Southern Tier Phin & Matt’s Extraordinary Ale

5.4%

Bottled

Pours a clear gold, nothing too hazy. Smells a bit fruity, some citrus to the nose with an afterthought of toasted malt. Taste is a bit thin at the start, with the mouth feel a little bit weak. The follow-up is a nice little kick of hops that at least keeps things interesting.

Impression: The first thought with this is that there is just a little bit lacking. Be very careful about keeping this a little bit on the warmer side. There are some good notes here as long as you don’t bury them away by keeping it ice-cold. The hop profile is pretty nice actually, mostly citrus but a little bit of pine note on the back-end.

This is not an extraordinary ale, in fact I think an ordinary ale is the perfect way to describe it. It is just a standard pale ale. There is really nothing wrong with it but it just leaves you wanting a little bit more.There are some notes that make this a worthwhile beer to try, however it is not worth searching for it. On the other hand if you are at the store picking out a 6 pack, it would not be a huge mistake to throw a bottle in.

Grade: C+

Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale

5.5%

Bottled

Pours an odd grayish yellow, foggy as this is bottle conditioned. Smells a bit fruity, with a nice, if a bit musty smell of the yeast. The first thing you pick up is a great mouth feel, very smooth, and a nice medium body. A nice hoppiness in the front end, that mellows out quickly with some fruit in the middle and finishing with a great mellow feel.

Impression: Peeper is the girl you are a bit hesitant about when it comes to looks, but once you get to know her, she blows you away. The gray color can be a little disconcerting, but the first impression when I tasted it was oh…wow. The flavors are very well-balanced, there is a nice hop flavor but the balance keeps it accessible to people who are not big hops fans. There is a great spice that helps round out the flavor even more. Some orange, and some crispness from the malt.

Often when there are this many flavors in a Pale Ale it winds up muddled and confusing. In Peeper it keeps in fresh each time you take a sip you seem to pick up something new. This does a great job of keeping it tasting fresh and complex, while not making you think too hard. A great beer I would highly suggest if you can find it.

Grade: A-