don't sleep on these guys.. just cracked an Ace Hole can and its pretty top notch. I would describe it as bready, the citra hops are very present. To me, almost like an abrasive, just a little thicker!
I enjoyed the Ace Hole as well. I thought the Sorachi hops brought a really unique floral quality to the beer. Never tasted/smelled another hop like it. I've had a couple of their offerings and liked them all. Its a shame they can't expand distribution. They would kill in MA.
I think both are really solid beers when FRESH - The problem is that you often see 2-3 month old Cant Dog cans on shelves now that they have expanded to many many more (and smaller) stores, shops, and gas stations around Southern Maine, etc. The good news is that every can is dated, and if you stick to places like Bier Cellar and/or Tully's you can get super fresh 4-packs weekly. I'd kill for a mid-March Cant Dog right now. And OP - Get up to Portland next time Novare Res does a Marshall Wharf takeover... The Ace Hole, and the wet-hopped "Wet Ace Hole", are unreal off the tap. Definitely worth the trip.
My experience with MW when fresh superb! With more than a month of time totally different beers. Cant Dog, Ace, and I got a chance to try Tug too. Fresh is best with these guys
I'm pretty sure the recipe for Cant Dog has changed over the past 6 months. It used to be my go to IPA and was fantastic now it tastes like a buttery malty mess and that's cans only a week or two old. I bought a can of Toughcats IPA yesterday and it was dated 3/19 so very fresh, but almost the same taste as Cant Dog. So going forward I'll stick with Sexy Chaos and Ace Hole both are consistently good.
I've had inconsistency issues with both Can't Dog and Ace Hole. Some cans have been amazing, some have been diacetyl/butter bombs. I only buy a can now and again because of it.
Had the same experience this past summer when we bought ace hole cans that were less than a week old in Portland. Utterly disappointing and a waste of money. I made a thread about this and unfortunately the owner, who used to post relatively frequently, never addresses these QC issues.
I had fresh Cant Dog last week, and I thought it was phenomenal. Really surprised me, wish I grabbed more when I was in Portland.
Both beers are amazing. I really enjoyed ace hole, loved the hop profile, it taste similar to the white oaked Jai Alai. I still have a can't dog in the fridge seeing how it holds up over a couple months. If anyone ever wants to trade some fresh MW beers let me know. I would love to have some more!
MW beers are good, and I have yet to have an off can (not saying they don't exist), but the price point is rough. Cant Dog is often 20+ for a 4pk. Especially with Bissell canning now, hard to justify paying $5/can for an IPA I'm going to drink at my home. If I saw MW 4pks consistently for 15 or so, I'd probably buy them more often. Sexy Chaos is probably up there on the best stouts in the world you can find in a can, though. I'm coming up with Ten Fidy, and if you wanna go limited release, Beelzelbub, and that's about it...
I picked up a can of the 3/6 batch tonight on the way home and it's much better than any in the past 3 or 4 batches. Hopefully this continues because when Cant Dog is good it's really good.
The MW pricepoint is usually enough to turn me off. They make some very good beers, but the price makes them nothing more than a "sometimes" beer for me. Maybe Bissell Bros. will push them enough to lower their prices into being more competitive; right now though, their beer is about the most expensive per OZ in the state.
Maine Beer Co is the most per ounce unless you're finding their beers for under the normal $6-$8 price point per 16.9oz? Hell at the brewery it's $5 for a 10oz beer.
MW isn't all that far off. Can't Dog 16oz is usually $5 here in Portland and most of the MBC stuff is $5-6.50. Some of MW's other newer stuff is cheaper, but MW's price point is pretty close to MBC. If MBC is going to get all the crap that it does we have to at least acknowledge that other breweries pursue a similar strategy.
