I’ve never done any formal beer trading. I like to focus on local beers, and I really don’t like the chase whalez to trade for other whalez game that seems to dominate the beer trading sites online. That being said, I have a couple of friends who are fellow beer nuts and when we get together we tend to share some of the good local beers we’ve found. My buddy Russell lives in Maine and has introduced me to some hidden gems of the Maine beer scene over the last few years, and I’ve tried to return the favor with some Massachusetts standouts. On my recent trip to Maine Russell brought a couple new-to-me Maine beers including Thirsty Botanist, a New England style IPA from Boothbay Brewing Company. Boothbay Brewing Thirsty Botanist is available locally on draft and in 16 oz. tallboy cans.
Boothbay Brewing Thirsty Botanist pours hazy light orange with a solid white head. There is a big burst of fruity hops on the nose, you immediately know that this is a NE-style IPA. The hops lead the flavor too, notes of grapefruit, peach, guava and tangerine with minimal bitterness. This is balanced by some malt flavor, hints of bread crust and honey along with some sweetness. Thirsty Botanist is medium bodied and goes down easy, but at 7.0% ABV it packs a little punch. The finish features some hop flavor and a little lingering sugar. Overall this is a really solid beer from a brewery that was new to me. I’ll be up in Boothbay in September for a wedding, I might need to stop by! Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Hoppy Boston 
