244. Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA

First you may notice the new glass from beerme. Had lunch with the owner on Friday and he gave me a glass, bottle opener and koozie. Click here to check out more merchandise including; t-shirts, glasses, stickers, etc. This is all high quality stuff from a local Maine small business. 


Now to the beer - I enjoy the occasional beer from Shipyard. In Maine if you go to a wedding or conference you can almost always get Shipyard Export as an option. I rarely buy Shipyard beer but they have been advertising their new Monkey Fist IPA a lot, posting YouTube videos (link here) and really hyping this beer as something different. It is slightly different than other options from Shipyard but still only middle of the road in my opinion. Read more after the break  

152. Ringwood Brewery Old Thumper

I really was not sure what to expect from this one as it is an English beer brewed locally by contract with Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland, ME. The beer pours a nice copper with thin white head that has great retention. Aroma has a bit of caramel and yeast. Flavor was a solid Extra Special / ESB and went very well with the pizza I enjoyed last night. This was better than I expected however not in the top tier of beers. You would not be disappointed by this beer but at the same time probably would not go out of your way to find it again.

Pros: None

Cons: None

Alcohol Content: 5.8% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??

Rating: 

Brewers Website: Ringwood Brewery

Brewers Description: Ringwood's most iconic beer was first brewed in late 1979 without a name. A competition in the local press inspired Joe Leedham from Broadstone, Dorset to come up with a suitable suggestion! It has won many awards but is best remembered for being voted Champion beer of Britain by Camra in 1988. Nose - Peppery, spicy aroma with hint of apples. Palate - Luscious balance of grain and hop in the mouth, bitter sweet finish with delicate fruit notes. Comments - Warm, rounded yet surprisingly delicate pale strong beer. Awards - The bottled version won gold at the British Bottlers' Institute Competition in 1996 and silver in 1998.

133. Shipyard Applehead Ale

I have been looking forward to this one for many weeks and found a 6-pack at Florian's Market in Auburn over the weekend. The packaging and the label are great as they are with Pumpkinhead however the beer disappoints. Color is a light orange and pours almost flat with little to no head and it disappears entirely within seconds so no lacing. Aroma is of apple pie which seems strange for a beer and taste has a fair amount of cinnamon at first but finishes with a green apple candy flavoring that does not work well. I enjoy a couple of Pumpkinheads each year but will be passing on this one in the future. The only positive thing about this beer is that it is unique. 
Pros: Aroma

Cons: Taste and aftertaste

Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Shipyard Brewing

Brewers Description: Shipyard Applehead Ale is a crisp, refreshing wheat ale with delightful apple aroma and subtle cinnamon flavor. 

104. Shipyard Prelude Special Ale

There are only a couple Shipyard beers that I enjoy and this happens to be one of them. The other is Pumpkin Head, although I can only take one of those on any given night. Prelude ale has a great dark amber color with a moderate head and some lacing. Aroma has a very sweet almost butterscotch smell to it and taste is smooth with plenty of malts but has a bit of hop bite at the end. This does not linger and is replaced with a bit sweetness. Overall this is a very good winter beer; hearty, slightly higher alcohol content and a beautiful winter scene on the label. I look forward to this one each winter and Shipyard did not disappoint in 2011.

Pros: Color, aroma, smooth balanced taste

Cons: Seasonal (if that can be considered a con)

Alcohol Content: 6.7% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Shipyard

Brewers Description: A rich, nutty, full bodies English Ale with an inviting amber hue and hoppy finish. Prelude has 6.7% alcohol volume, making this seasonal specialty the perfect winter warmer. 

68. Shipyard Brewer's Brown Ale

It seems that all Shipyard beer have a very similar flavor. Not sure if they use the same hops across all styles of their beer but there seems to be a common flavor. I enjoy brown ales but this had to be one of my least favorite. Pours a dark brown as you would expect with a slight head that disappeared quickly. Aroma is OK but nothing special. Overall this was a disappointment which seems to be my experience with Shipyard beer. 

Pros: Color

Cons: Lots of malt flavor

Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Shipyard

Brewers Description: A full-bodied, dark brown ale made with 5 different malts and 3 varieties of hops. This bee has a nice, smokey taste up front and a smooth, full body finishing with a crisp hop bite at the back. 

59. Casco Bay Riptide Red

Another run of the mill red ale. I remember this beer being much better 10 years ago, either it changed when Shipyard purchased them or my tastes have changed. Appearance is great with a nice amber coloring and thick head that stays with you throughout. Aroma is solid and taste is not as sweet as some of the previous reds. Not a lot malt flavor or caramel but overall this is not a bad beer. Again I was hoping for better but I seem to review all the reds about the same. 

Pros: Color

Cons: Was better before Shipyard bought them

Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Casco Bay Brewing (now owned by Shipyard)

Brewers Description: Our flagship, this Irish-Style Red Ale proudly won a gold medal at the 2000 World Beer Cup. A combination of 5 different malts and 3 hop varietals, carefully blended, results in a perfect balance. Full-flavored and medium-bodied, the Riptide Red provides surprising complexity for such an easy-drinking brew. The Riptide Red has an original gravity of 1.056 and a 5.4% ABV.

58. Carrabassett Pale Ale

I'm not sure what it was about this beer that made it better than some of the other pale ales previously reviewed but it is. If someone asked me what a pale ale should taste like I would hand them a Carrabassett. Color is nothing special, not a lot of aroma either but the taste is simple yet satisfying. A bit of malt, some caramel flavors and even a bit fruity at times. 

Pros: A perfect example of a pale ale

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Casco Bay Brewing (now owned by Shipyard)

Brewers Description: Our flagship, this beer defines the classic, American-Style Pale Ale. We looked to the Pacific Northwest, rather than England, for our inspiration and our ingredients. Utilizing malt, hops, water, and most importantly yeast from the USA allowed us to create a balanced, highly drinkable beer. It's no accident that the Carrabassett Pale Ale is our top-selling beer, year after year.

53. Shipyard Blue Fin Stout

Not much of a stout drinker - in fact I think this is the first stout review. This is a good hearty beer with lots of flavor, unfortunately the primary flavor seems to be coffee and I am not a coffee drinker. The beer has a decent aroma, great color and pours with a nice tan head. If you like stouts or if you like Shipyard (I am not a fan of either) than give this one a shot. I am happy I only purchased a single so I do not have drink more. 

Pros: Color

Cons: Coffee taste

Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Shipyard

Brewers Description: Blue Fin Stout was first produced in August 1993. This is a classic Irish stout. Full-bodies, yet smooth and spectacular in appearance. 

45. Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin

This is Shipyard's "other" pumpkin beer as most everyone has tried Pumpkinhead but few people have tried their Smashed Pumpkin. Probably partially due to the fact it is only available in the 22 oz bomber not in your typical 12 oz bottle 6-packs. It is really too bad as I prefer this over Pumpkinhead. Not nearly as much spice, but still has great color, aroma and a much higher alcohol content. One has to be a bit careful when opening a 22 oz bottle with 9% ABV especially when it is as smooth as this beer is. Pumpkin flavor is there but not overwhelming, if you open this beer right out of the fridge it may be too cold as the taste was a bit milder as the beer warmed slightly. My suggestion would be to open the bottle, pour your first glass and let it sit for a 3-4 minutes before drinking, leave the bottle open and not refrigerated so the second glass is as good as the first. Very good and worth trying to find this at your local convenience or grocery store. 

Pros: Nice pumpkin flavor - great color and aroma

Cons: Only available in 22 oz bottles 

Alcohol Content: 9.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Shipyard
Brewers Description: Smashed Pumpkin is a big-bodied beer with a light coppery orange color and pleasing aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg. The Pale Ale, Wheat and Light Munich malts combine with the natural tannin in pumpkin and the delicate spiciness of hops to balance the sweetness of fruit. 

33. Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale

Another Shipyard option at the wedding reception today was their Pumpkinhead Ale which I enjoyed in lieu of cake. Not as good as the draft reviewed here but still a quality beer if you know what you are getting.   
Pros: Great aroma, color and very flavorful
Cons: Flavor can be too much at times
Alcohol Content: 4.9% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 15.5
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Shipyard Brewing
Brewers Description: Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale is a crisp refreshing wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spiced flavor. 
Food Pairings: Lamb, Turkey, BLT, Pumpkin Pie