Shipyard Prelude Ale

Brewed by Shipyard Brewing Company
Style: English Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Bomber purchase at Countryside Liquors in Clearwater, FL. Pours clear copper with a nice half inch tan head. The aroma has a sense of urgency as notes of roasted malts, toffee malts, melodeon malts, bread and a mixture of earthiness and pine hops rush to my senses. The taste begins with a mildly tart and bitter combination of malt astringency and pine hops. The flavor grows into a roasted maltiness along with toffee, earthiness and hints of burnt malts. The pine hop bitterness seems to be there from beginning to end but I really like the way the maltiness comes together in the finish and into the after taste. I do get a faint sense of oxidation in both the nose and taste that just takes away a bit from the experience.

As pleasant aroma as and English Strong Ale will offer. Sweet malt with dark fruit fills the nose. Bitterness hits early in the sip, hides as sweet fruit and chocolate take over, and returns to a slow fade. There is also a mild hop effect and the alcohol warming is marginal.

Bottle. Mulling spices, chestnuts, malt and slight hops aroma. Dark amber color with with small creamy head. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cherry, malt and bitter hops flavor. Very smooth and nicely balanced. A very nice seasonal beer.

12oz bottle. Aroma of nuts, roasted malts, sweet fruits. Dark red body with good head. The body texture was thick with sweet caramel malts. Cherry/plub fruits are also present. Good sipping beer as the Pack sent the Seaturky’s back to the west coast.

Bottle. 2007. Pours a darker amber with medium beige head. Aroma is malty, slightly sweet and caramelly. Flavor is moderately sweet, with some caramel and mabye hint of chocolate. Just a hint of spice and a medium toasty finish. Did not impress me much but not the worst of the winter seasonals.

2007 Vintage bottle: Pours a transparent dark copper amber with a clingy-lacing froth of light tan head. Aroma of semi-dry caramel and doughy English malts with a touch of English hops and light fruity esters. Body starts mild, dark caramely sweet with some earthy toasted malty notes and a drier semi-sweet finish. Has a hint of milk chocolate as well. A pretty good English strong ale.

full bodied aroma with beefy aromatic hops. amber, thin head. smooth and buttery. balanced through the finish

My bottle had the Inn on the label too. Pours very very dark brown with a medium sized tan head. Smells hoppy with a bit of malt. Very wintery tasting. Roasty with hops, hints of coffee. Thick, sticky mouthfeel.