Her cold, cold heart . . .

More from an earlier beer story.

OK, so yes, I found two beers in the car one night right before a very hard freeze.

Trouble is, there were three in there.

Found the remains of the bottle of the third in the morning, and the beer looked like that foam you spray to fill in holes in the wall. What a terrible end for a bottle of Ex-Wife Bitter Blonde Ale from Freeport Brewing Company. Yep, that's what I said "Ex Wife, etc." (You will note I did not say "bitter end.)

I was a touch depressed because it's another one of those beers that you buy because of the name and then it turns out to be pretty decent. (Even though it's not one of my favorite styles).

Anyway, on to the Cadillac Mtn. Stout from Bar Harbor (Maine) Brewing Company.

I always wonder about beers that feature a medal-winning note on the label. In this case, it's a "Platinum" from the 1995 World Beer Championships, marking it a world champion dry stout.

Now, I first bought it because I had heard good recommendations. I figure beer medals involve being in the right place at the right time, and heck, this one's 12 years old.

It's also one of the best stouts I have had.

What's cool about this one is that it gives you strong notes of chocolate, yet it's not brewed with chocolate. It's also balanced -- but very strong -- in hops and malts. Very big-tasting beer and very smooth.

It's the top-rated stout on Beer Advocate, which I did not realize until I just went to check its alcohol content (6.7, fairly alcoholic).

I use BA as a reference, and I have been on the site for more than five years. There will be a lot more about the site and the guys behind it as we go on.

PS: The 12-year-old single malt also spent the night in the car, but by God's Teeth, it didn't freeze.

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.