Last Days of Autumn | Gotta Have a Montage New England Style Double IPA – via McScrooge’s Wine and Spirits
A long time ago I began carrying an “emergency growler” in the truck. While this was well before we were introduced to crowlers, I wanted to be prepared in case I ran across something interesting, something my wife would like or, should I be in a hurry, I could take a fill to go. Fast forward to today and well, I just don’t use growlers as much as I used to. Crowlers are much more convenient and each year we see more in package. However, I do still keep a 64oz and a 32oz growler in the truck for one big reason; McScrooge’s Wine and Spirits.
While McScrooge’s is no newbie to the growler game, things have certainly changed in the last few years. At any given point you never know what they’ll have on the wall. Further, it’s not just crazy beers from far off places but they do a great job of bringing in our local friends. At the time of this article I not only found this beer from Last Days but Pretentious and Hexagon were on the wall. Along with them was Mikkeller, Maine Beer Company, Westbrook and a very tasty vintage barleywine from the fine folks at Sierra Nevada – and that’s just a few of the 25 taps. As I mentioned, I went with the Last Days of Autumn Gotta Have a Montage NE Double IPA. Last Days rarely disappoints and as I don’t get down to the brewery as often as I’d like, it was good to see some of their fine beer a little closer to home. Let’s dive in.
This beer has a big nose. Very strong pine and citrus dueling it out for the top aroma. Mango and stone fruit are cheering from the sidelines. These are Mosaic hop attributes and a quick look at Untappd confirms my suspicion.
This beer pours a dark orange, cloudy, with a nice white head which laces nicely on the glass. On the palate the pine seems to elbow out the orange just slightly while this beer fills the palate. This beer is much more sweet than bitter and it’s only after a few seconds from leaving the palate that I get the slightest bit of bitterness. While this beer clocks in at 9.2% ABV, I’m not finding the alcohol notes I’d expect on the nose or the palate. Subsequently this beer drinks a little easier than maybe it should!
Final Snobs: Excellent, fun beer. As I said in the beginning, this beer is a mouthful and I’ve enjoyed every sip. Part of me wishes I had grabbed the 64oz growler instead of the 32oz. Next time!
If you haven’t been to McScrooge’s, stop by soon. And if you haven’t been to Last Days of Autumn or haven’t been in a while, be sure to add that to your agenda. I highly recommend Taco Tuesdays.
Prost!