Catamount. Not just a New England mountain lion and a near mythic figure, but also a revered brewer, now rising from the ashes of bankruptcy under new ownership with renewed hope.

The original Catamount Brewery, founded in 1986 in White River Junction, Vermont is no more. A move to a newer facility in Windsor, Vermont in 1997, one which saddled the brewery with some heavy debt, failed. Distribution and marketing issues, debt management, and loss of sales volume brought the brewery down in March of 2000. Long relished brands were no longer to be found and one of New England's original microbrewers was gone.

From the East game a white knight as a former competitor, the Mass Bay Brewing Company (makers of Harpoon) bought the Windsor facility and rights to the brand for approximately one million dollars in the summer of 2000. [www.harpoonbrewery.com]

With their acquisition, Harpoon cited a need to increase their capacity and also spoke of reviving the Catamount brand. So far, a year later, they have revived two old favorites (Catamount’s much revered Porter and their Pale Ale) and introduced a new one, Catamount’s Eight Lives beer.

Surprisingly, this is not a brew receiving many reviews here on Epinions. That may change as more people become reacquainted with Catamount and their distribution area increases.

My summer beer-drinking list includes a number of IPAs/Pale Ales, Wheat Beers and generally stays in that area. You haven’t sweated until you spent some time in Jersey when the heat index and humidity are just tortuous enough to mean an evening spent with mosquitoes is actually refreshing. With a heat index above 100 degrees this week, I’m painfully aware that my Irish ancestors really left me flat without a summer survival gene. But, I’m equally glad I got some good beer to suffer along with. So "Pits Up"* everybody.

Catamount Pale Ale (version 2001) pours to a fine amber gold color with a frothy head. The hops are present right away and the beer gives off a pleasing aroma. It looks great in a glass.

The taste is the charm. The beer hits the mouth with a nicely textured sweetness that finishes with an equally powerful jolt of dryness towards the back of the mouth. And, it stays that way until the glass is finished. This beer is really well done. I’m a major fan of the American Pale Ale and this is a good one.

The malty sweetness is very attractive on first impression and the hop character nicely balances out and finishes the beer. This beer has a solid refreshing quality to it and could easily become a staple in my fridge if I could get it in Jersey. (I got mine in Connecticut.)

I have to give Catamount Pale Ale a four star rating for a number of reasons. It’s especially good, but perhaps not a classic. I also tend to give four star ratings where others give five and I realize I’ve done that throughout the Pale Ale category. If you like any of its American competition (Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, Magic Hat’s Blind Faith, Dogfish Head’s Shelter Pale Ale, or Stoudt’s American Style Pale Ale) I think you’ll find Catamount Pale Ale suitably in that company. I recommend it highly and I would share mine, if you bring bug spray.

*"Pits Up", is my late father’s admonition on summer safety and survival in pre-air conditioned times. When a summer breeze floats by, it’s a Pits Up opportunity. Raise your armpits to the sky, check that you are not downwind of anybody eating garlic, and enjoy a slight reprieve from the summer heat. And have a cold one. cheers


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