Maine Trip

We have been back from Maine for about a week now and it was an awesome trip. While we only went to two breweries, Maine Beer Company and Rising Tide we were able to get cans from Bissell Brothers, Liquid Riot, and Lone Pine. We also visited a bunch of restaurants and walked all around the Old Port. It was a bit surreal at times as it was empty due to various social distancing restrictions but it was still fantastic. Here are some highlights:

- It stunk not being able to get pours at Bissell which is always one of my stops in Portland. But I was able to pick up one of my favorite beers 'The Nuclear Whim With The Fuse Of A Mile.' It is an exceptional beer with an even better name. As I've written before I am always a sucker for a good name.

- We were not able to get to Allagash but had a few of their offerings at some of the nearby restaurants. I was a little disappointed they didn't have 'Sixteen Counties' but it has been distributed nearby so I will be on the lookout.

- The food was incredible, we did not have a bad meal the entire time we were there.

- There were a lot of good summer beers around. Very good lagers, pilsners, and sessions as well. However, one of the best beers from the weekend was 'Totally Tubular' from Orono Brewing. This double IPA was super juicy and really nice.

- While it was an awesome trip there were lots of breweries that were not open for pours that we couldn't get cans at: Sebago, Shipyard, and Austin Street just to name a few. We will definitely be back next year.

New Brew Thursday: 'Sugar Shack' from Liquid Riot

As I have stated, on our trip to Maine we were able to visit several breweries but unfortunately most of them were only open for curbside can pick-up. One of these breweries was Liquid Riot and I was able to grab two four packs from them, one of which was 'Sugar Shack'. Now in the interest of full disclosure I was not sure I was going to like this beer. While it is described as a '100% Sap Lager' it is also categorized as a 'Maple Helles Bock' and I typically do not like the Bock style as I think it is too malty but I bought it because I was crazy intrigued. A Helles Bock made with 100% pure Maine Maple Syrup? I knew I had to give it a shot, and I am glad it did because this beer is awesome.

'Sugar Shack' pours a cloudy lightish brown with a nice white head with notes of maple and a subtle note of caramel. It has an impossibly light mouthfeel with an equally impossible combination of sweetness and crispness that I have never experienced before. Sometimes beers that feature maple syrup have a problem where the sweetness can be overwhelming, especially as you get towards the end of the glass... not here. With 'Sugar Shack' the sweetness does not build due to its crispness. Moreover, clocking in at 7% ABV it is D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S-L-Y crushable. The only drawbacks to this beer are that I only have three more left and since Liquid Riot opening for pours on July 9th I cannot be there to try more of their offerings.

If you are in the Portland area you have got to try this beer.