There are definitely a lot of things going through my head as I pour this beer. Why the new label? Why the contract brewing? Will it taste the same? Afterall, its the "same" beer but with new yeast, new water and it comes from a whole new brewery. I don't want to pass too much judgement since the beer itself will speak volumes and hopefully answer some of my questions about whether or not its the same beer.
Pours a very dark, almost opaque brown with hints of ruby redness. The head is about a finger's width in thickness and dies down rather quickly leaving some oily foam on top with and a ring around the color of the glass. Something else I notice is the amount of carbonation bubbling up from the dark depths.
Smell is sweet caramel and burnt sugar, dark rich maltiness and some roasted coffee. There is also a hint of smokiness like burning wood. Pretty good smelling beer.
Taste is sweet dark malts with a dry astringent aftertaste and lots of bubbles on the tongue. The coffee notes come out quite strong after a few more sips. The roasty smoky taste is a lot weaker than the smell might let on. One thing that I notice with this one is a syrupy after taste that is a bit cloying. Not sure how to describe it, kind of like a diet soda aftertaste or something.
This is a decent brown ale but its unfortunately not the same as the original bombers brewed up in Bar Harbor. That would have been near impossible to recreate.
BEER FACTS
Name: Thunder Hole Ale ("New")
Style: Brown Ale
Brewery: Bar Harbor Brewing Company
Location: Contract brewed at Geary's in Portland, Maine, USA
Container: 12 oz. bottle
Malts: ?
Hops: ?
ABV: 4.8%
IBUs: ?
Brewed in Maine
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