This was the last place we visited on our recent Maine trip with Amanda. Orono Brewing Company is located right in downtown Orono, ME. They have not been open that long, only since late in late 2014. They have an intriguing tap list, and a nice little place to visit and taste some beers.
We ordered 2 sample paddles to share between
the 3 of us, they were $7 for five 5oz beers.
White Nitro Cream Ale (nitro) – 5%
Definite cream taste and mouthfeel. Light, easy drinking, with a light malt flavor. Nothing stands out, but a good beer.
Megan and Amanda
Golden Grave Witbier – 5.1%
Classic Belgian flavor, citrus and chamomile stand out with hints of coriander. Amanda thought it was ‘aromatic tasting’, Megan thought it was a really good witbier.
Tap Into Summer Blonde Ale – 5%
Smells of grapefruit, light in body. Mark liked it, nice balance of hops, slightly fruity, really good for a summer beer. Megan thought it was too hoppy. El dorado, Citra and Mosaic in the dry hop. A collaboration beer with Geaghans Brew Pub, Black Bear, and Penobscot Bay Brewing.
Dream Job Session Pale – 4.7%
Fairly light in body, more malty than expected, a touch bitter. In collaboration with Central Street Farmhouse.
Lightning Tree IPA – 6.8%
Really good, piney and citrus with a bitter aftertaste. Mark really liked it, too hoppy for Megan and Amanda.
Amanda’s ‘too hoppy for me’ face
Woodmans Red Ale (nitro) – 6.1%
‘Smooth, mellow and nicely malty. Great creamy mouthfeel’. Yup, they said it best. Megan thought it had a malty taste, Amanda said roasty or toasty, they described it as ‘distinctly biscuity malt’, so they were both kind of right.
Existential Crisis Hibiscus Saison – 5%
Interesting, flavorful taste upfront with saisony second taste, ‘spicy and dry’ from the yeast strains. Megan’s favorite.
Siberia Farms Saison – 5.8%
Much lighter, less complex saison flavor, spicy and dry, but not as much as the previous beer, spicy aftertaste.
Habanero Lemon IPA – 6.5%
Lemon, IPA, Habenero sequence. IPA dominates, surprisingly well balanced for the ingredients involved. Drinkable, hoppy, hint of spice is tamed down by lemon and hops.
Amorica American Stout – 7.3%
Mark thought it was a really good stout. Dark, roasty, full bodied. Roasted malt smell and taste, creamy mouthfeel. Megan said it was not bitter so it made it feel lighter.
They have a small Draught Room menu, we ordered Brewery Grain Soft pretzels that came with a spicy IPA mustard, they were pretty tasty.
If you want a full meal, they have either a close association or partnership with Woodman’s Bar and Grill, which is right across the street. They usually have all of Orono Brewing Company’s beer on tap. They open at 4pm for dinner and stay open late for drinks.
They have a nice little Draught Room, as they call it. There are a hand full of tables and some space at the bar for tasting beers.
The place has a nice feel to it. A lot of wood and metal, sort of mixing
rustic and modern design, we liked it.
This was probably our favorite place we have visited up in the Bangor/ Orono area. We liked most of the beers, they had plenty of new and unique styles and were really experimenting with flavors and taste combo’s.
Want to visit?
Hours of operation
Monday – Wednesday: 3pm-10pm
Thursday and Friday: 3pm-12am
Saturday: 12pm-12am
Sunday: 12pm-7pm
As always, check their website or Facebook for the
most up to date information about them.
Geaghan Brothers Pub and Craft Brewery, Bangor, ME
Atlantic Brewing Company, Bar Harbor, ME
Bar Harbor Cellars, Bar Harbor, ME
Bar Harbor Brewing Company, Bar Harbor, ME
Breweries, Wineries and the fun in between! 