Maine Coast Precipice Pale Ale

Brewed by Maine Coast Brewing Company / Jack Russells Brewpub
Style: American Pale Ale
Bar Harbor, Maine USA

Date: 08/16/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

cloudy orange, whispy white head, sweet carmel malt aroma with nice citrus, carmel malt flavor with a bit of tartness, lots of hop bitterness,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 4/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 9/20
Rating: 2.4/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

Bottle sampled on 8/16/06: Pours a hazy golden bronze with a thin, wispy white head. Aroma has a mild piny hop presence and some pale maltiness. Body starts with a mild pale maltiness turning more dry, lightly earthy and bitter toward a thin, bland finish. A typical APA.

Any first impressions?
-A boastful head of large bubbles collapses into the clear blood orange, lacing discreetly.
-Earth-laden oranges and various citrus fruit swim freely, foreshadowing dryness.
-Leafy, wooden hops evolve into floral and fruity (oranges) dominions.
-The frothy carbonation expands on the palate, a little too much for the style imho, even redolent of the most lively Belgian ales.

What if you dig deeper?
-A drying effect follows the resinous hops in the finish.
-The lean maltiness is shy on the flavor front.
-Is this on the verge of developing tartness, or is it just the hop profile which is very citrusy?
-A quirky, flavorful pale ale which could benefit from some malt character, but which can nonetheless satisfy a fleeting hop crave.

Bottle; no date.

Poured a hazy light amber color with a thin off-white head. Aroma of peaches, malt, light plastic and light earthy and citrus hop. The flavor was earthy, piney and acidic. Dry malty middle and a dry finish. Mild bitterness on the finish.

On draught at the brewery, 8/14/2005. Golden-copper-orange. One finger of off-white head that is retaine well. Aroma smells of earthy, dry, old white bread, coppery, metallic hops and light sugariness. Tastes of dry hops, bitter and heavily floral. Light acid to begin and here comes that corkiness. Good lacing though. Some light caramel for about a third of the pint and then all yeast. These beers need more malt sweetness. It actually gets heavily fatiguing, this corky, yeasty sourness. Wish I could have talked to the brewers. Sort of tastes like dry leaves, rusty water, and straight up b-vitamin rich yeast. Moderate carbonation, thick mouthfeel.

Tap at brewpub. Cherry-apple malt aroma. Red amber color with small head. Sweet-tart cherry malt flavor with mild hips finish. Nice body - very unusual - a bit light on the hops.

Cloudy golden color with a thick frothy white head. Aroma of yeast and spices (????). The flavor feels thoroughly infected, yuck.

En fût. Verre de dégustation chez Jack Russell’s Steakhouse & Brewery (Bar Harbor, ME). Arôme: Odeur d’ananas avec une pointe de pin. Apparence: La couleur est dorée avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’agrumes avec une pointe de caramel. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère amertume d’houblon en arrière goût. (Rating #1797)