Maine "A Tiny Beautiful Something" Pale Ale

Is that a Chinese character under the words Pale Ale? Is it a scorpion that has had its claws removed? Is it a pine tree that lost all its needles? This is a mystery that I'd like to ponder while knocking back a few beers with some friends, but then I wouldn't be able to do this review. So, alone I drink, and you benefit from it.

The clear gold beer has a fluffy white head that takes a little bit to drop down. As it does, it leaves a little bit of lacing, and the aroma is allowed to waft up from the beer with flowers and citrus over a bread malt, but the malt barely pokes its way through.

First sip is absolutely great. It has grains lingering around that come out to play with a funk at the end of the sip, but the sip is really dominated by the fruits - starfruit, orange, papaya, and even a bit of banana come through with a good, solid flavor that makes me want to keep drinking (and makes me wish I got more than one of these, despite their expense).

Tip-in is carbonation tingle that highlights the citrus mix and grains very well. The middle spreads out to become a somewhat acidic mix of the fruits with plum and banana coming forward and the grains getting louder. The finish is a few waves of fruit and bitterness before a little funk enters the trail-off.

Bottom Line: Damn good.

4.0/5