Comments on: Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale

By: Jeff from DrinkCraftBeer.com

Jeff from DrinkCraftBeer.com — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:49:15 +0000

@Scott – Yeah, I’ve made it to 2 KtG days… and probably never will again. This year, if you weren’t in line by something like 5am you didn’t get a ticket for bottles. If you want to get it on tap, by all means check out the day, but it’s pretty loony lately. It’s a delicious beer, though!

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:39:29 +0000

@Jeff – Thanks, I thought there was a connection somehow but I wasn’t positive. I have to make it to a Kate the Great day one of these years! Have you ever been to one?
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Delirium Tremens – Belgian Beer Review =-.

By: Jeff from DrinkCraftBeer.com

Jeff from DrinkCraftBeer.com — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:55:24 +0000

@Scott – Yeah, Peter Egelston owns both Portsmouth Brewery and Smuttynose. They are completely separate companies in a legal sense, but they “play nice together,” and you can almost always find Smuttynose stuff on tap at Portsmouth Brewery.

Basically Portsmouth Brewery is Peter’s brewpub (non-distributing) and Smuttynose is Peter’s distributing production brewery. They have completely different staffs and brewers and make different beers. The only things in common they have is that they both make super-high quality beers and are owned by Peter.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:51:07 +0000

@Jeff – thanks! I do see their Robust Porter and their IPA in my area. I don’t think I’ve ever seen their Big Beer series though. I get up to New England a few times a year so I’ll check for some of those next time as they sound interesting! Aren’t they affiliated with Portsmouth Brewing somehow?
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Samuel Smiths Organic Lager =-.

By: Jeff from DrinkCraftBeer.com

Jeff from DrinkCraftBeer.com — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:49:59 +0000

Hey Scott, nice review. I definitely think that Smuttynose is one of the best breweries in New England (I live in MA). Their IPA is a shining example of the style, their Robust Porter is delicious and their Big Beer Series is amazing almost across the board. They also do a Short-Batch series that is super limited and tap only, but I think that pretty much stays fairly local.

If you guys get the Big Beer Series, check out Baltic Porter, Imperial Stout or Farmhouse Ale. Also, their Big A double IPA (was in the Big Beer Series) is now in 4-packs and is delicious if you like that style.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:22:42 +0000

@Royce – I guess what I was trying to get across was that I thought this beer was good without being extreme or pretentious. A nice APA that does everything right but doesn’t necessarily stand out either. Don’t know how else to explain it! If you’re a fan of American Pale Ales, its a good choice.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Blackberry Wheat Beer Battle =-.

By: Royce

Royce — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:07:05 +0000

Hm… you made this pale ale sound as perfectly mediocre as I can imagine. Not sure if I’ll be adding it to my “must buy” list anytime soon haha
.-= Royce´s last blog ..This Week in Sports: I don’t want either of these teams to win =-.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:29:52 +0000

@John – go ahead and break it out! Looks to be a hot weekend, so a refresher like this should be nice. Check back and let us know what you thought!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Stone Pale Ale =-.

By: John

John — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:23:04 +0000

I have a 6 pack of this sitting in my basement. Just picked it up on a trip to CT this past weekend. Smuttynose makes some tasty beers!

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:19:54 +0000

@Jim – I’d agree completely. I need to keep this one in mind when I’m looking for a hoppier session beer.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Do Beer Glasses Matter? =-.