A Tiny Beautiful Something | Maine Beer Company
Brewed by:
Maine Beer Company
Maine, United States
mainebeercompany.com
Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.50%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
A tiny beautiful something showcases a new hop variety, El Dorado. We started playing around with this hop last year. We brewed a pilot batch with this hop exclusively and one with it blended with some of our other favorite Northwest varieties. In the end, we decided that the El Dorado had such a unique and interesting character on its own, so we decided to brew it as a “single hop” pale ale. The aroma and flavor offer intense candied orange and citrus zest. A touch of flaked oats provide a rounded, silky mouthfeel. And like our other hoppy offerings, tiny was brewed to finish dry and clean.
Added by RKing44 on 02-18-2014
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 1,273 | Reviews: 208
3.87/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.47/5 rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Slight chill haze on an orange-infused dark gold. Head is bubbly, dense, and off-white. Drops to a small cap with sheets of lacing clinging to the glass. Moderate carbonation leaves a steady stream of bubbles from the bottom.
Smell: Spicy lemon zest. A touch of juicy citrus and some slight hints of orange, grapefruit, and vague tropical notions. Malts run very mildy sweet with a slight toasted edge. Bready with some pale cracker snap thrown in for good measure. Pale malt sweetness. Slight spicy esters coupled with something that reminds me of lemon Pledge. A touch herbal in the back. Lemon builds as it warms, but it never gets too aggressive or sweet.
Taste: Pale and slightly sweet. A touch of caramelized malt thrown in with a light bready component and some slightly toasted elements as well. Hops are mild compared to the nose, and they weren't aggressive there either. Touches of lemon flesh and oily zest. Some vague leafy herbal hop elements. Some grapefruit pith. Mild and balanced like all MBC beers. Slight biscuity push as it warms. Peppery and lemony through and through. Some vague stone fruit as well.
Mouthfeel: Medium leaning to light body with a bubbly moderate carbonation. Clean and a touch crisp.
Overall: A tiny tasty something.
Dear MBC, I would drink this and every other beer you make forever...but this has an issue with bottle price (like all MBC). A super easy drinking and unique pale ale.
1,446 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Slight chill haze on an orange-infused dark gold. Head is bubbly, dense, and off-white. Drops to a small cap with sheets of lacing clinging to the glass. Moderate carbonation leaves a steady stream of bubbles from the bottom.
Smell: Spicy lemon zest. A touch of juicy citrus and some slight hints of orange, grapefruit, and vague tropical notions. Malts run very mildy sweet with a slight toasted edge. Bready with some pale cracker snap thrown in for good measure. Pale malt sweetness. Slight spicy esters coupled with something that reminds me of lemon Pledge. A touch herbal in the back. Lemon builds as it warms, but it never gets too aggressive or sweet.
Taste: Pale and slightly sweet. A touch of caramelized malt thrown in with a light bready component and some slightly toasted elements as well. Hops are mild compared to the nose, and they weren't aggressive there either. Touches of lemon flesh and oily zest. Some vague leafy herbal hop elements. Some grapefruit pith. Mild and balanced like all MBC beers. Slight biscuity push as it warms. Peppery and lemony through and through. Some vague stone fruit as well.
Mouthfeel: Medium leaning to light body with a bubbly moderate carbonation. Clean and a touch crisp.
Overall: A tiny tasty something.
Dear MBC, I would drink this and every other beer you make forever...but this has an issue with bottle price (like all MBC). A super easy drinking and unique pale ale.
1,446 characters
4.04/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Re-review on 9/15/2014 bottle dated 08/26/14
Pours straw-color with a hint of orange, slightly dirty with a full pour. Clarity is hazy to cloudy, with nice sustaining head. Smell of pineapple, orange or grapefruit rind, and a little wet leaves. The orange smell comes on a bit more as the beer warms.
Taste is quite similar to the smell. The El Dorado hops provides a taste a bit more on the grapefruit side, but the pineapple and some sweet orange also come through, to me, seemingly in reverse proportions than the initial nose. The end has a grassy dryness, which reminds me a bit like lemongrass when combined with the other flavors. Carbonation is pretty strong, adding a little bite when the beer is still cold.
The fruitiness of this beer is interesting, especially given that the beer seems quite dry as well, some sips exposing a bitter flavor, others a sweeter orange or pineapple flavor. That said, the beer doesn't "feel" complex to me, and in fact the body seems a bit light. I think it's better than my original review, but I'll likely only get this once in a while.
Another revisit 1/2016 on beer dated 12/1/15:
Lightly hazy more yellowish pour (not sure where I saw the hint of orange before)
Only difference in nose is a light mint note (strangely), age?
Taste review is in, but a light mint accompanied the grass.
Feels softer and nicely balanced in this review, the only rating I found off
1,417 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Re-review on 9/15/2014 bottle dated 08/26/14
Pours straw-color with a hint of orange, slightly dirty with a full pour. Clarity is hazy to cloudy, with nice sustaining head. Smell of pineapple, orange or grapefruit rind, and a little wet leaves. The orange smell comes on a bit more as the beer warms.
Taste is quite similar to the smell. The El Dorado hops provides a taste a bit more on the grapefruit side, but the pineapple and some sweet orange also come through, to me, seemingly in reverse proportions than the initial nose. The end has a grassy dryness, which reminds me a bit like lemongrass when combined with the other flavors. Carbonation is pretty strong, adding a little bite when the beer is still cold.
The fruitiness of this beer is interesting, especially given that the beer seems quite dry as well, some sips exposing a bitter flavor, others a sweeter orange or pineapple flavor. That said, the beer doesn't "feel" complex to me, and in fact the body seems a bit light. I think it's better than my original review, but I'll likely only get this once in a while.
Another revisit 1/2016 on beer dated 12/1/15:
Lightly hazy more yellowish pour (not sure where I saw the hint of orange before)
Only difference in nose is a light mint note (strangely), age?
Taste review is in, but a light mint accompanied the grass.
Feels softer and nicely balanced in this review, the only rating I found off
1,417 characters
4.03/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A striking color combination between the head and body. A just off white head sitting on top of an orange amber beer which is a bit hazy. The head shows good retention and never really fades leaving patches of lacing around the glass.
The aroma is equally up to what I've come to expect from MBC, very aromatic.
The aroma featuring the El Dorado hop variety is very fresh and has plenty of fruity notes.
I can smell pineapples and citrus but also candied orange slices and honeysuckle. The aromas are bold but subtle and never get to the point of being intrusive.
The taste sports fresh candied malts. The hops are not as prevalent in the taste as in the nose.
The hops are fresh and bold with a decent amount of flavor but not enought in either malt or hops to stop a lean washed out feel.
Drinks pretty clean on the palate with a smooth easy drinking feel. There is a hint of refined bitterness.
I like this beer, it smelled fantastic and looked fantastic. I wish some of those El Dorado hops came through in the taste, but it's a dual purpose hop and that could be difficult when used as a single hop in the brewing process.
Still it was good.
1,150 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A striking color combination between the head and body. A just off white head sitting on top of an orange amber beer which is a bit hazy. The head shows good retention and never really fades leaving patches of lacing around the glass.
The aroma is equally up to what I've come to expect from MBC, very aromatic.
The aroma featuring the El Dorado hop variety is very fresh and has plenty of fruity notes.
I can smell pineapples and citrus but also candied orange slices and honeysuckle. The aromas are bold but subtle and never get to the point of being intrusive.
The taste sports fresh candied malts. The hops are not as prevalent in the taste as in the nose.
The hops are fresh and bold with a decent amount of flavor but not enought in either malt or hops to stop a lean washed out feel.
Drinks pretty clean on the palate with a smooth easy drinking feel. There is a hint of refined bitterness.
I like this beer, it smelled fantastic and looked fantastic. I wish some of those El Dorado hops came through in the taste, but it's a dual purpose hop and that could be difficult when used as a single hop in the brewing process.
Still it was good.
1,150 characters
4.14/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured bottle dated 2/11/14 batch 1 into New Belgium globe
A-Pours a hazy orange/yellow color with a 2 finger and a half of off-white head. Great lacing.
S-Aromas of orange citrus, light floral notes, fruit and honey.
T-Tasting notes of orange citrus, biscuit, citrus peel/rind, floral hops and honey.
M-Semi-juicy mouthfeel, medium carbonation. Medium body with a semi-dry finish.
O-Another awesome offering from Maine Beer Company! Way to use the El Dorado hops very mummy!
483 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured bottle dated 2/11/14 batch 1 into New Belgium globe
A-Pours a hazy orange/yellow color with a 2 finger and a half of off-white head. Great lacing.
S-Aromas of orange citrus, light floral notes, fruit and honey.
T-Tasting notes of orange citrus, biscuit, citrus peel/rind, floral hops and honey.
M-Semi-juicy mouthfeel, medium carbonation. Medium body with a semi-dry finish.
O-Another awesome offering from Maine Beer Company! Way to use the El Dorado hops very mummy!
483 characters
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled 021114 (Batch 1)
A: Pours a lightly hazed and muddy copper color with a fingers worth of head that fades down to a thick layer of bubbles that leaves sheets of lacing
S: Nice and citrusy, with tropical and fruity hop notes and a good dose of malt. Almost a candy-like sweetness come through as well
T: Starts off with the fruity hops and a good deal of sweet malts. Some grassiness comes through with some earthy undertones. Very well balanced throughout. Not very bitter at any point. Finishes more malt-forward
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation
O: A very well balanced and drinkable APA. I'm a little surprised by the lack of a real hop "pop" given the brewery, but it's still nice. I'd take MO over this for an APA, but this one is still worth a try
774 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled 021114 (Batch 1)
A: Pours a lightly hazed and muddy copper color with a fingers worth of head that fades down to a thick layer of bubbles that leaves sheets of lacing
S: Nice and citrusy, with tropical and fruity hop notes and a good dose of malt. Almost a candy-like sweetness come through as well
T: Starts off with the fruity hops and a good deal of sweet malts. Some grassiness comes through with some earthy undertones. Very well balanced throughout. Not very bitter at any point. Finishes more malt-forward
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation
O: A very well balanced and drinkable APA. I'm a little surprised by the lack of a real hop "pop" given the brewery, but it's still nice. I'd take MO over this for an APA, but this one is still worth a try
774 characters
A Tiny Beautiful Something from Maine Beer Company
Beer rating:
4.02 out of
5 with
1,273 ratings
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