If you want an idea of how far behind I am in my beer reviews, the next couple articles I post will feature beers I purchased and sampled on my birthday night out and trip to Maine, which was over a month ago. Fortunately, I drank and took notes on these beers when they were very fresh, I just haven’t had a chance to write about them yet. One of the stops on my Maine trip was in Freeport, it is about halfway to my family’s house in the midcoast and a stop at Maine Beer Company is a delicious tradition. This year there was an additional reason to stop in town that LL Bean built, Mast Landing has opened their second location right down the road from Maine Beer Company (and a very easy stop off of 295 for those traveling in the area). The new brewery is beautiful, huge bar, plenty of seating, loads of parking. I hope to hang out a bit on a future stop, but in August I just slipped in and grabbed a mix case of beers-to-go. Mast Landing makes a variety of beer, but they definitely specialize in hazy and fruity New England style IPAs and pale ales. One of the new-to-me beers I grabbed this summer was Back Flips, a NEIPA brewed with a blend of Pacific Northwest and Southern Hemisphere hops. Mast Landing Back Flips is available on a rotating basis on draft and in 16 oz cans.
Mast Landing Back Flips pours hazy straw yellow with a solid white head. The aroma features a big burst of hops, heavy on the tropical fruit. The flavor is also hop forward, notes of guava, mango and pineapple along with a very soft bitterness, this is a NEIPA all the way. A sturdy malt backbone provides balance along with hints of cereal and biscuits. Back Flips is medium-bodied, very smooth and not overly boozy at 6% ABV. The finish is crisp with some lingering hop flavor. Overall this is another very good NEIPA from Mast Landing, I am so glad they opened the new spot in Freeport, I will absolutely be back on my regular trips up north! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Previous Mast Landing Reviews:
Mast Landing Saccarappa, Mast Landing Gunner’s Daughter and DDH Tell Tale
Hoppy Boston 
