Shipyard Prelude Ale

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.

pours a dark amber, minimal head. aroma is nice, but faint. nutty flavor to it. pretty good overall.

Bottle. Pours a brown body with ruby hues and an off white head. Sweet and malty up front, some fruity esters and hints of nuts and caramel. Some light ginger spice. Some light hoppiness to finish.