Pour me a nice
tall glass of…ginger ale? Why not? Of course, I’m not talking Schweppes or
Canada Dry here, but rather I’m requesting a nice refreshing glass of
Atlantic Brewing Company’s Mount Desert Island Ginger. I suppose they
could call it ginger ale if they wanted to. It is an ale, and it does
contain ginger, after all.
But that might cause some problems, since most people’s conception of ginger
ale does not include alcohol. But I can tell you that if you enjoy the taste
of fresh ground ginger, Mount Desert Island Ginger is more the beer drink
for you than a glass of ginger ale. Let’s allow Atlantic Brewing to talk
about their beer:
A refreshing wheat beer spiced with fresh ginger root. The process of
making this wheat beer has been nicknamed “special ginger tea” due to the
fact that we add over 20 lbs. of fresh ground ginger root into the boil.
We use pale malt, and wheat, as well as Target and Whitbread Goldings
Variation hops to flavor this light, summer ale.
ABV 5.2%
And Mount Desert is a light and refreshing wheat ale. Ginger is truly
a pungent spice, but that spice is not overdone here. People often talk
about matching beer with food, and this is a beer I thoroughly enjoy with
Asian cuisine.
One might think the ginger in the beer to be overkill when paired with
ginger in your favorite dish, but really it’s not. A local Chinese
establishment I frequent makes a delightful beef dish with lots of fresh
slices of ginger, and the light ginger in the beer accentuates rather than
overpowers as an accompaniment. Then too, Mount Desert is a natural with
sushi, too.
Mount Desert Island Ginger pours to an orange yellow hue with a very
light, spritzy head formation and a spicy, peppery nose. The palate has a
good dose of malt for a wheat beer, but there’s some light and crackery
wheat character, too.
And then there’s the spice. As you might expect, the notes of ginger
permeate. They don’t overwhelm the taste buds, but they are certainly the
most predominate flavor going on as one might well expect.
In the finish, there’s a gentle, balancing hop bitterness, but the ginger
lingers more than the hops. And it’s delightful. You might think twice about
ginger in your beer, but think a third time about the fact that hops are a
spice, ginger is a spice, so why not ginger in your beer?
I’m sure that’s what the fine folks at Atlantic Brewing were thinking when
they dreamed this one up. And I for one am sure glad they did.
And remember, try a new beer today, and
drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.