Maine Beer Co - Mo

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Aroma on this is fantastic. Definitely a hop forward pale ale. No mistaking it for an IPA though (or maybe you could for a "session" IPA, I dunno). Lightly bitter, slightly sweet malt body.

Super drinkable. But again, I paid $7-8 for the bottle. ONE BOTTLE. I bought a six pack of OTWOA two weeks ago for $18. The MBC beer is almost twice as expensive per ounce. I'll stick to their beers on draft once I've tried them. A shame because they're all pretty darn good.

Random, Forgettable Beers

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Woodstock Inn Brewery - Pemi Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

From the beer of the month club.

Solid malt body. Or more precisely, very malty with a lot of caramel-y flavors. Mild bitterness for the style. Unoffensive. I wouldn't turn one down, but I wouldn't actively purchase one again. 

Devil's Backbone - Stripped Bass Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Yet another beer from Devil's Backbone

This is a bready, lightly hopped pale ale. Ever so slight bitterness to it. Very crisp. Nice enough, but I wouldn't recommend it for the price ($7 for the bomber).

DuClaw - Anti- Venom - Citra

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Very clear aroma from the citra hops.

I think I need to remind myself that the standard recipe is probably more malty than I'm typically looking for. Some bitterness to it. Its fine. I'll probably skip future offerings.

Saranac - Big Moose Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This has a malt taste more like a english pale ale (or at least what I associate with one). It has an impressive hop bill, but they don't really come through. Its a fine beer, nothing great. Not terrible. 

Maine Beer Co. - Peeper Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I've had this a few times in Maine on my various travels. It's a lemony pale ale. No real malt backbone although it describes itself as having a "pleasant malt body."

It would be a much better beer if they bottled (or canned) it in six packs and charged $10 for it instead of $6-7 for the 20 oz. Also, it would be better if I was drinking this in the middle of the summer.

Nice & pleasant, no reason to go out of your way for it though. Bonus points for their super simplistic labels.

Cigar City - Riverwalk Dry Hopped Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Pretty easy drinking. For something billed as "dry hopped" I didn't think it was that aromatic. Nice enough. I did not get a second.

DuClaw - Anti-Venom Pale Ale Green Bullet

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

A single hopped pale ale. A variation on their Venom pale ale (which I've never had).

This was enjoyable enough. The hops are a little grassy. Decent amount of bitterness and balance.

Peak Organic - Simcoe Spring Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

A decent enough pale ale. Slightly bitter. Not tropical, citrusy or fruity. Maybe grassy or earthy? I wouldn't buy it again, but I wouldn't refuse to drink it.

Lost Rhino - New River Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Very mild and understated (compared to say, Public Ale or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale). Much sweeter, not very bitter. Smells nice enough. Eh.

Founders Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Mildly bitter, a lot maltier than I expected. I wouldn't have picked out cascade hops unless I had looked at their website.

Its a fine beer, I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again though.

21st Amendment - Bitter American

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I think I like this less than the DC Brau. Both of them are very quaffable, but I like the public ale better. The hops and bittering on this are just a little off for me.

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

DC Brau - Public Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Ah. Finally got a six pack.

Still tasty. A nicely balanced pale ale. I think I got the six pack for $10. Its good, but I wouldn't pay any more for it. Its a good option at the bar for $5 or $6 though (comparatively).

Troegs - Perpetual IPA

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

They're fairly vague as to whether this is an IPA or something else in their mind. An imperial pale ale? It's tasty though. Pretty bitter, with a nice malt backbone. I'm not sure I'd pick up more big bottles, but if they put it in 6 packs I'd pick one up occasionally.

Bonus Mandy Thoughts:
It tastes better than our dog's breath smells. [I think she liked it.]

Left Hand - Stranger Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Smelled better than it tasted. Mildly sweet & moderate bitterness. I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again.

DC Brau The Public

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I think this was the new recipe, they apparently tweaked it to make it slightly less hoppy and more malty. I think I liked the first recipe better. Still enjoyable though.

Oliver's Strongman Pale Ale with Sorachi Ace (Cask)

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was... interesting. Strong lemon taste from the sorachi ace hops. I'm not sure it works. I did not order another.

Great Lakes Engine 20 (Smoked Pale Ale)

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

On tap at Meridian Pint. Mandy actually ordered this.

This seriously tastes like bacon.

Short's Pandemonium Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I spotted three Short's beers at one of the beer stores this weekend. They're not normally distributed in DC so I picked up one of each to try.

I think these guys are typically known for making ridiculous beers that taste like key lime pie, s'mores, strawberry shortcake and other non-typical beer flavors.


This tastes like a typical pale ale. Not too hoppy or bitter. Meh. I dig the label art on this one though.