Mountain Beer

There's a brew pub in North Conway (or maybe Conway) New Hampshire called Moat Mountain BBQ and Brew or something like that (sorry, I should be accurate with the name of the place). Anyway, they brew technically sound, good quality, but generally not very adventurous beers. I found an exception to the "not very adventurous" label: a smoke bock that was outside the norm and quite tasty. So I had a pint. This is not a destination bar or brew pub, like Lion's Pride or 3 Tides, but if you are in North Conway (which, by the way, seems to have morphed from a sleepy climbers/skiers village into a shopping mall) swing by, get a tasters set and settle in to one that hits your fancy.

Full Throttle, Baby!

The email from the Great Lost Bear stopped me in my tracks: the first Full Throttle of the season was out, and they had it at the GLB. All other plans cancelled! I hustled to the GLB and ordered one. After a momentary pause I ordered a second (risk management).

Full Throttle Double IPA from Sebago Brewing Company has been my absolute favorite locally brewed beer. How would the 2010 batch fare?

I sipped my first glass and pondered this question. 10 or 15 seconds later I continued my careful cogitation over the second glass. Midway through my third glass the verdict was in: yes, this is the beer I thought it was! A hoppy masterpiece. Beer fantasy fulfilled. While on my fourth glass however I began to have second thoughts: is the beer just a little smoother than the 2009 batch? In this case, by the way, smoother is not better.

So the final verdict is: more research is necessary.

More Belgian Touring

In Brunswick, Maine this time. At the Lion's Pride. What a wonderful beer experience!

As research trips go, this wasn't a bad assignment. A mere 30 miles or so up the road. Anticipating an extreme Belgian beer experience, I booked a room at the Travelers Inn, a short walk from Lion's Pride.

Lion's Pride is worth the drive, the stay, and the manageable headache the next day. The Struise Pannepot alone (I'm sipping the Pannepot in a photo here that features the beautiful glass taps and knowledgeable bartender Zac) is worth the trip: strong, sour, fruity, unique, wonderful! With 35 different beers on tap the place is amazing. And I didn't get to all 35. I guess I need to go back.