Shipyard Prelude Ale

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

Draught at a local pizza place. Pours a lovely translucent amber with a one finger off white head. Nose of red wine and grapes, flavor transitions from an initial flavors of bitter hops and alcohol to brown sugar and caramel malt with a thin mouth feel. Alcohol is present, but not so much that it gets in the way of the other flavors. Nice strong ale, would definitely pick up a six pack of this stuff during the winter.

The beer pours a redish brown color. It smells both malty and hoppy with some spices in the background. It has a grassy, bitter taste with some roasted coffee in the background. There might be a hint of citrus flavor as well. This beer has a lot of flavor for a winter/holiday beer. It’s good if you like it, but it might be a little busy for others.

Bottle. Ruby amber beer with a light tan head. Spicy, malty aroma. Spicy, malty, slight grass flavor with backing citrus and some darker malts. A bit too much hops (or not enough). Starts to get into buttery tones. LIngering grass, citrus, spice and a bit of butter.

Draught. Nose is sweet, light malts. Beautiful clear amber colored beer. Flavor is a little lacking, just muddled sweetness. Palate is a bit thin, leaving something to be desired.

cask Sweet malts, some caramel, some cotton candy, alittle nutty with some citrus in the aroma. Pours a cloudy brown. Rich malty flavor, hints of citrus hops, a slight nuttiness, with hints of molasses in the flavor. Acutally not bad.

Bottle; BB 10/08. Nicely spicey brown ale aroma. Underlying notes of darker fruits. Near mahogany color with a beige head that laces as it shrinks. Medium bodied with mild carbonation. The flavor is dark malt, nutmeg, citrus and plum or raisin. Bitter can be noticed. It finishes out rather dry, and the bitter is dark floral rather than pine or citrus. It is something of a brown ale without the common over-roasted flavor. It may be a bit nutty, but not coarsely gritty about it. Treats the mouth pleasantly. Some of the low ratings may be because the flavors drop fast. Got to sip this one rapidly to keep the flavors around. Otherwise it slips into that dry, bitter finish very quickly. Something of a harsh version of Bridgeport Ebenezer.

Bottle. Best before 10/08. Beautiful, soft garnet color with a slight white lacing. Spiced malt aroma. Dark fruits and some orange, cinnamon and nutmeg. Strangely astringent. Bitter and astringent are the only flavors in this beer for me. Wow, it started out so nice...

2006 - Long lasting foam, smells of malt, molasses, taste is sweet, does have some oxidated flavor, like a PX sherry, with the same toffee notes. Good for winter. 2007 is not quite as sweet and little note of oxidation. Still a little bitter for my taste. Pours clear brown, foam not quite as lasting.