I've only tried one beer at High Horse so far, having had the Libertine Porter both times I went; it's a dark, hefty beer--though at only 5.2% you won't feel like it's hitting you over the head--with strong coffee and malt notes. It feels similar to drinking a good stout mixed with decent espresso, but with a nicely melded flavor. The color is beautiful, just the right depth of blackness, without appearing ugly or one note, and the head is a lovely brown foam. I was such a fan the first time I went that I got it the second. It is pictured above and left.
The food at ABC was solid-average, but nothing to write home about, with the exception of a few delectable appetizers like fried pickles or very tasty nachos. Having only eaten one thing so far at High Horse, the poutine (pictured with the Libertine Porter), I'm very impressed; it is by far the best I have had south of Old Orchard Beach, ME, and from that area north there is a heavy influence from the Quebecois, or French Canadians. This poutine's only problem was having a bit too much cheese, but the fries were fried nicely, so as not to be too soggy except for the last few that had been swimming in gravy for a while, and the gravy itself was thick and delicious, with a strong meaty flavor that manages to not overwhelm the others in the dish. Overall, something I'd strongly recommend. I don't know if getting french fries there is a good idea or not, as the fries alone didn't have a ton of taste, but that could be because they don't season them the same way for the poutine as for a plain order.
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The second time I went was much nicer, on a Thursday evening from around 10pm to a little after 11pm. It was pretty quiet, enough so that the bartenders and I had time to carry on a couple decent conversations which were only intermittently disrupted. The bartenders that night were fantastic, very friendly, knowledgable (one engaged me in about a 10 minute conversation about the relative merits of poutine in different places, and was quite funny), and just overall a lot of fun. The friend who was meeting me that night didn't show up until about 10:30, so I was there alone for over half an hour alone, and still had a lot of fun just talking to them.
Lastly, the bar offers a few decent whiskies, including a small batch whiskey that was quite tasty. Black Maple Hill is smooth, with light notes of vanilla, and a true bourbon taste. It doesn't lack the "fire" a good bourbon has, but it's more like embers than a bonfire. There were others on the list I'd like to try, but this was recommended by one bartender, and she was absolutely correct.
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