Our 3rd stop in Bar Harbor was at Atlantic Brewing Company, Amanda was with us. They have a whole compound with the brewing facility, tasting room and store, as well as Mainely Meat BBQ. We did not take the tour, but were able to taste all the beers on tap.
Atlantic Brewing Company was started in 1990, as Acadia Brewing. They have moved and upgraded several times, and now run a 15 barrel system that they use for everything. Atlantic Brewing actually bought out Bar Harbor Brewing, the owners of Bar Harbor Brewing were ready to retire and sell. Atlantic Brewing Company now owns and still operates out of both facilities.
They are just starting to run small batch brews on a small 7 barrel system to experiment with new styles and flavors on a smaller scale. They don’t want to tie their bigger system up with large amounts of test or experimental beers.
Our Tasting:
Summer Ale – 4.2%
Made with German hops, has a Pilsner taste, but not a bad Pilsner taste. Good, really light flavor. Megan and Amanda thought it was nondescript.
Blueberry Ale – 5.1%
Real strong Blueberry smell, and strong Blueberry taste. Blueberries are added during fermentation with yeast, which gives it the strong blueberry taste. Better Blueberry beer than Bar Harbor Blueberry.
Real Ale – 4.8%
This is their lightest beer besides the Summer Ale which is just seasonal. Light in body, decent flavor, hint of caramel, from a quick malt dip??? This was Amanda’s favorite, Mark and Megan both liked it as well.
040609 Double IPA – 6.8%
Good IPA, a hint of piney hops, with a touch of citrus, fairly strong flavor. Made with Columbus and Centennial hops. Not Mark’s favorite style IPA, Amanda thought it was bitter with a hint of Grapefruit.
Coal Porter – 5.6%
Chocolate malts gives it a chocolate flavor. Light in body, hops added to give it a dry finish, Megan and Amanda thought it was ok, Mark liked it.
Ellen’s Coffee Stout – 5.4%
They used 50 gallons of cold brewed coffee in this beer. A milk stout, good body, really good flavor, we all liked it, and bought some.
Extra tasting, because we saw it and asked for it:
Island Ginger – 5.7%
30lbs of crushed ginger root added to this wheat ale. Light in body, ginger bite is boiled away so it has a lighter ginger taste. Amanda thought it was too carbonated and lacking that strong ginger taste, not bad but not great.
After the tasting we sat outside and ate at Mainely Meats BBQ. They have seating inside as well as outside.
The food was great and we got a ton of it. Enough for dinner for the 3 of us, a late snack, and several days of lunch for Mark.
With dinner we tried:
Brother Adams Honey Bragget – 10.5%
Smells sweet, heavy, malty, but sweet taste. Amanda thought it had a viscous mouthfeel, we agree. It is ‘brewed in the fall, cellared over the winter, like a desert wine, made to be sipped’.
Macfoochies Scottish Ale
‘Sweet and full bodied, with a low hop profile’. Mark agree’s, full bodied, touch of sweetness, he liked it for a Scottish ale, robust but not overly strong. Amanda thought it was too heavy, she was hoping for more of a Red Ale flavor.
Mark tasting Mafoochies
Megan was not a fan of Mafoochies
They make their own root beer, Amanda thinks it was pretty standard. Mark liked it, a good flavorful Root Beer.
Brewery Hours
Monday – Sunday: 10:00 am-5:00 pm
As always, check Facebook or their website for the most up to date information.
Other places to visit nearby
Tree Spirits Winery and Distillery in Oakland ME
Dragonfly Farm and Winery in Stetson, ME
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