Shipyard Prelude Ale

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

bottle says best by 3/2008 well its still quite good. hint of raisin and toasted bread and soy sauce with a toasty hop finish that is quite endearing. good little kick with aged caramel in a bit of rum with that aforementioned hop finish flavor too bad it was one of a kind at the palisades in Jersey City. hey someyomes you just get lucky! Dark and dank looking with that bit of nuttiness .

Bottle, not exactly fresh, but not ancient, either. Dusty, musty, nutty nose reminds of a lightly-hopped Nut Brown. Deep clear mahogany body with a hint of ruby, light brown huge rocky head. Bittersweet taste, sticky-sweet malt with light red berry, caramel, toast, nut, lightly tart grapefruit/orange/cherry. Milk chocolate and seeming lactose. Feels like citrus-heavy American hops late in the boil and English hops during fermentation. There’s some resin in there, too, which surprises. Spices are a little indistinct but nicely earthy. Star anise? Touch of diacetyl. Lightish medium body, soft and creamy, alcohol there but not boozy. A ton of fun to break down, but a chore after five or six ounces.

Similar to a Scottish Ale. Pours deep reddish/brown with a huge head and medium lacing. Aroma is yeasty bread, dark fruit (raisins), mild woody esters and a slight alcohol note. Flavor is initially sweet, cherries and chocolate, mild vanilla notes, tobacco, a faint smokey note, mild hop pepper, and a dry, bitter finish. Very nice.

November 2008 Beer of the Month Club
(Rating is from 12/19/08)

Overall Impression: Kind of smokey and bitter, bit of a scotchy flavor to it, dark color.

Bottle Pours a clear reddish brown with a good froathy tan head. The head lasts well. Has a malty aroma with hints of vanilla and alcohol. Has a good carbination and a nice mouthfeel. Has a bubblie water texture. Nice blending. The flavors really come together well. Has a solid finish. This is pretty good. Lacks some hoppiness but it still works.

Bottle. I dont think I have ever seen this before. Mine didnt look like the one in the picture either. Pours out a brown color with a white / tan head on it. Smell is nutty, malty, slight alcohol smell, some dark fruits. Not really any hops in the nose. Taste is rich and has a very pronounced malt backbone to it. Not much hops, not much alcohol detected, not really much flavor either. Kinda taste like beer, and is somewhat of a let down because it smells pretty good.

nose is sweet and malty with a bit of spice hiding in there. pours dark amber with a small head. malt sweetness comes through first with a little hop bite and a nice nutty spice. light easy drinking seasonal.

Descent but not too much going on. Balanced malt and hop profile and easy. Dry and no aftertaste.