Fore River Brewing Co: Estuary 8.4%

Day 7 has us at Fore River Brewing Co. in Portland, ME. This Double IPA was smooth with almost no bitterness. Estuary is an almost clear orange color with an 1-inch head when poured from its 16oz can. The smell is of citrus and tropical fruit notes with a hint of pine. The taste follows the nose with similar notes. The pine is so light that you almost don't taste it. Overall, Estuary was a very good DIPA that I enjoyed and I hope that you will enjoy also if you get a chance to try it. 

Lone Pine Brewing Company: Kiwi Cannon 7.5%

Day 6 takes us to Lone Pine Brewing. Lone Pine is a small brewery in Portland, but they sure are doing big things. Kiwi Cannon is an IPA brewed with New Zealand hops. Kiwi Cannon is a light hazy orange with a small head when poured. You get all kinds of fruity aromas right away. The taste is sweet with flavors of melon and kiwi. Overall, this was an interesting take on an IPA that I enjoyed. It was a switch up from the normal, bitter IPAs that I enjoy so much. If you want to try a different style IPA I would suggest you run to Lone Pine and try it now while they still have some.

Mast Landing Brewing Co: Double Dry Hopped Tell Tale 5.3%

Day 5 of Portland week brings us to Mast Landing Brewing Co. in Westbrook, ME. Double Dry Hopped Tell Tale pours a dark hazy orange. You get tropical aromas as soon as the beer hits the glass. As for the taste, it starts off with some citrus notes, followed by tropical fruits notes, and ends with a very light pine flavor. There is very little bitterness which makes Tell Tale an easy drinker. Overall, I was happy with Tell Tale. It combines all of the flavors that I look for in a beer. I would suggest that you check them out if you are ever in the area. 

Orono Brewing Company: Ozone IPA 5.6%

Day 4 of Portland week brings us a beer from Orono, ME. Ozone IPA is a very drinkable IPA with a mild bitterness and scents and flavors of citrus and pine. I found Ozone in Bier Cellar - an amazing package store up in Portland. They have a very extensive selection of beer, wine, and spirits. If you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend checking them out. Next time I go up to Portland I will definitely be going back there to find some other gems. Overall, I was a big fan of Ozone. I am hoping to one day make my way to Orono to check out the brewery and have some more of their beers. 

Bissell Brothers Brewing: Seed 6%

For day 3 of Portland week we have Seed from Bissell Brothers. Seed was part of the reason I made my way up to Portland this past weekend. Seed is a Berliner Weisse brewed with over 2,000 pounds of strawberries and raspberries. It's a deep red color with scents of strawberry, raspberry, and alcohol. The flavor followed the nose with strong tastes of strawberry and raspberry. Seed is a little tart but not too overpowering. Overall, my first experience with Seed was a good one. The strawberry and raspberry flavors make it taste more like soda instead of beer. I know Seed just dropped but I already look forward to next year's batch.

Foundation Brewing Company: Venture 8%

For day 2 we have Venture from Foundation Brewing Company. Venture is a Maine IPA brewed with Columbus, Cascade, Chinook, El Dorado, and Mosaic. Golden orange in color with a small head, Venture has a smell of pine and tropical fruits. The taste has mango upfront, followed by pine. It has a medium to strong bitterness. Overall, Venture is amazing. The taste and smell is everything I was looking for in a beer. It has been one of my favorites and a go to every time I visit Foundation. 

Foundation Brewing Company: Cosmic Bloom 5.8%

To start off Portland week as I'm going to call it, we have Cosmic Bloom from Foundation Brewing Company. Cosmic Bloom is an American Ale brewed with Galaxy, Amarillo, Centennial, Azacca, and Magnum hops. This beer smelled absolutely amazing. You get grapefruit and mango aromas as soon as it comes out of the can. The taste starts off bitter with flavors of grapefruit, orange, berry and mango. Overall, the more I drank Cosmic Bloom the more I ended up liking it. It's one of those beers that you'll end up falling in love with the deeper you get into it.

Gun Hill Brewing Company: Mosaic Soft Serve 3%

You wouldn't think a 3% IPA exists, but Mosaic Soft Serve from Gun Hill Brewing Company has made one. Foggy yellow in color, Mosaic Soft Serve has a very light lemon aroma to it. The taste is also very light and includes flavors of pine. Overall, I wasn't a big fan of Mosaic Soft Serve. There just wasn't enough flavor to keep me wanting to drink it. I will, however, give Gun Hill Brewing another shot when I find another one of their beers in a store near me.

Backlash Beer Company: Fenway 7%

Backlash Beer Company has been turning out some good beers lately and Fenway is no different. Fenway is an IPA from their Stomping Grounds Series. It's brewed with Citra and Idaho hops. As soon as I poured Fenway from the can I could instantly smell citrus, orange, melon, and pine. The taste had a lot of similar flavors. It started off with a bitterness and ended somewhat smooth. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Fenway and can't wait to see what else Backlash has coming out in their Stomping Grounds Series. 

Cisco Brewers Inc.: Madaquet Double IPA 8%

I was very intrigued when I saw Madaquet DIPA on the chalkboard series at Yard House. I'm a big DIPA fan so anytime I have the chance to try one I'm all for it. Madaquet was a hazy yellow orange color with very little head poured on draft. It had a light citrus smell to it. The taste, on the other hand, was something totally different. Madaquet had a pine taste to it, lacking the citrus flavor I was hoping for. The beer also had a mild to strong bitterness to it.  Overall, I was slightly disappointed in Madaquet. I was expecting a juicy, New England style DIPA, but got something else. I guess you can't always get what you want now can you?

Aeronaut Brewing Company: 3 Years With Dr. Nandu 7.6%

I was very happy when I found out that Aeronaut came out with a 3 Year with Dr. Nandu because I'm a big fan of A Year with Dr. Nandu. 3 Years with Dr. Nandu is a hop forward DIPA brewed with mosaic hops. Poured from a 16 oz can into a can style glass, I pick up a big hop smell. The taste is smooth with a big citrus flavor up front, followed by a slight pine taste. It's not as juicy as Double Hop Hop but it still has that juicy aspect to it. Since it's so smooth there is not a lot of bitterness to it. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Where A Year with Dr. Nandu is more malt forward, I was happy that 3 Years with Dr. Nandu was more hop forward to change things up a little bit. Aeronaut is coming out with some amazing beers so you should check them out if you haven't yet.

SingleCut Beersmiths: Softly Spoken Magic Spells 8.6%

Finally, a different brewery I get to try out...SingleCut Beersmiths. Softly Spoken Magic Spells from SingleCut Beersmiths is a IIPA that packs flavor and is super soft to your lips when you sip it. A dark hazy orange color when poured from a can, you pick up aromas of citrus and hops. The taste was soft like a fluffy pillow with flavors of tropical citrus and pine. Overall, Softly Spoken Magic Spell was pretty amazing. The way it felt soft to drink and the combination of flavors made me wish I bought more than just one. 

Tree House Brewing Company: Sap 7.3%

Tree House Brewing Company absolutely crushed this one. Sap is an American IPA brewed with North American Hops. It pours a foggy orange with a medium white head. You get aromas of grapefruit, pine, pineapple, and mango from the first sniff of the glass. The taste has a soft dry finish with flavors of citrus and not as much pine as you would expect for the amount that you smell. Overall, I thought this beer was amazing. From the complex flavors to the soft dry finish, this beer is a winner in my book. I look forward to seeing what else Tree House has to offer. 

Finback Brewery: Meridian 7%

WOW.....Finback Brewery has a winner on their hands. Meridian is an IPA dry hopped with meridian and mosaic hops. The smell is of tropical fruits. The taste is very simple and starts with a strong melon flavor that you just want to fall in love with. Next comes notes of lemon and pineapple. There is very little bitterness which I seemed to love for this particular IPA. Overall, this was a grand-slam for me. We don't get a lot of Finback here so when it shows up it moves quickly. I will be keeping my eye out for the next time another one shows up so I can be sure to try what else is in their lineup. 

Night Shift Brewing: Furth 5.5%

Another day, another Night Shift Brewing beer. This time it's Furth, their German-style hefeweizen ale. It pours a very slight orange, for that classic look of a hefeweizen. The smell is wheat, banana and cloves. Taste follows the aromas with a light wheat flavor, followed by banana and cloves. I also pick up a slight orange flavor. Overall, Furth won't be a go to for me when it comes to hefeweizen, but it's a decent effort from Night Shift.

Great Rhythm Brewing Company: Burst 6.2%

Burst is a collaboration between Great Rhythm Brewing Company and Black Hog Brewing Company. They call Burst a kettle sour IPA and that is exactly what it is. The color is a very hazy light orange with a pink tinge. The smell is sour with an alcoholic scent to it. There is intense guava, strawberry and grapefruit notes in Burst. As you know, I am a big IPA fan but not a big sour fan, so I was intrigued by this combination. Overall, Burst was the right combination of sour and IPA to make me like this one. It had that sour aspect to it but still had that hoppiness that I look for.

Night Shift Brewing: The 87 8%

Hands down, one of my favorites from Night Shift Brewing is the 87. Named after their address, 87 Santilli Highway in Everett, the 87 is an American Double IPA that is very well balanced. You get aromas of pine and citrus as soon as you run your nose over the glass. The taste is of citrus, tropical fruit, and fresh grass. The bitterness is not too overpowering, but rather quite pleasant. Overall, the 87 is just one of those beers that you need to try if you make your way to the brewery or happen to find it in a store near you. 

Down the Road Beer Co: Feyborn Berliner Weisse 4.5%

It was time to switch things up from the normal IPAs and Hefe. This time I went with a Berliner Weisse from Down the Road Beer Company. Rose pink in color with a small white head, you pick up aromas of fruits (specifically strawberries) and wheat. The taste is very tart and sour with flavors of strawberries and maybe even some raspberries. You also taste a little wheat and malt. Overall, Feyborn wasn't a bad beer. If you're into sours you should give it a shot. I'm not sure if I'll ever be a fan of sours, but I also said that once about IPAs and now they are one of my favorites. So, there is always that chance one day I will like sours. Here's to the next sour that gets the chance to win me over. 

Night Shift Brewing: Morph #53 5.5%

Another one from Night Shift Brewing. This time it's Morph batch #53. Morph is a rotating IPA series with new recipes from batch to batch. They experiment with different hops and malts to showcase a range of IPA varieties. When they made #53 Night Shift brewed with Rakau, Vic Secret, and Idaho 7 hops. You get notes of Meyer lemon, grapefruit zest, melon rind, and slight herbaceousness. The color is a hazy orange with a fluffy head. Overall Morph #53 was a great experience. I always look forward to each Morph batch to see what Night Shift has done to switch things up. 

Maine Brewing Company: A Tiny Beautiful Something 5.5%

Maine Brewing Company A Tiny Beautiful Something is that beautiful pale ale that you have been looking for. A stunning cloudy orange color with a super fluffy white head, you get aromas of floral hops followed by citrus and grassy notes once poured into a glass. The taste is very clean and refreshing with notes of citrus and pine. There is also a light malt sweetness and clean bitterness to this beer. Overall, A Tiny Beautiful Something was a phenomenal pale ale brewed with precision and I look forward to picking up another one from Maine Brewing Company.

Lamplighter Brewing Company: So Much For Subtlety 8%

WOW just WOW. I have been waiting to try something from Lamplighter Brewing Company and boy was So Much For Subtlety a good one. Pour from a 16 oz can into a tulip style glass you pick up aromas of citrus right off the bat. I would say orange is a major player in this one. The taste brings that orange back into the beer but it also brings other major flavors such melon and pine. In my opinion a DIPA is much smoother than your regular IPA and there was not much bitterness in this one. Overall, So Much For Subtlety was very good. I look forward to visiting Lamplighter and seeing what else they have.

Heretic Brewing Company: Make America Juicy Again 6.5%

Make America Juicy Again by Heretic Brewing Company is an American IPA. I drank this one from the can so not sure what color it was but it definitely was juicy. You pick up aromas of passion fruit, citrus, lemon, pineapple, pine, biscuit, and malt. The taste was similar to the smell with a lot of the same notes. Make America Juicy Again was very smooth with very little bitterness which is surprising for an IPA. It also had a dry finish. Overall this was a very good introduction to Heretic Brewing Company for me and I look forward to trying what else they have to offer.

Weihenstephaner: Hefeweissbier 5.4%

Another one of my favorite hefeweissbier. Like i've prevoulsy have said Weihenstephaner is "The oldest brewery in the World". There Hefeweissbier is amazing and what I would consider a top notch hefe. It pours a golden cloudy yellow with a super fluffy white head. You get a nice yeasty aroma followed by banana, wheat, and spices. The taste is fairly sweet with very minimal bitterness.  Hefeweissbier packs flavors of banana, yeast and grains. Overall if your looking for a  Hefeweissbier this is the one you would want to get. 

Stillwater Artisanal Ales: Shoegaze 6%

This beer was strictly bought off the look of the can and the name of the beer. Shoegaze from Stillwater Artisanal Ales is an distorted farmhouse pale ale. A super bright golden color with a fluffy white head it packs a bunch of different flavors. It's tart and dry with a base of citrus, grass, and tropical fruits. The smell puts off aromas of pine and citrus. Overall this was something different that I wasn't expecting. I took a shot in the dark on something and it turned out to be a winner in my book.

Lawson's Finest Liquids: Super Session #8 4.8%

Super Session #8 is an American IPA by Lawson's Finest. Poured from a 12 oz can into a can style glass Super Session is a light amber color with a super fluffy head. You get aromas of peaches, apricot and pineapple. The taste brings a lot of the flavors back into Super Session #8 with added flavors of malts and mango. Overall Super Session #8 is solid beer. It's a nice light IPA that packs all of the flavors some of the heavier IPAs bring to the the table. 

Night Shift Brewing: Santilli 6%

Another day another Night Shift beer...this time I went with Santilli. Santilli is a smooth sipping American IPA that packs flavor. Poured into the 16 oz Santilli can glass Santilli is a straw golden color with a big white fluffy head. It has aromas of pine and citrus. On first sip you get a nice clean malt taste, followed by pine and citrus. There's a medium bitterness to Santilli. Overall, once again Night Shift did their thing and made a great beer to add to an already strong line up.

Night Shift Brewing: Fluffy 5.2%

Night Shift Brewing Fluffy is an American IPA brewed with Topaz, Vic Secret, and Hallertau Blanc hops. Poured from the 16 oz can into a can style glass Fluffy is a hazy dark orange with a tall cream head. You instantly get aromas of orange and grapefruit followed by melon and some sweet malts. The taste is a bit light on the palate with an upfront flavor of orange and tangerine. It is followed by some floral hops and a little melon. Overall Fluffy was an easy drinker, which at 5.2%, you kind of expect that. This adds another solid beer to an already strong lineup for Night Shift. As of now, it has only been brewed three times and only available at the brewery. Hopefully they will brew this one again. 

Allagash Brewing Company: Emile 7.2%

When I saw Emile in the store I was excited to try it out seeing that it was aged in wine barrels. However, when I took my first sip I was disappointed. Not realizing that it was going to be a sour gave me a little bit of a shock. It was very tart with a taste of vinegar, oak, and grains. The smell brought in all of the notes with an added smell of cider. As for the color it was a very dark redish brown with medium grey head. I'm usually a fan of Allagash but unfortunately this time I was not. 

Finback Brewery: Lollipop Woods 6.8%

Lollipop Woods was a very interesting beer. It was the third collaboration between Finback Brewery and RAR Brewery. They categorize it as a cherry lime IPA. Poured from the 16oz can it was almost a pink grapefruit color with barely any head. You can pick up some fruity hop aromas. For the taste I didn't get any lime or cherry. It was more of a grapefruit with a slight orange taste to me. There was a medium bitterness to Lollipop Woods. Overall it was a pretty decent effort from Finback and RAR.