Black Bear Pirate Bear

Brewed by Bear Brew Pub (Black Bear Brewery)
Style: American Pale Ale
Orono, Maine USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

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I guess people don’t like this beer...Well, I was pleasantly surprised, although I have to say that the only reason I drank this bomber last night was because the cap came off in the car and it leaked beer! It has some of the most foam I’ve ever had in a beer, especially from a Pale Ale. It was quite tasty overall - amnd quite drinkable once the head subsided. It had a full body of hops, which made it bright, crisp and refreshingly bitter, yet it was heavy and filling, which was excellent, since I was a.) hungry and b.) needed to get to sleep fast. So it worked.

Draft at Blaze in Bar Harbor. Beautiful bronze appeal, but drinks with a very light character ... both in body and flavor profile. Quality APA characteristics lurk here, but only in an unassertive manner. (#4218, 8/21/2011)

On tap at the Finback Alehouse in Bar Harbor. Amber color with a decent loamy head, courtesy of the tap. A nice hop aroma balanced with some caramel malt. Flavors have a nice hop bite that pushes it into the category of a quality American pale ale. Very enjoyable.

on tap-pours an off white head and cloudy orange color. Aroma is citrus/pine, some medium malt. Taste is pine/herbal/earthy hops with some bitterness, secondary medium malt with some sweetness. Grainy mouth feel, medium body. OK, maybe there’s a house yeast as there’s a common theme with the first beer.

22 oz bottle. Pours a clear dark gold with a one finger plus white head that left some heavy lacing. Minimal carbonation. Nose is leafy citrusy hops with just a little bready malt. Flavor is just lightly hoppy, the bready malt dominates up front with a little bitterness emerging on the finish. Mouthfeel is lighter bodied with moderate fairly soft carbonation. A little doughy stickiness on the finish. Overall, not the most aggressive Pale Ale, but this was certainly drinkable. Better than most of their other offerings.

OUCH!!. is all I can say. This beer smelled sour - then tasted sour. It was one of the worst beers I’ve ever had. I still chocked down the entire 22 oz. - I’m a trooper, beer is a terrible thing to waste

22oz bottle, from mug. Crystal clear, light copper body with a beautiful white head. Aroma is pretty bland; mostly cereal, with a faint resinous note. Medium bodied, with a lightly oily texture and lively but not overbearing carbonation. Flavors really are well-balanced as they claim. Finish is bitter, but sort of tangy.

Any first impressions?
-A generous head recedes to a ring over the clear light bronze.
-Chocolatey maltiness and wooden hops surface the dryness foreseen.
-Peachy caramel and honeyed maltiness dance harmoniously with the earthy, wooden hops.
-The active carbonation doesn’t overthrow the maltiness.

What if you dig deeper?
-Balance is achieved throughout.
-Delicate hop bitterness nicely followed the aforementioned, flavorful balance.
-Chocolate allusions come back in the flavor as well, somewhat surprising for an A.P.A.
-Humility is not always a problem for American pale ales, and this one is a good example of that, methinks.

Bottle; no date.

(22 oz. bottle from Lou’s Beverage Barn) Pours hazy amber with about 1" of soft off-white head. Nice aroma of some fruity hops, malt and perhaps vanilla. Mouthfeel rather thin, somewhat prickly, not particularly smooth. Sloppy lacing. Flavor is strangely soapy, some weak malt and hops in there. Finishes a little bitter and prickly. Soapiness lingers in aftertaste. Pretty unpleasant.

A solid ale. I’m pretty impressed. Reminds me a lot of Bass, but less sweet/cerial-ish. Smells great, looks pretty good, amber with little head out of the bottle. Good beer.