebody post a pic of the draft list/bottle menu when you get a chance. Last year it was fine but just a tiny bit disappointing, knowing the hoard of Loons they have in the cellar at that place.

Making it to The Birch Saturday?

 

[JBP]

Making it to The Birch Saturday?

Looking likely, planning to try and show up in line around 2-2:15. Will be with the gf.

 

[richardflyr]

Looking likely, planning to try and show up in line around 2-2:15. Will be with the gf.

Awesome, will hopefully see you there!

 

[JBP]

Oxbow filled their new coolship tonight for the first time. Hell yes.

http://instagram.com

 

[tehzachatak]

Oxbow filled their new coolship tonight for the first time. Hell yes.

http://instagram.com

To be really pedantic, this is the first fully spontaneous beer - they posted some shot a week ago of the coolship filled up with a metric assload of wet hops floating in the wort. No idea what the hell kind of beer that's going to be but I want it.

EDIT: Hm, ok, now that I look at it again (and actually read the caption), sounds like they were just using it as a really, really improvised hopback. Which is kind of cool.

 

[tehzachatak]

We will be hosting a brewer-guided bottle tasting Monday at Novare Res Bier Cafe. Glassware, food and biers included. $45. contact @novareresbiercafe for tix

Ugh, I need to move back to Maine!

 

[Skittle34]

Did the Etoile Maine gush on you like it gushed on me?

 

[tehzachatak]

Did the Etoile Maine gush on you like it gushed on me?

I think one of the two I opened was a gusher, but not aggressively so. The La Griseta I opened tonight was a slight gusher too.

 

[JBP]

Etoile has got some major bottle variation. Some gush, some don't. Some are over-carbed, some under-carbed. Some taste good/average, some taste awesome. Haven't opened one in a couple months though so not sure if the random issues have cleared up.

I've opened two La Grisetas so far and both gushed a bit on me.

That said, La Griseta is suuuuper delicious. Absolutely love that bottle.

Assuming they still had some LG left at GFTW? Sadly had some last minute personal stuff come up unexpectedly and couldn't make the event this year, but heading up this Friday and will be stocking up on Griseta if it's still there.

 

[tehzachatak]

Etoile has got some major bottle variation. Some gush, some don't. Some are over-carbed, some under-carbed. Some taste good/average, some taste awesome. Haven't opened one in a couple months though so not sure if the random issues have cleared up.

I've opened two La Grisetas so far and both gushed a bit on me.

That said, La Griseta is suuuuper delicious. Absolutely love that bottle.

Assuming they still had some LG left at GFTW? Sadly had some last minute personal stuff come up unexpectedly and couldn't make the event this year, but heading up this Friday and will be stocking up on Griseta if it's still there.

They did, no limit, and price down to $12 (it was $13 originally, right?). I only bought three... Seriously should have bought a whole case.

 

[JBP]

They did, no limit, and price down to $12 (it was $13 originally, right?). I only bought three... Seriously should have bought a whole case.

Sweet! That's cool about the price. Yeah, was $13. It should have been $10 from the start though...

 

[tehzachatak]

Sweet! That's cool about the price. Yeah, was $13. It should have been $10 from the start though...

Agree... I would have bought more at 10. But I honestly think I might like it more than Clara, which was previously my favorite grisette ever, so, whatever.

 

[Skittle34]

I need more oxbow in my life, why oh why does it have to be 4 hours away

 

[neorunner]

I need more oxbow in my life, why oh why does it have to be 14 hours away