For a recent ski trip, we were meeting some friends (and occasional BeerBloggers) in New Hampshire for skiing. Since I’ve been espousing the virtues of Maine-brewed beers to them for the last six months, it fell to me to put my money where my mouth was. In addition to a few Allagash brews I knew to be good, I picked up a random Pale Ale at the beer store before heading west for the mountains.
Andrew’s Brewing Company in Lincolnville, ME makes a half-dozen different beers, according to BeerAdvocate, and their English Pale Ale (also known, apparently, as Old English Ale), rates a B- on their rating scale. Strangely, those who thought it was Old English Ale rated it a bit better at a B+. I found this 12 oz. bottle to pour a hazy gold color with a couple fingers of fluffy white head. Some citrus hops are present in the nose, perhaps lemon, but it mostly presents malts.
The taste is quite subdued. There are enough hops here to call it a Pale Ale (though it’s far from the hoppy blast of the Ruination IPA we also had that night), and it’s nicely balanced by the roasted malts. The carbonation is on the lighter side, and the finish has just a touch of hopped bitterness. Overall, this is a very easy drinking beer. It’d be great for a session (or for chilling out after a day on the slopes). It doesn’t take any chances with the style, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
My Rating:
