Polaris from Rising Tide

Bottle #29 out of 336
Released 11.2011

Listed as a Best Beer of 2011 by Seacoast Beverage Lab

Aroma:  Beautiful bourbon & vanilla notes

Taste: Bourbon, vanilla & caramel maltyness with a salt-water taffy-like finish.  Lip smacking delicious!  

Color: Midnight black

Thickness:  Silky, smooth mouthful with a medium to full body.  A deep, tan head, flecked with grains, lingered during the tasting and was met with a balanced carbonation.

ABV:  About 8.5 %!  After consuming the beer from my snifter glass, life felt right!  I adore a craft beer that can alter your mindset & mood not because of the ABV (though this helps) but because of knowing the time, effort & craftsmanship that went into producing a special release.  According to the hand-numbered bottle, the beer is, "unfiltered, unpasteurized and bottle conditioned."


Mom Factoid: Polaris is known as the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor; which is cool because Rising Tide produces a wheat stout called Ursa Minor.  Interestingly, Polaris, is Ursa Minor Weizen Stout but barrel aged in bourbon barrels, that were previously used by Allagash Brewing Company for their Curieux.  Love that there is a cohesiveness & a storytelling quality to the beer that Rising Tide brews!  I am lucky enough to know the brewer, Nathan Sanborn & his wife, Heather.  They embody what a local brewery is all about:  creativity, optimism, hard work & a willingness to share it all with the Portland community.  Speaking of, if you're in the neighborhood, they are having a tour at their brewery TODAY, December 21st at 1:30.   Check out their website for further details at: http://www.risingtidebrewing.com/ or follow them on Twitter @risingtidebeer 

Polaris aging in bourbon barrels!
8.2011