Shipyard Prelude Ale

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

Dry roasted malt aroma like an Oktoberfest. Rich, dark amber in color, great color. Nice visible carbonation and off-white head. Great lace. Rich malty mouthfeel with some sweetness. Well balacned. Very sollid. Session qualities. Thanks matta for sending this brew.

Deep burgundy with a frothy tan head. "Sweet alcohol" in the nose. Smooth and creamy texture; has a little weight; nice carbonation level. Roasty, with a sweet caramel malt base. Other notes of nuts, light toffee, brown sugar, fruit (apples, pears, grapes) and buttered toast. Also has a curious element of vanilla and almond extracts. Finished with a little sourness and a mildish bitterness. Soft alcohol note added a nice touch. Pretty tasty beer. Thanks Matt!

I bought the last 2 22 oz bottles of this on sale at my favorite package store for the lofty price of 99 cents a bottle. I figured if nothing else, the price was right. I was pleasantly surprised with this nice brew. Pours a rich dark red with a decent smallish brown head. Taste of hops with some musky undertones. Hints of holiday spices and caramel are definitely present. I’ll definitely seek this one out next Christmas season.

Bottle. Mahogany with a fluffy white head. Nose: piney hops , ginger and oranges. Flavor is a melange of spices and dark fruits: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, raisons, prunes, figs and black cherries. Some nicely subdued hop flavors. Chewy palate.

Sweet smell. spices in the nose too. Weird taste, like christmas air freshner. lots of ginger and hops. Got quite hoppy in there too. Bottle was a goddamn year old, but it wasnt tainted or stale.

Bottle from Matta. Reddish chestnut color with a fast fading off-white head. Minimal lacing. Caramelish aroma. Medium bodied. Alcohol is suprisingly noticable for 6.8. Flavor is decent, a little sweet and slightly nutty. Good amount of hops. Decent.

Amber colored with a thin fading head. All spice and nutmeg aroma with a little alcohol. Crisp and has some alcohol bite even at 6.8%. Fruits and mild white grape juice notes. So, so.

2004 bottle. Good cherry-to-light burgundy appearance. Mostly filtered, with a light amount of haziness. Big off-white foamy head. Aroma of light cinnamon, dry toffee and a hint of goldings or something similar. Not tremendously powerful. Fruity and spicy beginning, with a dry almost nutmeg like spiciness. Gains some sweetness, and balance. I enjoyed the flavor and it wasnt all that boring, the biggest problem was that it just didnt pack enough flavor in it. Lightly dry, nutty finish, more spice and lightly toasted malt. Quite reminiscent of the Fullers Vintage Ale line (though not as full flavored, balanced or interesting) but it’s on the right track, and for being a year old, it tastes pretty good. Hops and a hint of brown sugar linger on the aftertaste as well as a bit too much bitterness and alcohol. This vintage (2004) has some definite aging potential, as this didnt seem to get watery at all.