This is not my first experience with Rising Tide Brewing Company’s Daymark American Pale Ale, but it is the first time that I am actually sitting down to review it. I first had this beer in 2011 during our first family road trip to Southern Maine. I liked it so much the first time around that I bought it again during our 2012 trip, and then I bought it again during our 2013 trip a few weeks ago.

Since it’s pretty obvious that I am a fan of this beer, I’ll skip my usual long winded backstory and just get down to the review…

Here is what Rising Tide has to say about this beer:

daymark [dey-mahrk] (n)—a navigational aid distinctively marked for daytime visibility, normally attached to a permanent structure in the water. Chart a new course with Daymark as your guide. We start with a classic, clean and crisp American pale ale brewed with spicy Columbus and Centennial hops. Then we accent the grain bill with rye grown on small local family farms right here in Maine and malted to our specifications at Valley Malts, an artisanal malt house. Finally we dry hop the finished beer for a bright floral aroma. Availability: Year round.

And now for my impressions of this beer…

Appearance : Cloudy, pale orange color. Fast rising head that tops out at about 1.5 inches and then settles down to about .5 inches of fluffy, white foam.

: Cloudy, pale orange color. Fast rising head that tops out at about 1.5 inches and then settles down to about .5 inches of fluffy, white foam. Aroma : Very bright and fragrant hop aromas that lean heavily on the citrus end of the spectrum. Think grapefruit and orange scents with lightly sweet and biscuity malt in the background. A wee bit of funk too.

: Very bright and fragrant hop aromas that lean heavily on the citrus end of the spectrum. Think grapefruit and orange scents with lightly sweet and biscuity malt in the background. A wee bit of funk too. Taste : Not as carbonated as you would think given the fluffy head. The mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy, almost velvety. Not nearly as hoppy as the nose would suggest. From start to finish you get a lovely balance of citrusy hops and lightly sweet malt. The finish is crisp and clean.

: Not as carbonated as you would think given the fluffy head. The mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy, almost velvety. Not nearly as hoppy as the nose would suggest. From start to finish you get a lovely balance of citrusy hops and lightly sweet malt. The finish is crisp and clean. ABV: 5.5%

If I had to rank Daymark against one of my other favorite Maine Craft Beers, i.e. the often mentioned and reviewed Peeper Pale Ale by Maine Beer Company, I would place it just a notch or two below it. Daymark is a delicious, easy drinking beer that is great on its own, or alongside a wide variety of food (I’ve had it with Maine lobster on more than one occasion. They go beautifully together!). I highly recommend that you give it a try. Well done Rising Tide!