Blueberry Ale

Beer Name: Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Brewery: Atlantic Brewing Company
ABV: 5.2%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle poured into a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown, best by Feb 2011

I wonder who the first person was that decided that combining blueberries with beer might be a delicious idea. Obviously this man was a genius. I realize that it's pretty sexist to assume it was a guy, but I'm just playing the odds here. As they say, don't hate the player; hate the game. I am not exactly sure how that fits in here, but let's just go with it.

This particular blueberry offering comes from the folks who brought you Coal Porter: Secret Agent. It's an amber-esque colored beer with hardly any head. And that little bit is not there very long. I also did not get much lacing. Blueberry Ale smells mostly like blueberries. Big surprise. There is also a background smell of something grainy, which gives an overall impression of a blueberry muffin. That's good, as blueberry muffins are delicious.

The first sip is dominated by blueberry. Strangely, the berry taste faded as I continued drinking it. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The beer has a crisp taste from the carbonation, and finishes without an aftertaste. Very refreshing.

Final thought - As far as fruit beers go, this is a good one. I'd like to enjoy a few in the summer while sitting in Kathryn's hammock and pretending I'm not going to fall asleep. Hopefully I finish the beer first so that I don't spill it all over myself.

-Jon

Coal Porter

Beer Name: Coal Porter
Brewery: Atlantic Brewing Company
ABV: 6.5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle poured into a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Coal Porter sounds like it could be the bad guy in an action movie. Or the good guy in a video game where you do a lot of shooting. Either way, it would be spelled "Cole Porter," but you get the idea.

Atlantic Brewing Company is a microbrewery in Bar Harbor, specializing in small-batch brewing and also soda. Mom and Chuck got us a sample pack (and also a 6-pack of root beer that was entirely consumed in my absence) during their delayed honeymoon, and that is exciting because it means new beers to try.

Coal Porter is a dark brown beer with a thin head and a whole lot of lacing. The lacing is so thick that it's practically not lacing, but rather more of a foamy cloud left behind on the glass. There is a deep roasted aroma with a hint of sweetness, probably chocolate.

It tastes like a porter. Obviously that's not very helpful, but if you know porters, you know what you're getting here. There's a brief taste of sweetness, and then the roasted bitterness at the end. Light carbonation in there as well. The ABC site claims that there is a subtle hop flavor to this beer, but I'm not getting it. Maybe it's because I am expecting the flavor of Cascade hops, and this one doesn't use those. The point is, there's not a whole lot of hops going on here, so don't be expecting major hoppiness. There's also a mild aftertaste that hangs around a bit after each sip.

Final thought - The Coal Porter is a good beer if you're looking for something heavy. It's got a fairly strong flavor, although it's not overpowering. I don't know when I'll ever get another one, but I'll be keeping on eye out for it.

-Jon