Zoe
Maine Beer Company
- From:
- Maine Beer Company
- Maine, United States
- Style:
- American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #1 - ABV:
- 7.2%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #3,663 - Avg:
- 4.19 | pDev: 8.35%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 657
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 01, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 03, 2009
- Wants:
- 348
- Gots:
- 520
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Our take on an American amber ale. Complex malt bill delivers notes of dark raisin, chocolate and biscuit. Copious additions of American hops yield notes of pine and citrus: Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mushroomcloud:
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas
4.25/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On draught at the brewery 10-18-23. Finally putting my notes in 10-6-24.
1" head with good retention down to a full cap and leaves behind full lacing.
Amber body with good clarity, clean - not opaque but not quite see through.
Lightly roasted and earthy in the nose. Weedy, leafy hops.
Earthy malt and orange peel plus leafy hops in the flavor. Appealing combo.
Fresh tasting and lean mouthfeel.
Very Good to Outstanding.
Oct 06, 20241" head with good retention down to a full cap and leaves behind full lacing.
Amber body with good clarity, clean - not opaque but not quite see through.
Lightly roasted and earthy in the nose. Weedy, leafy hops.
Earthy malt and orange peel plus leafy hops in the flavor. Appealing combo.
Fresh tasting and lean mouthfeel.
Very Good to Outstanding.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Duluth
2.37/5 rDev -43.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2
2.37/5 rDev -43.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2
How is this the #1 red/amber. Not even close imo. All it is, is hops. I would not call this a red, or an amber. Very pine and citrus. This is not even a top 100 red or amber imo. Probably not a top 500. Fat Tire, Alien Amber, Smithwicks…all better. I could go on and on. Kiltlifter.
Jun 01, 2025Reviewed by Sinfull from New York
4.2/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Mahogany color. Big, beige head. Bread, toasted caramel, and earthy hops in the area. Strong, hoppy bitterness in taste, which is surprisingly pleasant. Probably the best amber I've had.
Apr 10, 2025
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas
4.19/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass
Appearance – The brew pours a clear brownish red-amber color with a one finger fizzy head of off-white foam. The head has a decent level of retention, fading over time and leaving a touch of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is strongest of a lightly toasted brown bread smell mixed with aromas of a light coffee and some char. Other aromas of a pine and herbal hop and a touch of sweet caramel and dark fruit of cherry and plum are there as well, creating a rather toasty and inviting smell.
Taste – The taste starts with a very nice blend of toasted malt flavor with a nice caramel and toffee background. There are also some very complimenting pine hop flavors mixed with a bit of earthiness. As the taste advances the sweet gets a bit stronger, with more caramel and toffee, along with a bit of cherry and raisin. While it gets sweeter in the middle of the taste profile, it later dries out a bit, all while more pine and a bit of herb join in. There is a touch of coffee and some hay that come on at the very end, leaving one with a nice, lightly toasted and rather hop balanced taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium in thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is average. Very well done for the mix of toasted malt, sweet, and hop. Very easy drinking, with all flavors being able to stand strong.
Overall – A very nice amber ale with a very balanced and flavor forward taste and excellent drinkability. Quite excellent.
Jun 20, 2024Appearance – The brew pours a clear brownish red-amber color with a one finger fizzy head of off-white foam. The head has a decent level of retention, fading over time and leaving a touch of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is strongest of a lightly toasted brown bread smell mixed with aromas of a light coffee and some char. Other aromas of a pine and herbal hop and a touch of sweet caramel and dark fruit of cherry and plum are there as well, creating a rather toasty and inviting smell.
Taste – The taste starts with a very nice blend of toasted malt flavor with a nice caramel and toffee background. There are also some very complimenting pine hop flavors mixed with a bit of earthiness. As the taste advances the sweet gets a bit stronger, with more caramel and toffee, along with a bit of cherry and raisin. While it gets sweeter in the middle of the taste profile, it later dries out a bit, all while more pine and a bit of herb join in. There is a touch of coffee and some hay that come on at the very end, leaving one with a nice, lightly toasted and rather hop balanced taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium in thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is average. Very well done for the mix of toasted malt, sweet, and hop. Very easy drinking, with all flavors being able to stand strong.
Overall – A very nice amber ale with a very balanced and flavor forward taste and excellent drinkability. Quite excellent.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I had this on draft 4/30/24 @ the Hopleaf.
Mostly opaque red/orange appearance.
Nice khaki head; thick tree-rung lacing remained.
Grapefruit, artisanal soap & faint caramel notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Grapefruit & faint brown sugar flavors up front; artisanal soap notes on the finish.
Pungent but pleasant. I'd have another.
May 06, 2024Mostly opaque red/orange appearance.
Nice khaki head; thick tree-rung lacing remained.
Grapefruit, artisanal soap & faint caramel notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Grapefruit & faint brown sugar flavors up front; artisanal soap notes on the finish.
Pungent but pleasant. I'd have another.
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey
4.12/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.12/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
(500 ml bottle, 26Oct21; purchased single off shelf with reservations... poured into my Belhaven pub pint)
L: polished-clear, tawny-amber liquid; not much foam until I poured in the dregs which posted up a tan, bouncy pad... ends up retaining a medium-thick, gradient collar, and it does lace a bit
S: caramelized bread crust and forest floor... maybe a slight undertone of peppermint?, ghostly hint of diesel... mild note of alcohol... aromas not popping, and why would they? but great depth is apparent and I'm still eager to dive in
T: a good bit more toast, wood, and stinging hop bite than expected... mild almost generic pancake syrup in the aftertaste... more malty than caramel-malty, or at least they've achieved a curiously well-measure contrast and expression between the base malt, caramel additions, and hop bitterness; all apparent and sitting in their own zones
F: relatively light, airy, buoyant... aft drags soft rug burn friction across the tongue... liquid velvet residuals
O: kind of tastes like a cask amber in this state... why the hell have I never been able to find a fresh bottle of this, let alone find it at all most times??... not sure I've ever had a Maine BC beer more than once, but I'll still keep an eye open for newborn magic (1976)
Aug 06, 2022L: polished-clear, tawny-amber liquid; not much foam until I poured in the dregs which posted up a tan, bouncy pad... ends up retaining a medium-thick, gradient collar, and it does lace a bit
S: caramelized bread crust and forest floor... maybe a slight undertone of peppermint?, ghostly hint of diesel... mild note of alcohol... aromas not popping, and why would they? but great depth is apparent and I'm still eager to dive in
T: a good bit more toast, wood, and stinging hop bite than expected... mild almost generic pancake syrup in the aftertaste... more malty than caramel-malty, or at least they've achieved a curiously well-measure contrast and expression between the base malt, caramel additions, and hop bitterness; all apparent and sitting in their own zones
F: relatively light, airy, buoyant... aft drags soft rug burn friction across the tongue... liquid velvet residuals
O: kind of tastes like a cask amber in this state... why the hell have I never been able to find a fresh bottle of this, let alone find it at all most times??... not sure I've ever had a Maine BC beer more than once, but I'll still keep an eye open for newborn magic (1976)
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