Mast Landing is no a brewery I had heard of prior to about 3 weeks ago, but a then a person I vaguely know (maybe but not quite a friend) who used to run a pub near me, but now runs a podcast about craft beer, that I don't listen to because I don't have time and sells beer on the side - generally the beer from the brewery that the podcast episode is about.
So I imagine they had a episode about Mast Landing - checking the internet they did - and yeah it was way too long - almost 2 hours. And these beers were left over from that episode. I managed to pick up 6 different beers for $50 AUD on sale. Which looking at the Mast Landing website is cheaper than I could have got them at the brewery (also assuming they would want US dollars not the cut price Aussie ones) so a good deal all run.
And don't worry I'm not going to tell you about 6 beers I'm only going to tell you about two. One of which I drunk on Friday and one on Saturday.
But maybe we should start with who Mast Landing are. They have a sailing ship in their logo which seems apt as they are based out of Freeport, Maine, which certainly sounds nautical and my quite limited knowledge of US history I understand New England is a little bit, well New Englandy and historic so I imagine people traded from here back to the Oulde country. They have existed since 2015 and have a production brewery and a tasting room, and from their website I can see the produce a good number of beers (checking untappd tell me 179 different ones) . I'm not 100% sure that outside of Davidd and his podcast they they are distributed in Australia, which is a shame.
But onto the beer
Now our first beer is Called Saccarappa and is an IPA - We seem to have lost any hint of maritime and old fashioned - the can looks like it could have come out of any new wave brewer anywhere in the world. Not saying that's a problem but it's not really distinctive. If Davidd hadn't turn up with this in a box and handed it to me I'm not sure I would have chosen it.
Anyway I would have missed out, because this is a very very good beer. It's wonderfully balanced. The Hop notes carry it - orange and mango, it's not gimmicky though, and not New englandy - instead it finishes quite clean which means it's really refreshing and approachable - would be very sessionable if I had more than one can of it.
Or second beer is the complete opposite
This is a Milk Stout called Gunner's Daughter and if you lined up these two cans I wouldn't have guessed it is the same brewery. According to untappd this is their most popular beer, which is...well odd I only know of one other brewery where a Milk Stout is their most popular beer, but when the beer is this good it's understandable.
This is a great beer, as you can see pitch black, it's a silky smooth mouthfeel and then the taste is peanuty which is unusual and vanilla. It's not a smack you around the head beer, I mean it's only 5.5% alcohol which makes it a get winter warmer
I'm looking for to the other four beers I have from them - which I believe are 3 more IPAS and a Vanilla version of Gunner's Daughter. If these two beers are anything to go by they should be great.
This post is part of beer saturday if you want to read more about beer from around the world you should check it out. As for me it's back to by Easter Lego Project
Solid looking beers man, was it $50 for just 6 beers? Seems expensive or are these top shelf quality beers?
Arghh, well they are top shelf, and all 500ml cans, but also beer is really expensive in Australia (actually everything is expensive in Australia) a standard 6 packs of 330ml cans of run the mill craft beer would be $20 normally.
i would like drink a milk stout someday