If you asked me 6 months ago to pick a Maine brewery that I wanted to see open distribution in Massachusetts, Austin St Brewing would have been in my top two. So I was really excited when they started a limited distribution in Mass, and I clearly wasn’t the only one, their beer has sold out incredibly quickly wherever it dropped. As an aside, the other brewery in my top two has started limited distribution in Mass as a response to the COVID-19 shutdowns. I was pumped when I stopped at a random local bottle shop to buy some beer right before everyone went into quarantine and they had a stockpile of Austin Street beers including their stellar flagship Patina pale ale. I’ve had Patina multiple times on my trips to Maine and it has quickly become a favorite of mine, so I was psyched to find it locally. Austin Street Patina is available year-round on draft (once draft beer is a thing again) and in 16 oz cans.
Austin St Patina pours a hazy deep yellow with a solid white head. The aroma is a big hit of hops, fruity and a little floral. The hops dominate the flavor, notes of grapefruit, papaya, and lemon along with just a hint of bitter bite. The hop flavor is balanced by a touch of light malt, crackers and cereal. Patina is light and super easy-drinking, not too boozy at 5.3% ABV. The finish is crisp with plenty of lingering hop flavor. This is a stellar pale ale, huge hoppy flavor and aroma, enough balance to hold everything together, well-crafted and a joy to drink. I am so glad I can find this beer occasionally in Massachusetts, I will probably buy it every time I see it. Hoppy Boston score: 5.0/5.
Previous Austin Street Reviews:
Hoppy Boston 
