Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

July 12, 2012

What Ales You: 'Mad dogs and Englishmen' in us deserve a beer

Summer beers are just right on a hot afternoon after spending a lot of time outdoors.

With all of the warm weather recently, I was ready for summer beers -- just something to enjoy on a hot afternoon after spending a lot of time outdoors.

At Shaw's, I saw Newcastle Summer Ale with an intriguing label -- saying Hops and Glory on the neck but Summer Dog on the back, based on the Noel Coward lyric that only "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun." It is made by Caledonian Brewing Co., brewers of Newcastle Brown, a beer I drank and enjoyed a lot of in the past but don't recall drinking for several years.

Upon pouring, this looked like a pale ale, and I was expecting the crisp, slightly bitter flavor of an English pale ale. Instead, it was quite sweet and fairly heavy on the malt, tasting almost like a brown ale. It had a nice head, and was crystal clear in the glass and very tasty.

It is only 4.4 percent alcohol, which is perfect for a light summer ale. The price was about $13 for a 12-pack, and I am sure I will enjoy drinking these over the many warm days ahead.

TREKKER PALE ALE from Sebago Brewing is a beer that supports the Trek Across Maine, a three-day 180-mile bicycle ride from Bethel to Belfast for the American Lung Association.

This is an excellent American pale ale at 6.1 percent alcohol, and is fairly malty and sweet with balanced hops. It was a little bit cloudy, and had a nice head.

It cost $3.69 for a 22-ounce bottle at RSVP in Portland, and is another beer that hits the spot, as we work through the hot days of summer.

SWEET ACTION from Sixpoint had a mixed reaction from three tasters. As the name implies, it was a fairly sweet beer. But, since it was dry hopped with fresh rather than dried hops, it was very strongly flavored with a floral hops without being at all bitter.

Wife, Nancy, and son-in-law Christian both disliked this beer. I like it because it tastes and smells just like the hops we have growing on a fence at one edge of our vegetable garden. The mix of herbs and sweetness kept me going back for more. It cost $8.96 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans.

ALLAGASH BLACK is now available in 12-ounce bottles. I picked up a four-pack for $10.39 at RSVP in Portland last week.

The Belgian-style stout is not, of course, a new beer. It is part of Allagash Brewing's year-round line-up of beers, and my personal favorite from the brewer. But it has been available only on draft and in 750-milliliter cork-and-cage bottles.

Dee Dee Germain, a brewer and director of communications at Allagash, told me in January that Black in 12-ounce bottles would taste a little different from the 750-milliliter version, in part because the cork-and-cage bottles can handle more carbonation.

I didn't taste the 12-ounce bottles side-by-side with a 750-milliliter bottle, but I didn't notice much difference. It is still a highly complex beer with wheat and oats, a lot of chocolate malt, just enough hops to balance out the malt and a fairly heavy viscosity.

I think Allagash will be selling a lot more Black because of the packaging. When you open a 750-milliliter, especially with a beer that is 7.5 percent alcohol, you need to have someone to share it with you. But a 12-ounce beer you can drink by yourself -- even if hot summer days are not the ideal time to drink this heavy and complex beer.

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