Last summer, a beer-loving comrade and I decided to put the pedal to the metal and hightail it up north, to thoroughly imbibe New England’s beer scene with necessary stops in Portland, Maine and Burlington, Vermont included.
During our seven-day trek, our agenda included a brewery tour at Allagash Brewing Company. While that visit would require an article of its own, when driving through the industrial park that housed the wild yeast-loving brewing company, we spied a squat building that piqued our interest—one bearing the mysterious, petite sign reading “Maine Beer Company.”
I’d love to tell you that at this very second our love affair instantly began with this brother-run small-batch brewery, but we didn’t go and this story isn’t over.
Fast-forward a few months. 16.9-ounce bottles bearing very basic white labels with simple black text resembling that sign I once spied started to make an appearance within the Philadelphia beer market. The simplicity of the beer’s label instantly caught my attention (again), as I immediately shamed myself for never stopping at Dave and Daniel Kleban’s beer-making headquarters.
But, I’m making up for lost time.
First, I became acquainted with Peeper Ale, the first of MBC releases to make a gigantic, southeastern Pa. splash. As one of the brothers’ major players, an American-style, hoppy ale, it was crisp, dry and well-balanced—and more importantly, easily available in my drinking turf on draft and by the bottle. The combination of light citrusy hops and biscuity malts equated to an attractive session beer, as did its 5.5 percent ABV.
What set it apart? Peeper is more hoppy than most pale ales on the market, which led me to identify it as the little brother of the India pale ale.
Soon, I started to go deeper in MBC’s roster, sampling Mo, an another righteous pale ale, and Zoe, an attractive American amber ale. Since freshness is key in the development of MBC’s hop-forward beers, they date stamp each bottle and encourage you to drink in within 90 days (don’t cellar these folks, guys; the earlier you drink ‘em, the better). My first run-in with Mo occurred just two weeks after it was bottled. It was bright and vibrant, immediately beaming with tropical fruits on the nose. Whiffs of pine began to appear through my sipping session, with a lingering dry citrus being the leading contender of this release.
Zoe allowed me to take a brief hiatus from my crush on MBC’s American pale ales, as the dark amber-brown ale possessed an intense malty sweetness that mesmerized me into a menage a trois with dark fruits, toasted nuts and hops galore.
The MBC beer with the biggest hype is Lunch—and trust me, this is no hyperbole, it’s worthy of its notoriety! It was at Bistro on Bridge of Phoenixville, Pa. where I was finally able to snag a bottle of the highly regarded IPA. The moment was as if it were in slow motion, too—the bartender snapped off the ale’s cap and steady splashes of liquid gold began to meet my glass. As an East Coast version of a West Coast-style IPA, the beer immediately smacks you with bitterness, but soon features a soothing mix of lemon and toast that carries all the way to the finish (and, keeps you craving more).
One moment in particular that reminded me of the cult following that this particular brew possessed was when I was back at Bistro on Bridge, months later, at a Maine Beer Co. Tap Takeover. As the clock neared 6 p.m., when Lunch was to officially start pouring, fans rounded out the square bar, leading chants, eagerly impatient for their share of what could be the Pliny the Younger of the East Coast.
If you’re following this love letter to MBC and sampling the releases in the order for which they are named, next in the palate-pleasing drinking order would be Lil’ One, a hop-forward strong ale, and Mean Old Tom, a sexy aged stout. To me, Lil’ One is best enjoyed in colder months, as this medium-bodied beauty weighs in at 9.1 percent ABV. More intricate than MBC’s other hop bombs, this creamy full-bodied ale hosts double IPA strength with sweet caramel malts presented on the forefront and juicy citrus and pine mingling in the background.
Mean Old Tom, I love you. Weighing in with a full, foamy head and as a medium-bodied opaque pour, this single stout is the beauty queen over a sea of athletes. Marrying bittersweet chocolate notes with strong kicks of espresso and biscuity malts, this well-balanced beaut is velvety smooth. Sweet vanilla creeps in as the beer warms, a welcome, subtle trait attributed to the aging of the release on organic vanilla beans.
King Titus and Weez are equally as excellent as all of the above, but I’ll leave their reviews to you (leave your thoughts in the comments).
Although Maine Beer Co. has become highly-discussed in beer circles within the last two years, it actually made its debut in 2009. As of April 2013, the brothers moved the operation to Freeport, Maine, which enabled them to now serve a full lineup of beer in their new brewery tap room. Next time I’m trekking New England, a visit to Maine Beer Company will be on the top of my list.
Maine Beer Company is located at 525 US Route 1 in Freeport, Maine. Learn more about the brewery on their website and on Facebook.
- Photography: Nina Lea Photography
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