Peak Organic - Nut Brown Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Nut Brown Ale
Peak Organic Brewing Company, LLC
110 Marginal Way #802
Portland, ME USA
Est. 199?
www.peakbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Clear copper color.
Pronounced nutty aroma with a bit of caramel scents present.
One-finger off-white head that leaves minimal lacing.
Nutty taste. Caramel malts lead the taste.
Medium amount of carbonation.
Light to medium mouth feel and body but slightly thin in the finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
A nice English style brown ale and it's organic to boot.  Many new micro breweries are popping up using naturally grown, unadulterated ingredients. This trend is very welcome, what with the outbreaks of contaminated crops we hear about, that make their way into our supermarkets. The Organic label ensures that pesticides and animal proteins (runoff) are kept from the products placed inside the bottles. After all, we want carbs, not protein in our beer, right?

Stone cold fact: In 2009, Peak assisted Maine farmers with the cultivation of commercial hops. This is something that hasn't been done in Maine since 1880.  Peak prides themselves on their commitment to organic brewing and partnering with organic farmers.

Again, a fine brown ale, using trusted ingredients.

Allagash - Dubbel Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Dubbel Ale
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way
Portland, ME USA 
Est.1994
www.allagash.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark amber color.
Malty and slightly sweet nose with touch of yeast and some dark fruit.
Tall, tan head with great draped lacing..
Lots of mixed malt taste and a crisp dry finish.
Medium amount of carbonation.
Medium body. Complex taste.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
Allagash Dubbel Ale was the right call at the end of a busy day. Holiday shopping completed, a reward was in order to celebrate. A recent dip in the temps also helped set  the tone for this 7% dubbel. This beer finishes very clean and leaves you wanting more. And how I wish there were more.

Seven malts go into making Dubbel Ale along with a Belgian yeast strain. It's tasty and a solid ale that can be easily sessioned. While it isn't the absolute best dubbel I've sampled, I would get this again and again. Smooth, malty sweet and delicious.

That does it...going on a hunt for more, soon.

Shipyard Summer Ale

Taps for a Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Shipyard Summer Ale
Shipyard Brewing Company
86 Newbury Street
Portland, ME USA
Est. 1994
www.shipyard.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.1 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (On Tap) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Yellow color with a slight orange tinge.
Sweet pleasant smell but nondescript. Some citrus.
Bubbly, thin white head that leaves spotty lacing.
Minimal malt and hops character show through in the taste.
Adequate level of carbonation.
Light bodied and easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
After completing my sampling notes, I read elsewhere that others have pretty much passed on this one.  But thier reviews were mostly from a bottle.  I found that this was pleasant enough on tap and while not exactly memorable, it wasn't that bad.  It is an easy session drinker as it should be, for a summer style ale.

You can post your comments if you've had it in the bottle or on tap. Let's hear your thoughts.

Sea Dog Raspberry Wheat Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Sea Dog Raspberry Wheat Ale
Sea Dog Brewing Co.
125 Western Ave.
South Portland, ME  USA 
Est. 1993
www.seadogbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Straw yellow color.
Raspberry fruit flavor on the nose.  No malt or hops detectable in smell.
Minimal off-white soapy head. Zero lacing on the glass.
Mostly raspberry tastes comes through with little hops or malt.
Abundant amount of carbonation.
Light fruit flavored, light watery mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Sea Dog's Raspberry Wheat Ale is the best of their fruit flavored beers to date.  It has a little less carbonation than the others and is listed as an ale rather than a beer.  The raspberry flavors taste slightly artificial.  The ale is also a bit watery, but the fruit taste of raspberries are abundant.


To its credit, it is light and refreshing.  And at 4.5% ABV it goes down easy and doesn't leave you feeling weighed down.

Shipyard - Blue Fin Stout

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Blue Fin Stout
Shipyard Brewing Company
86 Newbury Street
Portland, ME USA
Est. 1994
www.shipyard.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.9 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark black pour.
Caramel brown head.
Head coats glass leaving string lacing.
Upfront roasted malt and coffee aroma.
Viscous body to the tongue but a bit watery on finish.
Roasted malt taste; coffee flavored finish. Both not in proportion to the aroma.
Fizzy carbonation.
Surprisingly light overall.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Blue Fin Stout has malt and coffee aromas that fulminate in bouquet.  They don't necessarily continue as fully pronounced in the taste.  That does not translate into a bad drinking experience, since it is lighter than you would expect from a stout.  It also has a modestly low ABV percentage that makes this actually easy to session.

Being from the Northeast, I can claim to a blue fin's fighting spirit, but it seems that the aroma and the taste are the only things that are fighting here.

Allagash - White Beer

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
White Beer
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way
Portland, ME USA Est.1994
www.allagash.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 4.0  (On Tap - Flight) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Straw yellow color with some haze.
Wheat, citrus fruit nose. Small amount of grain noticed.
Foamy white head with decent lacing..
Lemon citrus, wheat, coriander tastes, as with the aroma.
Fair amount of fizzy carbonation creating small bubbles in head.
Light to medium body.  Easy drinker. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
This was the second sampling in the flight at Mr. Beery's tonight.  Creamy and hazy witbier that had just a touch of yeast.  Very delightful after the Victory Golden Monkey.  From the flight sampling, I recall how easily it went down and how refreshingly smooth it was, as are most in the wheat style.  But this was uncommonly better than most witbiers.  First from this brewery for me, but most definitely not the last.

I will get more of this again soon!  Easy to drink at any time of year.

UPDATE 12/14/2010: Had some of this tonight in a 12 ounce bottle and it was as delicious as ever! Going to get more next bottle hunting trip!

Sea Dog Apricot Wheat Beer

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Sea Dog Apricot Wheat Beer
Sea Dog Brewing Co.
125 Western Ave.
South Portland, ME  USA 
Est. 1993
www.seadogbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy amber color.
Apricot fruit syrup aroma, no malt or hops detectable in smell.
Minimal off-white soapy head. Zero lacing on the glass.
Mostly apricot tastes comes through with little hops or malt.
Abundant amount of carbonation.
Light fruit flavored, light bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Sea Dog's Apricot Wheat Beer is like drinking the yummy syrup out of a can of apricots.  Only fizzier.  There is beer flavor in there, but mostly what comes through is the fruit flavor.

There are some unfiltered bits of apricot in the glass making this truly a unique beer.  It would be good on a summer's day, or on a Florida day in the high 70's.  Like today.

Belfast Bay - Lobster Ale

Dead Lobsta'

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Belfast Bay - Lobster Ale
Belfast Bay Brewing Company
100 Seaport Avenue
Belfast, ME USA
Est.1996
www.belfastbaybrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0  

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber with a reddish tinge, in color.
Sweet and malty with slight apple aroma.
Super tall foaming head that slowly diminishes to a thin cover.
The glass laces very nicely at first, then disappears.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Here's a tasty Red Ale that has a food pairing right on the label.  I guess the meaning is supposed to let you know that this Amber Ale or Red Ale as they call it, resembles the color of a lobster.  Clever!

Actually, The Reaper is more interested in telling you that a lobster is one of the freaks of nature that has an exoskeleton (its bones are on the outside).  Ummm, I guess that I just referred to myself as a freak, because The Reaper's bones are on the outside too!  Something in common besides the ale.

Back to the ale, it's a good easy drinker.  One you could have plenty of at your next clambake.  Goes well with just about all of that good food.  So when planning your next beach side clambake or kitchen counter tuna fish sandwich, keep this Lobster Ale in mind.

Sea Dog - Blue Paw Wheat Ale

Taps for a Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Sea Dog Blue Paw Wheat Ale
Sea Dog Brewing Co.
125 Western Ave.
South Portland, ME  USA 
Est. 1993
www.seadogbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.0 (On Tap) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Straw to golden color.
Blueberry fruit aroma, no malt or hops detectable in smell.
Minimal off-white head with some lacing on the glass.
Mostly blueberry tastes comes through with little hops or malt.
Light fruit flavored, light bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
This is a beaut...like drinking a blueberry muffin.  That comfort food aroma is what your nose detects when you raise the glass to your lips.  A novelty and a drinkable beer, Blue Paw Wheat is low in alcohol and refreshing. 

Ordered on tap, a teaspoon of blueberries were added that floated like little blue lobster pot buoys on the head of the beer!  These beer soaked jewels are your prize to enjoy when you reach the bottom of the glass.  Fun to sample this beer of Maine.

Chamberlain Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Chamberlain Pale Ale
Shipyard Brewing Company
86 Newbury Street
Portland, ME USA
Est. 1994
www.shipyard.com
shipyardbrewing.blogspot.com
www.civilwarartist.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.9 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Translucent copper-golden color.
Malt and hops balanced in aroma.
Slight chocolate flavors present.
Caramel colored frothy head with ringed lacing on glass.
Hops punch at the end of each sip.
Crisp, medium body. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
One look at the label and I knew it would be good. This truly 'dead soldier', one Bvt. Maj. Gen. Joshua Laurence Chamberlain was also once the Governor of Maine (1866-70), and President of Bowdoin College (1871-85). Oh yeah...he is also a Medal of Honor recipient. Yawn. I suppose that's a pretty nice resume. But personally, I think that foam-catcher 'stache is his most impressive accomplishment. Just take a look at that bad-ass mustache!

Better still were the liquid contents under "The Little Round Top" on the bottle. For you Civil War history buffs out there, this is the famous Gen. Chamberlain that held off the Alabama Regiment on the left flank at Gettysburg. He thinned out the men of the 20th Maine to hold the line for control of the hill. Speaking of thin, there is nothing thin about this ale. It is as solid in taste as the soldier it is named after.

So keep your powder dry and defend your thirst...Lord knows there were plenty of 'dead soldiers' at the Battle of Gettysburg.