Casco Brewing Company - Katahdin Red Ale

Katahdin Red Ale is an Irish style ale. Very few examples of this style are available today. Here’s some history for ya. Approximately a long time ago in Ireland, several breweries would buy their grains from maltsters who were making specialty malts roasted to create deep, dark colored malts which in turn gave the beers a red hue. Casco Bay uses several of these dark malts including Munich, Carapils and Chocolate malts, some of which are imported from Belgium to give the beer its distinctive deep red color and rich, malty flavor. They also use a top fermenting ale yeast and long conditioning times to produce an ale that is very clean, crisp and complex. This red ale is hopped with Cluster, Cascade and Crystal hops in a combination that offers a pleasant spicy floral nose. Katahdin Red Ale has a reddish hue and a long lasting tan head with a nice lace running down the inside of the glass. The spicy and floral aroma of the beer comes from the use of a very aromatic hop variety.

Located in Portland, Maine, Casco Bay Brewing was born on the coast of Maine in 1994 by two guys who know a thing or two about brewing great beer. Mike La Charite and Bob Wade, the owners of Casco Bay Brewing, are both well-regarded home brewers and have served as judges at competitions such as the Great American Beer Festival.

Mike, who serves as President and Head Brewer, is an award winning homebrewer, Certified National Beer Judge, homebrew instructor and founder of the largest homebrew club in Maine, the Maine Ale and Lager Tasters (M.A.L.T.). Michael is also a graduate of the Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology in Chicago, which is also known as the U.S. Brewers Academy. Suffice to say… the lads take our favorite malted nectar fairly seriously! Mike and Bob are two guys who believe in staying close to their roots. Each year they take everyone who helps out at the brewery up to Mt. Katahdin for a few days of hiking, white water rafting, and of course, beer drinking. For those of you who think that working at Casco Bay sounds like a dream job, we can’t argue with you.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (207) 797-2020 or check out their web site at www.cascobaybrewing.com.