Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale

I picked up a bottle of Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale from Al’s of Hampden, as they just began distributing in Pennsylvania. The beer pours a pale copper color with a lofty and frothy white colored head that laves a fair amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of a heavy dose of pine and spruce while lemon, pepper, and caramel hang around in the background. The taste is bitter yet smooth and sweet at the same time, a very complimenting balance. There is a good amount of pine and spruce flavor that comes out at first, but it sits atop a bed of smooth and sweet caramel and lemon. The finish bring out a pepper pinch, and the after taste leaves an earthiness behind. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I was stunned at the balance of this beer and as to how smooth it could be while really adding a bitter hop punch. It delivers all of the things I love in a beer, and I highly recommend this beer.