Maine Beer Company Lil' One

I had a couple bottles of this over the past few weeks but this was the first I drank by myself. Lil' One is listed as an American Strong Ale on BeerAdvocate which actually works well for it. I've mentioned before but this category is more of a catch all for beers that are hoppy and strong but don't fit well in the American Barleywine or Double IPA categories.

This was bottled on 1/31 with a best before date of 90 days from there so like two months old now. The age definitely affected this beer. Malty, earthy nose reminded me quite a bit of Nugget Nectar but with less hop intensity (again possibly because of age). Body followed with a light spiciness, more of the earthy hoppiness, and an almost smoky sweetness. Finished a bit bitter so it at least never got too sweet. Decent beer really though I wonder how much better it is when fresh. Just seemed like it was missing something at this point. Worth trying but not going out of the way to get basically.

Maine Beer Company Lunch

I finally got my hands on some bottles of Maine Brewing Co. Lunch, their IPA. This is one I've been wanting to try for a bit as I've heard great things about it and I wasn't disappointed.

Wonderful citrusy nose, very bright and inviting. Big orange juice flavor with some mild bitterness in it on the first sip. A nice dry finish followed with some lingering bitterness but very pleasant, no astringency at all. As I drank more and got used to the bitterness in the body, a little more sweetness appeared and kept it from drying my mouth out completely. All in all, very delicious with a lot going for it.

Trip to Moe's

The other great part about visiting Lee, Massachusetts is the chance to go to Moe's Tavern. It's a smallish bar just off main street that has a varying tap list, great bartenders, and a nice drinking environment. One of the things Jo and I really like is that the owner, Josh, replaced his small high top tables with tall picnic style tables that seat eight plus people. It makes the bar much friendlier and easier to hang out. The only thing Moe's doesn't have is food but you can bring any food into it so it's not a big deal.

When we arrived, I saw the Maine Beer Company Mean Old Tom was on draft and since I haven't found it in Philly yet I figured I'd order it. Mean Old Tom is an American Stout aged on vanilla beans.