Unexpected pleasures

One day in January, I had to take my wife's car to work, and I discovered a small stash behind the seat -- a couple of 22-ounce bombers we had picked up at the RSVP package store in Portland, Maine, during our Christmas travels. Great location, they have. Just up the street from the Great Lost Bear, one of the country’s top beer bars, and quite close to a couple of breweries, including Allagash. I was glad to bring it in, because it was supposed to get really cold that night.

Anyway, unexpected beer is a good thing, and unexpected good beer is even better. I found a Chamberlain Pale Ale from Shipyard Brewing, and Cadillac Mountain Stout from Bar Harbor (Maine) Brewing Company.

The Chamberlain is interesting, because I first got it from friends who know I am a huge fan of Col. Joshua Chamberlain and his 20^th Maine regiment, some of the heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg, Funny thing is, for a beer with a cheesy name, it’s not bad at all. It’s a pale ale, usually too basic a style for me, *and* it’s made by Shipyard, which I don’t generally like because the brewery uses hops only from the United Kingdom. But this is a flavorful, easy-to-drink beer.

The Cadillac Mountain is one of my favorite stouts. (No. 1 is Big Bear Stout from Bear Republic from California. The Cadillac Mountain is one of those dark, chewy stouts that require a real commitment to drink.

You’ll notice, as I recount my travels, that I tend to buy local beers. Sometimes you can get lesser-known out-of-state beers near home. But I always like to pick them up when I travel.

Review: Southampton Double White

One of the most common clichés you’ll hear from beer writers is “Oh, the things I do for my readers . . . “

In this case, it’s going to involve drinking good Belgian Whites.

I decided that since I am enjoying the Long Trail Belgian White so much, that I oughta do fresh tastings on the other top-end Belgian Whites, including Hoegaarden, Allagash White, Sam Adams White and Southampton Double White Ale, which is rated No. 1 among Belgian Whites on www.beeradvocate.com .

I was fortunate enough to stop for beer on the way home from a weekend trip and picked up a bomber of the Southampton Double White Ale, which is described as “ale brewed with spices.”

It’s a really good beer, as would be expected. Thin white head and has the hazy yellow/golden color of the style. The lemon stands out in the nose when you sniff it.

It’s clearly not as sweet as the Long Trail and has more lemon and pepper notes. Some folks get the taste of orange, but I don’t. This beer sits for a long time on the roof of your mouth. Very drinkable.

Yes, it’s something I will drink again. It’s an excellent beer, but at this point, it’s my second-favorite Belgian White of the year.