III
Maine Beer Company in Freeport, Maine, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Black / Cascadian Dark Series Out of Production|
Score
7.35
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The concept for out third Hop Program beer, Beer III, was a hoppy black ale incorporating Citra, Lemondrop. Cascade, and Falconer's Flight hops. While dark in appearance, Beer III presents with massive hop aroma and flavor. It finishes dry with a touch of chocolate and coffee lingering on the palate. We hope you enjoy our latest hoppy creating. Cheers!
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7.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottled 9/25/15, drunk 10/10/15.
Perfect pour, with a charred-beige head that is large, very well-retained atop an ebony body that seems quite opaque.
Very prominent hops in the nose can be smelled from afar. Big lush, green, dank notes. Very woodsy with light pine, ruby red grapefruit, light resin, big fruitiness (cherry, apple, lime) and fresh yeast. Clean and with roastiness coming on the end, especially with warming; chocolate, char and light vanilla. Not terribly integrated yet, as expected being so young, but it is pretty well-restrained on the resin/pine, especially given the hops used (looking at you cascade and simcoe), though some of that is obviously the dark malts taking some of the focus off the hops.
Flavor follows suit; rather disjointed flavors of chocolate, char, vanilla and fruity, citrusy hops that are still lush, poignant and fairly bitter. The creamy carbonation helps out greatly here, as well as the soft, lightly oily texture. Moderate to light sweetness is appropriate here, with a reasonably malty feel to it, though still well-attenuated. No alcohol noted, nor flaw. Another month or so in the bottle ought to produce a more cohesive beer. I don’t care for black IPAs one bit, but this is well-made beer, especially the restraint on the hop bitterness/resin.
Perfect pour, with a charred-beige head that is large, very well-retained atop an ebony body that seems quite opaque.
Very prominent hops in the nose can be smelled from afar. Big lush, green, dank notes. Very woodsy with light pine, ruby red grapefruit, light resin, big fruitiness (cherry, apple, lime) and fresh yeast. Clean and with roastiness coming on the end, especially with warming; chocolate, char and light vanilla. Not terribly integrated yet, as expected being so young, but it is pretty well-restrained on the resin/pine, especially given the hops used (looking at you cascade and simcoe), though some of that is obviously the dark malts taking some of the focus off the hops.
Flavor follows suit; rather disjointed flavors of chocolate, char, vanilla and fruity, citrusy hops that are still lush, poignant and fairly bitter. The creamy carbonation helps out greatly here, as well as the soft, lightly oily texture. Moderate to light sweetness is appropriate here, with a reasonably malty feel to it, though still well-attenuated. No alcohol noted, nor flaw. Another month or so in the bottle ought to produce a more cohesive beer. I don’t care for black IPAs one bit, but this is well-made beer, especially the restraint on the hop bitterness/resin.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Oct 2015
at 12:04
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle dated 092515.
This was poured into an English pint glass.
The appearance was black color with a slim finger’s worth of white to off white foamy head that dissipated pretty quickly. Light foamy lacing graces the sides of the glass in a messy sort of way.
The smell starts off with bitter pine leading the charge subjugating roasty and sweet chocolate malts into their chains. Super light coffee to balance.
The taste started off bitter leading into the sweet and roasty parts. There’s a quick dry sweet and roasty aftertaste leading into a sticky roasty sweet finish.
On the palate,this one sat about a light to medium in body. I know it’s low in ABV, but still lives up to its style, sessionable - maybe, somwhat. Carbonation feels fine for me and for the style.
Overall, good Black IPA that I could have again.
This was poured into an English pint glass.
The appearance was black color with a slim finger’s worth of white to off white foamy head that dissipated pretty quickly. Light foamy lacing graces the sides of the glass in a messy sort of way.
The smell starts off with bitter pine leading the charge subjugating roasty and sweet chocolate malts into their chains. Super light coffee to balance.
The taste started off bitter leading into the sweet and roasty parts. There’s a quick dry sweet and roasty aftertaste leading into a sticky roasty sweet finish.
On the palate,this one sat about a light to medium in body. I know it’s low in ABV, but still lives up to its style, sessionable - maybe, somwhat. Carbonation feels fine for me and for the style.
Overall, good Black IPA that I could have again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Oct 2015
at 22:10
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
500 ml bottle with a bottle on date of 09/25/15 shared by Willrunforbeer, much thanks! Pitch black color, thin white bubbly head. Aroma is a blast of citrus and pine with just a touch of dark roasted grain.
The flavor is every bit like the aroma with the addition of some earthy herbal hints. The layer of flavor is good with the bitterness hanging around for a good amount after the swallow. The body is on the lean side with plenty of tingle from the carbonation. Actually a lot going on here but the aroma lead me to believe I was in for a treat when in reality it seems pretty average.
The flavor is every bit like the aroma with the addition of some earthy herbal hints. The layer of flavor is good with the bitterness hanging around for a good amount after the swallow. The body is on the lean side with plenty of tingle from the carbonation. Actually a lot going on here but the aroma lead me to believe I was in for a treat when in reality it seems pretty average.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Oct 2015
at 19:37