Casco Bay Brewing Company - Casco Bay Old Port Winter Ale

There are two things we know with absolute certainty: one is that the beers from Casco Bay B.C. are consistently well made; the other is that this time of year, it’s damn cold in Portland, Maine. So when we had a chance to taste Casco Bay B.C.’s Old Port Winter Ale, our suspicions were confirmed: this is a great place to source a well-made winter brew for those cold nights. Expect a fresh-smelling brew with balanced notes of white pepper, grains, bread and caramel, as well as some citrusy hops. Note also a faint whiff of nutmeg in the back, finishing with a firm, walnut-like bitterness that’s rounded out by citrus notes and a somewhat smoky malt sweetness. Enjoy as a dessert beer.

From the great state of Maine, we bring you the Casco Bay Brewing Company. Opening on the Portland coast in Spring of 1994 with a capacity of just 6000 barrels annually, today they have the distinction of being the third largest brewery in the state and the only northern New England brewery to offer lager style beers year round. We think they’re probably the only brewery to have had one of their part time bottlers climb so high up the company ladder that he now answers to the titles Owner, President and Brewmaster. No kidding! In early 1995, Bryan Smith came aboard a few hours a week to help bottle beer, but it seemed that he had bigger plans in mind. Within five months, Smith had worked his way up to brewer. In September of 1997, Smith left the brewery to attend the American Brewers Guild brewing school at UC Davis. While he already had over two years working experience in the brewery, he needed to learn the biochemistry and microbiology side of brewing. In January 1998, Bryan and two others bought out half of the original ownership team, with Bryan taking over all brewing operations. Four years later, in March of 2002, the three bought out the remaining half of the original ownership pair. Since then, the new team has been hard at work keeping up with demand, streamlining production and enhancing their now famous line of signature ales and lagers. We’ve been enjoying their beery nectars for years now—if this is your first experience with their beers, the same is likely to happen to you! For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (207) 797-2020 or check out their web site at www.cascobaybrewing.com.