Beer of the Week: Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale

Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale
Beer of the Week 1/15/11 to 1/21/11


A few years back, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making beer, to learn the process - so I took up homebrewing as a hobby.

One part of the process is to bottle condition the beer. This means the beer is finished in the bottle, left unfiltered, and carbonated naturally (without being injected with gas). However, it can take quite awhile to get the beer properly carbonated.



I was at the liquor store recently and noticed that Maine Beer Company's Peeper Ale is bottle conditioned. I immediately picked one up as I rarely see this type of beer sold in stores. While the Portland, Maine company is committed to producing good bottle-conditioned beer, they're also committed to using 100% wind energy and donating 1% of their sales to environmental non-profits as stated on their label. This is a beer company I can get behind!

As for the beer itself, the Peeper Ale is of the American Pale Ale style. It pours a golden, almost orange color with a very frothy head that dissipates quite slowly with good lacing on the glass. The smell is very hoppy, which I generally don't like in a beer. However, when you take a sip, the hop flavor is not nearly as strong as that of an Indian Pale Ale. (The Maine Beer Company uses 100% American hops for their beers, although I couldn't find out the exact type.) The hops lend a nice citrus flavor and are also slightly floral. You can taste the malts as well, which give the brew a nice body. Peeper Ale does have a slight bitterness at the end, but it will not keep you from wanting to drink more. The aftertaste stays with you for awhile as well, but it's a pleasant one. This is definitely worth picking up a bottle of if you see it in the store!