Too many beers, not enough time

Everyone’s worried about the “craft beer bubble.” How can the rate of growth be maintained? Are we going to run out of ingredients? You know the usual concerns. My concern isn’t that it’s growing too big, it’s that it’s growing too fast for me to keep up as an outsider looking in!

Let’s face it, if you’re not on the front lines of the craft beer industry you’re always going to be playing catchup — so and so brewed this, this new place is opened last week, did you go to that beer festival over the weekend? My usual responses are, did they? I have to try it!, yeah I heard that (which I didn’t), and no I missed it this year.

I’m going to focus on Maine as an example. Thanks to Carla at TheBeerBabe.com the statistics are readily available.

“The are currently 39 Craft Breweries in ME. There are 18 breweries in planning. 11 breweries have opened since 2011.”

April Dirty Thirty Day 10 – Shipyard Brewing Export Ale

Today’s April Dirty Thirty craft beer review is on…

Shipyard Brewing Export Ale, and yes that’s my 6-foot Nationals Stadium Fathead

Shipyard Brewing Export Ale

Critical Information:

• 5.1% ABV
• American Blonde Ale
• Available Year Round

My Experience:

– POUR

Poured from bottle into tall pilsner-type glass. It has a golden-straw color. Almost completely see-through. The tall glass makes watching the bubbles rise entertaining.

– SMELL

Malt, grains and a biscuit scent come through the most.

– TASTE

I get mostly toasted malt with some fruitiness. There is also some unexpected bitterness, a little too much for me, which appears at the end. The carbonation makes it feel “fuller” while you drink it — it’s like I try to take a gulp but it’s only a sip.

– FOOD PAIRING

I would say something from my favorite food group — sandwiches. Some sort of grilled chicken with bacon and swiss panini? Anything from Spicy Pickle would be great. I just wish there still was one around here…