Atlantic Bar Harbor Real Ale

Brewed by Atlantic Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Bar Harbor, Maine USA

Any first impressions?
-An enticing dark brown gown is garnished with deep mahogany highlights.
-A fine ring of foam is beginning to lace.
-The deficient aroma barely offers up lightly roasted malts on an earthy platter.
-An obvious oxidation problem is picking up steam.

What if you dig deeper?
-Some nutty sweetness and black peppery notes reside within the malt’s roastiness.
-Mouthfeel is sufficiently well-rounded, while being drinkable.
-There isn’t enough residual sugar and caramel maltiness for my tastes in the style.
-Grassy hop blades brush the oxidized minerals.

Bottle; no date of any kind notched.

(12oz bottle) Medium off-white head atop a clear chestnut brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, floral, hazelnut, caramel, some tea. Taste is medium sweet, floral, orange, some caramel, hazelnut, tea. Low carbonation, light-medium body with slight stickiness.

This bottled brew poured a large sized head of frothy of unnoted size mostly diminishing light brown colored bubbles good thick lacing. The body contained average carbonation, was transparent and dark ruby red brown in color. Its aroma contained notes of mild caramel malts. Its mouth feel is initially tingly with a lingering slightly tingly palate and a mild malt bite aftertaste. Its flavor contained nice dark malt flavor with mild caramel notes. An above average brew.

Pours burnt orange with little to no head. Nose is caramel and lightly toasted malt. Thin mouthfeel. Flavor had mild earthy, malty nutty character. Ho hum.

Bottled. Clear iced tea pour with a short-lived beige head. Nutty aroma with caramel, herbal hops, and tea. Flavor was quite nutty with chocolate, caramel, molasses, and floral hoppage. Smooth across the palate, becoming grainy across the middle. Nutty, bitter finish was quite pleasant. This would make a fine session brew.

Like the look, a dark chestnut color with ruby highlights and a creamy tan head. The aroma is so-so, dark caramel with nuts and some herbal hops. The flavor delivers more, sweet caramel malt, lightly roasted, molasses, bitter nuts, a dollop of chocolate. The finish is dry with a nutty bitterness. Not bad.

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(12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with goldtwins, thanks Larry!) I’m not sure what makes this a real ale, I mean, it does come in a bottle. It’s just an easy drinking brown ale. Sweet, toasty and malty, caramely, modest nuttiness, slight molasses and date, minimally bitter or hoppy. I even get a slight smokiness in the finish. Sweet, caramely and malty nose is on par with the flavor. Medium bodied, substantial enough for the style, pretty light on the carbonation. Medium brown in color, but only slightly hazy, so I can easily see through the beer. The smallish off-white head settles to a ring after several minutes, leaving only a few spots of lace on the glass. Nothing offensive here, it’s tasty enough, easy to quaff, not challenging on the palate. Nothing wrong with those type of beers, as long as they have a decent flavor, and this one does. I like it.

Dark brown body with edges of amber, atop sits a nicely formed khaki head. The aroma brings some toffee and caramel malts, cereals, biscuit, and a grassy earthy hop in the finish. The flavor is coordination… a hint of toasty coco and some walnut in the finish. The palate is buttery and medium bodied… a rather nice session beer overall.