Maine Beer Company Lunch

__Aroma:__ “A light yeast or bread note up front in the head. Once the head dissipates, the earthy/dirty hops bitterness emerges, with notes of pine and melon. Aromas of pineapple, mango, floral, and lemon show through, and as it warms, more of the tropical fruits come out.” __Flavor:__ “Moderate bitterness, with light pine notes that extend well into the finish. Light dank and earthy notes, with a little pine and hops freshness. The flavors are delicate, with notes of pineapple, lemon, and tropical fruit. The mouthfeel is creamy and soft, with gorgeous carbonation.” __Overall:__ “A strategic mix of hops bitterness and fruity flavors, with earthy and light dank notes. It’s creamy and soft with a subtle and delicate hops fruitiness that evolves and intrigues as you drink it.”

**Aroma:** “Intense white grapefruit and lemon with a touch of pine to accentuate. Assertive with freshly peeled orange, hints of lemon zest, and tropical fruit. Net effect is exotic and interesting.” **Flavor:** “Intensely hoppy with a nice chewy malt backbone to support. Same white grapefruit and lemon predominate with some tropical-fruit notes peeking through. Well-balanced throughout. It’s a fruity citrus party—lemon dominates with orange, tangerine, and grapefruit facets, along with some pineapple and mango. After a moment, it shifts to grapefruit as the bitterness builds.” **Overall:** “The blend of hops with the malt to balance make this a really solid DIPA. A really wonderful beer that showcases the hops. It’s tight, refined, clean, crisp, dry, and juicy with absolutely nothing taking the spotlight away from the beautiful blend of hops.”

Aroma: “Faint spice and soft chocolate with a pleasant roasted background. Slight grassy hops and a hint of tartness brighten it up a bit, though there’s a faint hint of sour milk.” Flavor: “Dark chocolate with a very roasty, almost astringent finish accentuated by the hops. The vanilla adds nice underlying spice but isn’t particularly strong. Finish is smooth and creamy, with lingering dry coffee and hops bitterness.” Overall: “It’s nice to taste a beer with restrained adjuncts. In this case, the vanilla adds some complexity throughout but isn’t a dominant characteristic. The underlying stout is balanced toward the bitter side, but that comes across well in this case and leaves a dryer impression where the dark roast notes linger on the tongue.”