22 oz bottle, classy presentation with high quality on the paper label that wraps around virtually the whole bottle. Gold foil on the neck. Pumpkin Ales are not my favorite, so I feel a little wary, but this turned out to be a magnificent beer. Pour gives me exactly what i was looking for in terms of color and clarity. A perfectly clear, copper/orange body with a decent head that is a little short lived. Given the ABV I can deal with that, so all in all a great looker. A very light touch of...
Notes on beers brewed by
Shipyard Brewing Co.
Shipyard Imperial Porter (Pugsley’s Signature Series)
22 oz bottle that was purchased at Tower on Piedmont. Gold foiled neck and one of those thicker, higher quality labels that wraps the whole bottle. May have been $7.99. I've passed on this one a few times, decided to take the plunge a couple of weeks ago. Went for an unconvential glass and put this one into the Tucher Weizen 500 mL - all beers look great in that glass. Pour is black - I mean black! A few red highlishts at the extreme edges, but barely there. Head is minimal, but it fades to a...
Blue Fin Stout
12oz single comes with a notched label with a "Best Before" date. Poured into the sampler glass, this gives a jet black body with minimal orange/red highlights. An espresso colored head, and some very scant lace. A somewhat fishy/lactose character to the taste which is not that attractive. Certainly dry, but it really lacks the subtlety of some other, better dry stouts. This has more bitterness up front, and doesn't really produce an especially drinkable beer. Mouthfeel lacks presence, and a...
Pumpkinhead Ale
Very clear and orange in the pour with some decent carbonation. Looks nice. Aroma is very tempting with obvious cinnamon and spice notes. This is carried into the taste. Very, very refreshing to drink and I really enjoyed its tangy, tastiness. The ironic thing is that it is so refreshing it is suited to being a spring or summer brew. Clean and satisfying in the mouth and in the finish. I really enjoyed this and I am surprised at some of the low scores.
Old Thumper ESA
An attractive clear, copper colored body, with some rising bubbles and decent continued carbonation. Nice, small but perfectly formed dense white head and some really nice lacing with good retention. The aroma seems sweet and fruity. Up front tastes are sweet malts, with a little zesty bitterness, but not really much hop character. The small hop bitterness comes in the finish and lingers a little in the aftertaste, and again ones gets a little bit of a citrus "zing" to finish the drink. A tiny...
Shipyard Export Ale
As others have a noted, a buttery, malt taste about this beer, with a definite thin feel in the mouth. However, there is a nice hop balance and a lightness that makes this very drinkable. Hops are small, and this definitely on the APA side of IPA, with not much bitterness to speak of, but it does provide a decent drinking experience as long as you know what you are getting and, importantly, what you are not getting. Golden, attractive pour and a nice head and decent lacing. There is a...