Funky Bow G-String Pale Ale

Another brewery in Maine? No surprise, because Maine's a mecca of craft-brewing. So when I saw an unrecognizable sixpack in the Maine brew section of the cooler, I had to take a look. Funky Bow, isn't too far from Portland, where so many of Maine's brews are oriented. So Funky Bow needs a tasty one to compete:

Before the G-String hit my lips, I knew it wasn't going to be a typical pale ale of an intensely bitter malt. It wasn't completely clear and had a slight sweetness to the smell. Once on the tongue this sweetness was almost citrusy and floral, but it does have the malts in it that are expected to make a Pale Ale. Just not so much that it's a bitter sipper. The body is crisp in a great way that correlates with the crisp sweetness too. But I wouldn't let this one get too warm. Gets solely bitter.

Even though the day I write this it's snowing, Funky Bow's G-String reminds me of summer. A great taste to cool off by, and it's title made me think of a more visual art that's on the beaches in summer. The g-string. B (good)

Bull Jagger Dirigo Crimson Lager

Bull Jagger has already started making a recognized name in just two years by making the first micro-brew lager in the Portland, ME. But tonight I have their Dirigo Crimson Lager, the second micro-brew lager in the Portland area. I can already tell it's going to be a good one before taking a sip: A deep red hue for a lager and a foamy head that I know will leave a long-lasting foamy residue on my lips.

My nose knew malts would be a BIG player in the taste, but my first though from my tongue was angostura bitters with caramel malts! This might seem to be a negative taste to some, but it's a phenomenal taste to me. The malts have a slight sweetness to them, but bitter is a stronger effect than sweet. There is a very crisp overtone from a bit of hops and the lager body. It is quite full in the body for a lager as well.

Dirigo certainly isn't a lager that can be drunk quickly due to the strong tastes in effect, but it also isn't hard to drink and can easily be enjoyed by anyone who likes a fine beer. So I'm giving it a solid A (excellent) and I recommend you grab a bottle to see what tastes the Maine micro-brew scene is expanding to!

Sebago Brewing Full Throttle Double IPA

When I visit Sebago Brewing in Portland Maine, it wouldn't be unacceptable for the bartender to bring me a Frye's Leap IPA before even asking me what I wanted to drink because I ask for it almost every time! Strong floral-citrus hops in the Frye's Leap IPA brew is going to be hard to out-preform, but Sebago's Double Throttle Double IPA is released only once a year. So why is it anticipated?

Unlike many other brewers Sebago's special IPA isn't just more intense than their 'standard', (the Frye's Leap is already very strong), it's a different approach on an IPA by adding malts and using many varieties of hops. The Full Throttle is best described as tasting piney and like grapefruit instead of just crisp and citrusy, because the malt with the hops puts in a unique sweetness. It's still intense on the palate and it isn't hard to notice that this brew is unfiltered. The last thing noticed when put down your throat is that there is little taste of alcohol and the malty-sweet aspect doesn't take away from the tingling dry aftertaste once swallowed.

After you try Sebago's Full Throttle Double IPA the first time, you know why they make it almost every year and why people anticipate it so much. It adds so many flavors and keeps it all balanced. A (excellent)

Urban Farm Fermentory Baby Jimmy

For this review, I'll be moving down the block to Urban Farm Fermentory. They're located just down the street from the producers of the previous two products I've reviewed. (Tandem Coffee Roasters & Rising Tide Brewery). Urban Farm makes many kombuchas, and I'm quite a fan of their ginger one. But I have their cask aged cider in front of me tonight.

It pours like a soda with a quickly rising fizz that sparkles so much that it could make you sneeze if you sip it too soon. But it settles quickly with no sort of 'head' like a beer. The Baby Jimmy's nose reminds me of a chardonnay because it consists of a crisp fruit and oak. Once on your tongue, the oak character becomes more of an oak-vanilla. This matches well to the apples chosen because it's tart, crisp, and slightly acidic like a fresh McIntosh apple. After swallowing a dry reminder of the oak is what's left in your mouth. The dryness and tartness harmonize well, and it's easy to drink unlike other things so dry.

Baby Jimmy is a sipping drink in my opinion, and I recommend pouring this in a wine glass or chalice instead of a pint glass to get a better sense of the smell. Urban Farm has done a fine job on it and I'm grading it a B (good) for bringing the sharply tart apple to the round and dry oak. If you enjoy a nice pinot gris or sauvignon blanc white wine, I'd seek this one out.

CiderMaker: Hard Apple Cider

Honey and apples both seem to have a taste that's exclusive to only a few natural things on earth. A sweetness that can't be found in any candy. Their's even an apple cultivar that has a title that connects the two as well: Honeycrisp. Tonight I'm sipping on a glass of CiderMaker: Hard Apple Cider which is a new release from Maine Mead Works. Apparently it's not a new concoction because it's been served under another's label only on tap. It'll be available on many shelves soon, and here's what you can expect.

The first sip I took of this was quite a surprise, because it's nothing like other hard ciders sold in a 6-pack. It's more like biting into a freshly picked apple. The scent on your nose is light but the happenings in the mouth can be described as zesty, crisp, and with apples of course. What makes this zesty and crisp is the sparkle it gives on your tongue in an almost citrus way without the bitterness. If it was only my tongue sensing this, I could mistake this as carbonated. The crispness matches well with the apple palate that leans towards the lighter kind without much bitter.

I don't believe I'd want to have this on tap because it would add bubbles and make it overly crisp. Brittle and dry perhaps? So shelves in Maine should be stocking half-gallon bottles of this cider, or you can go straight to Maine Mead Works and get a bottle that you can bring back to re-fill. An A (excellent) in my book for thinking outside of the bottles of other hard ciders. Sweet in that natural way.

Maine Mead Works HoneyMaker Lavender Mead

Lavender and honey. Sounds like a relaxing and intuitive combination you'd find in an enchanted forest, doesn't it? You won't have to go that far for it though, because Maine Mead Works has a lavender flavored mead in their lineup. Is it worthy of accompanying you in your picnic-expedition to the tranquil forest grove though? Read on and find out.

Fair is a good word for this mead because it has a pleasantly light aroma and taste that's a bouquet. Lavender and the honey are apparent of course, but other things not in the title are appearing too. Light crisp fruits of different varieties (like pineapple) are everywhere but don't overpower the non-stereotypical lavender taste. I say non-stereotypical because the lavender has a "peppery" accent that isn't anything like perfume. The body to the mead isn't light though, it's actually well rounded.

It's not hard to drink at all, and I'm leaving Maine Mead Work's Lavender Mead with a A (excellent) because it's not one you just intuitively put down. You start with a few sips that give you the expected sweet and floral notes, but that penetrating and unexpected aspect that's somehow lavender requires your attention. A great way to end a meal.

Katahdin Specialty Coffee Maine Whoopie Pie

It would be silly of someone to ask "where is this made?", even if it didn't say Maine. Katahdin and whoopie pie should give it away alone because one is a famous location in Maine, and the other is the official Maine treat! This morning I decided to sip Katahdin Specialty Coffee's Maine Whoopie Pie coffee because we just had a true nor'easter, another Maine trademark.

You can tell this isn't any typical coffee with just your nose. Something robust is happening, but not just a conventional coffee. Bringing this up to your lips fills you in on this secret: Chocolate, which is a major element in whoopie pies. There is some sweetener to this chocolate flavor, but not at the same level as many other flavored coffees. The coffee taste itself isn't a dark roast or some rare import, but probably Colombian. Balance in body and taste with little acidity. Good choice to match the chocolate.

This combo isn't your typical big-name chocolate flavored coffee because it's not sweet in the same sugary way either. This fit's Maine because Mainers are strong and sweet, but in an unorthodox way. I have to leave this with a C (decent) because it's a simple blend and if coffee is my focus of the morning I'd probably choose a bean with many more levels. (Like Katahdin's Baxter Blend). If it's an un-typical coffee occurrence, it could be best though. Example: with a desert or a coffee cake.

Bull Jagger Original No. 19 Baltic Porter

Bull Jagger has released their first opaque brew recently, the No. 19 Baltic Porter. It would seem like quite a jump in styles from their lager wouldn't it? Well I found out the process isn't as different as you would think, but I'm not writing about that. You can contact the brewer if you would like to know technical details of the process. I'm writing about the taste.

The first thing my tongue noticed is the sweetness of the malt, which a friend characterized as a "fruitiness". This is a good adjective for saying it has an upfront sweetness unlike like sugar. Don't think that there's any fruit notes on the palate though. The rest is quite perplexing but with some hard thought and slow sips (done with extreme enjoyment), I found wheat/yeast, rye, and barley which is a seasoning crisp for tastes. It works very well together. These notes of spice imperceptibly convey to the liquid body sensations of a citric dry that leaves a tingle. Despite all this extreme taste and an ABV of 8%, it's very smooth to drink.

This is not the type of beer you choose to compliment a robust beef stew, you choose your dinner recipe to compliment this beer. This is because it'll be the focus of your taste buds luxurious experience. Undoubtedly an A (excellent).

Maine Mead Works HoneyMaker Dry Hopped Mead

Hops is an ingredient that I usually relate to beers, but tonight I have a wine-aisle product with it. I've done a few other Maine Mead Works meads before this, lavender and apple cyser, but I think this'll be quite a different experience than the others because of the hops. Read on to find out.

Putting my nose up to my glass reminds me that hops is actually a herb instead of a strong citrus (unlike an IPA's accent). Bringing this liquid past your lips brings the crisp hues to your tongue as well though. The body is round but I wouldn't say bold, and this works very interestingly with the zest. The taste of honey exists here too, but it's along the lines of clover instead of bee's. A subtle sweet that makes it quite easy to drink. Think of certain white wine's sweet.

I wish I had thought of honey and hops, because they match so well in an unexpected way. It's an A (excellent) in my book because of the equilibrium created. It doesn't have a huge variety of tastes, but there are many 'levels' of them. Adding something would throw it all off. Don't change the recipe Maine Mead Works.

Bull Jagger Portland Lager

I was a bit confused when I first saw this bottle. A lager made in Portland, ME? After I had to looked into this, and I found out that this was from a new brewery called Bull Jagger. I must say I like their approach to keeping the classic micro-brewery standards but experimenting with brews that aren't just what everyone else has in their variety pack. Only one other brewer in Maine makes a lager.

Poured into the glass it looks like an ale instead of a lager because of the haziness. Once the head hits your lips you're reminded of it's category though, because it's on the fizzy side and the sweet aroma. I would almost say the combo of crisp and sweet is citrus, but it is undoubtedly not because these two elements are defined in their own separate ways. On the tongue the sweetness stays but malt, hops, and yeast come well ahead of it in potency. It's not an intense IPA or pale ale with these, but you can feel it on your tongue as well as taste it. The body is 'sparkling' too, but not to the extent of canned lagers though.

Bull Jagger will be coming out with another brew soon, that has quite a bit of my attention. Porter with rye. Even though it was not in bottling condition, I was quite impressed with the sample and can't wait to add it here with a review. Don't wait for this release to give them a try though! the Portland Lager is a step out of the box with the high standards of Maine brewing kept and I'm giving it a solid B (good).

Katahdin Specialty Coffee Baxter Blend (New)

Katahdin Specialty Coffee just recently redesigned their labels and website to a style that fits the vibe of Mt. Katahdin's view. They've told me that they just recently upgraded the Baxter Blend as well! So as I enjoy a massive mug of it to compliment my morning, I'll share the tastes it gives and my thoughts. Before I even sip, I can smell they roasted it darker than before.

After passing my lips a few times I also discovered it's an easy bean to digest as well with less acidity. It is quite full bodied too. 'Hearty' is the ideal adjective for this aspect. On the tongue you can taste the nutty element described in the previous version's review but smoky has a much stronger aspect. It's not smoky like a Sumatra coffee bean (earthy-smoky), but a classic french roast instead. Despite this being the strongest taste it won't put hair on your chest because it's not robust in a blunt way with the smoke. It ends with a long and charming aftertaste restating the tastes.

Certainly an improvement from the previous Baxter Blend and I highly recommend to start your work day. This is because it won't hold you back from sipping and getting your caffeine fix, but you're not compromising the other way you enjoy a coffee: The taste. An unmistakable B (good).

Bard Coffee Costa Rica Pepe Naranjo Honey-Processed Microlot

Stopping in at Bard Coffee I had planned on getting an americano because I like a robust cup of joe and I can't make americanos at home. But when I saw the description of this bean on the single origins menu, I had to try it because I've never had a honey-processed coffee bean. FYI: Most of the title is just describing the origin.

Now I knew I was in for something far from robust because of the honey and central american origins, but please don't think this is a silly artificially flavored coffee. The honey here isn't making a sugar sweet note actually but making the body round and working against the acidity. There is a slight honey taste as well. More noticeable on the palate is the clean Costa Rica bean though. Still strong in the coffee taste.

The taste followed through with the title in being your not so average cup-o-joe. It's not a bean I'd like to have a stash of at home all the time because I'm actually a fan of certain hues of coffee acid and smoky suggestions. I'ts a solid B (good) on my taste scale and I highly recommend to people who get stomach aches from coffee.

Sebago Frye's Leap IPA

It's been a little while since my last review, but I think this is partially due to my focus being just on the drinks. The taste is still my prime focus, not the effects. (This applies to positive and possibly negative ones). Like today's beer that'll do the trick quicker, with a ABV of 6.2%. Sebago Brewing's Frye's Leap IPA.

Frye's Leap IPA is a bit of a leap from other IPAs, being more than just intense with regular hops. It pours with a large and foamy head like most micro-brewery IPAs. But once you put your nose to the glass the hops is strong like others, but it's of a very different character. The floral aspect is as strong as the citrusly crisp! The  malt note is a bit more diligent than other micro-brew IPAs as well. The commonly rich body is similar to typical IPA though. (Wouldn't be as good if that wasn't the case).

This is a common choice for me at Sebago's new location or the grocery store. So it didn't take me long to contemplate the score. I'm giving it an A (excellent).

P.S. Even once I'm well past my last sip I enjoy this beer. The hops is still there at the back of my tongue. Mmmmmm...

Shipyard Smashed Blueberry

Shipyard's best selling beer is their seasonal Pumpkinhead, and they made a Smashed Pumkinhead as a spin off of it in 2009 (still around). Today I have a spin on their Smashed Pumpkinhead, the Smashed Blueberry. It's only sold in single bottles, but that might be all you need because this brew is 9% alcohol! If that's what you want though, I'd recommend a plastic bottle of liquor. If you want a tasty beer in your glass, read on!

The back of the label reads that this is a "hybrid between a porter and a Scotch ale." I can see why because of the body and what's happening on the palate. Smashed Blueberry starts with the blueberry part paralleled by the sweet malty chocolate in the nose though. Once in the mouth things get pleasantly complicated. The body is more along the lines of a Scottish ale due to the 'round' body. I don't think heavy is a way to put it though. I wouldn't be surprised if your tongue gets confused by this one, but I've sorted out the sweet maltyness, a touch of coffee-like barley which works perfectly with the malt, a blueberry extract on the back of the tongue. The fruit note isn't very sweet, just true to blueberries. It ends dry with all the tastes lingering.

Turns out this has been a big hit for Shipyard and now I can see why. I've noticed this bottle on the shelves for awhile now, but I didn't pick one up because I'm not a fan of fruity beers. I'll be buying this one again though because it's a fine dark beer with strong tastes that work togeather. And it's the best use of non-citrus fruit in beer I've ever tasted. A (excellent)

Katahdin Specialty Coffee Baxter Blend (Old)

Edit: Katahdin has since changed their flagship roast, and you can read about it here.


Maine has established a reputation for fine beer form microbreweries, but I think it's time for more recognition for the micro-roasters. I'm ashamed to say the only other Maine roaster I've hit so far is Bard's special Honduras bean, but today is about Katahdin Specialty Coffee's flagship bean.

Baxter State Park is a beautiful place that everyone can enjoy, and I think the Baxter Blend can be enjoyed by everyone as well because it's well rounded and easy to drink. It's easy to drink because there's little acidity to it but it has some of the enjoyable notes of highly acidic and lighter coffee's. "Nutty" in a way. I say it's rounded due to the body and hints of being roasted. Don't take these last notes as it being dark like French or Italian roasts.

If you enjoy the taste of coffee but frequently get heartburn or overwhelmed by robust tastes, give this a try. It's not too crisp or dark and isn't cutting corners on taste like big-box supermarket brands. It's a B (good) in my book.

Rising Tide Ursa Minor

It's a pleasant surprise to notice a new bottle when shopping for a social lubricant. Today's trip to the luxurious single bottle beer aisle didn't just show a new brew, but a new brewer! Rising Tide Brewing started just last year in Portland, ME. There's plenty of brewers in this city already, but if they can meet it's high standards in a pint-glass there's definitely room for them. My first Rising Tide:

Although labeled a stout, I think it's closer to a porter because barley exists but roasted malts are in front of it. The body isn't what most would think of a stout either with a brisk feel and head that doesn't stay as long. I think this is because it's a weizen too (wheat beer). The roasted malts and touch of barley participate well together with the yeast. These are not the only flavors because after your first few sips an aftertaste starts to accumulate in strength. Dark cherries.

For those that're wondering what Ursa Minor is, it's the Little Dipper constellation. For those wondering what Ursa Minor beer is, it doesn't fit in a category like ale, stout, lager, and such. It's a drink you have to explore because much is going on, and I'll be enjoying again because I'm leaving it with an A (excellent). Rising Tide may be a small brewer but they leave a big impression, and a good one.

Peak Organic Pomegranate Wheat Ale with Acai

You'd think pomegranate and acai berry would be put in a healthier product like tea!

*I pause for a moment to get your reaction*

If you agreed with that statement, then you need to be informed of the invisible health triangle that takes priority over the nutritional one. This one has to do with your mental health. Products like Peak Organic's Pomegranate Wheat Ale might not compliment your physical health even with acai berries and being organic, but what good is it to be physically healthy if mentally unhappy? Lets find out if such a brew would be a supplement for your triangle.

As the label would suggest, this is not your typical beer. It's not opaque like most other wheat ales, but you can make out a haze. The aroma given off could make some think it's a malt drink due to the sweetness, but it doesn't overpower the actual malt note. Once on your tongue more beer elements kick in. It has the crisp carbonation of a hefeweizen and a well rounded body for such a beer. Wheat was most noticeable on the back of the tongue and a little in your nose once swallowed. Of course pomegranate and acai was tasted as well, right on the center of the palate, but I was quite pleased to not be overwhelmed by it like many fruit beers and it worked with the wheat malts.

This beer is well off of the beaten path for my usual choices, but I'm not regretting a single drop to be put between my lips. Peak Organic's Pomegranate Wheat Ale with Acai is a B (good) to me and I'll be choosing it on warm nights with a salad for dinner. It supplements my conscious nutrition but perhaps a pomegranate tea would be better for me? Wait!... "Enjoy the drink, not the effect", even if it's a nutritional one.

Tree Spirits Maple Demi-Sec

Real maple syrup is a luxurious liquid, but I wouldn't review raw maple syrup (or drink it). It only ever goes in my mouth with pancakes as a vehicle. Tree Spirits has created fine maple products for drinking though! Tonight I have a glass of their Maple Demi-Sec sparkling wine in front of me. I would think making a "semi-sweet" product of this type would be very hard, so let's see where it falls on the sweet-to-dry scale.

It pours like almost any champagne but you'll notice the difference between a grape wine and this one before it even touches your lips. You can smell the maple tree ingredient that isn't sweet like syrup, but it becomes more luscious on the tongue. The carbonation makes the body crisp, but it's actually well rounded in texture. The palate pounces on your tongue after swallowing with the maple accompanied by the semi-sweet. Clover honey is how I'd describe the level of sugar here; sweet but in a natural and compliant way. At the back of the throat you'll get an aftertaste of distinct maple, and it'll be on your tongue with a tingling.

I'm usually not a fan of sweet but, Tree Spirit's Maple Demi-Sec was not too sweet at all. It's a very different product and and I'm giving it an A (excellent) because you can taste maple, not just maple syrup in this drink. Tree Spirits makes a maple liquor as well as apple wines and spirits that're certainly worth trying as well.

Maine Mead Works HoneyMaker Apple Cyser

Portland, ME is well known for it's breweries with beers getting national attention. Maine Mead Works is expanding Portland's drink spectrum. With a brand new location on the east end, being available at many more places, and more flavors since their start in 2007, there has to be a reason behind their success. Tonight I have a glass of their newest mead, Apple Cyser.

The fact that this has apple in the title and is a mead it should be quite obvious that honey and apple are the prime factors. They are but they work together so well. The body of this mead is lighter than others and not 'sticky' sweet so the crisp and light tang of apple compliment it great. When chilled the apple is more apparent and the honey comes out more when warmer. In either temperature you get a tart finish from the apple, but still the sweet in your mouth.

Quite the balance. I'm not hesitating to give this an A (excellent) and it won't be uncommon for me to keep a bottle of this in my stash. Maine Mead Works has many other choices as well and a quick visit to taste what they have will let you know which one would be your best investment. Portland is more than a beer town now.

Bard Coffee Honduras Marcala Dark

You know you're in an ok cafe when the barista knows the difference between a latte and a cappuccino. At Bard Coffee on Middle St in the Old Port of Portland, ME, every employee can tell you the difference between the different beans in ways beyond which one is darker. It's a great cafe. Today I have a cup of one of their single origin coffees, the Honduras Marcala Dark.

When most think of 'dark' they think of a french roast, this is different from that. Tackling the difference in adjectives between the two has been quite hard. The marcala dark is smoky in a clean way unlike french roasts, another way I'd put it is almost woody. The single origin of the beans also come through with notes of caramel on the back of the tongue. It's also only medium bodied with little acidity which works with the palate very well.

If you fee like exploring your darker side of coffee smoothly this is a fine choice and it's a B (good) in my book. Bard Coffee isn't just a place of a fine form of caffination though, it's also place of community. Those that want to get to know the fine city of Portland should check it out.