Shipyard Prelude Ale

Date: August 08, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Ticker
Appearance: clear brown, fine beige head, streaks of lace
Aroma: sweet chocolate and caramel aroma, touch of fruityness, light balancing earthyness
Flavor: sweet caramel flavor, touch of chocolate, light fruityness, light balancing bitterness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

(12oz bottle) Crystal clear dark amber body topped by small off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, toasted caramel, light chocolate. Taste is moderately sweet, chococaramel, some grapefruit, light anise/spice, lime. Light-medium body, light resin.

Crystal clear, mahogany ale. Small, creamy, white head. The nose is of cocoa, grapefruit rind and alcohol. Flavor has good balance with bursts of chocolate, pineapple... banana split. Also notes of booze, pine nuts and macadamia nuts. Medium-bodied with a fizzy mouthfeel. Crisp, dry finish. Well-bittered.

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.

12 oz bottle, best by 9/06-pours a big, foamy, rocky tan head that retains. Clear dark amber color with effervescence. Aroma is malt, sweet, touch of bitter hops. Taste is malt, bitter, then sweet starts to come through but the alcohol overrides the sweetness. The malts and hops are close to balanced…

Bad Christmas cookies…Burping hop flowers and sleepy butterscotch…Yawn…

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.

22 oz bomber. Dark brown beer with and orange tint as well. Woody, earthy aroma with a bit of licorice and pruniness. Leafy hop aroma. Sweet caramelly flavour with some apple/brown sugar baked dessert notes. A touch of orange peel spicing behind the bready flavour. Lightly rummy as well. Not a bad brew, but a bit of a mixed bag. 12 oz bottle in 2008. Quite different than the ratings would suggest. Aroma is quite sweet and fruity with lots of cherry and licorice. Earthy malts. Very English tasting. Softly spicy with some earthy/spicy bitterness. OK.