I ventured out to a sports bar that had NFL Network to watch last night’s Dallas—Green Bay game (The Asylum in Portland). Their selection of on-tap beers was pretty decent, but they were sorely lacking in local Maine micros. I settled on the Long Trail Hibernator Ale, the brewery’s winter seasonal, as it was on special for $2.75 a pint (who can say no to that?). I vaguely recall having tried their Long Trail Ale a few years ago, but I’m not sure whether I’ve had the Hibernator before or not. The Hibernator is a Scotch ale, which means it tends to be even maltier than a brown ale with very little hopping to back it up.
This one pours a dark copper color with a thin white head that quickly settled to leave just a hint of lacing around the glass. The nose was somewhat smokey and their was some bread and fruit, perhaps a prune or raisin scent. The taste followed the light tones of the nose, with the sweetness of the malts most apparent. This is a sweet and medium-bodied beer, but it simply doesn’t have enough hops for me. It’s quite drinkable (especially at $2.75), but I’m not sure I’d buy this at full price very often. This one is worth a try if you like sweeter beers, but if hops are your thing I’d recommend looking elsewhere.
My Rating:
