Belfast Bay Lobster Ale

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

On tap at a local dive. Pours amber with a foamy white head. Aroma is of hops, caramel, spice, citrus, and malt. Smells very bland and uninviting. Taste is slightly hoppy with small notes of citrus. Has a caramel malt backbone that tastes lightly toasted. Finish has lots of spice. Mouthfeel is light and watery. Not too much to say about this one, it’s nothing special.

Pours reddish amber and has notes of sweet corn syrup and malt. Sweet, light and tasty is a good way to describe the flavor. Smooth but couldn’t drink too many.

12 oz. single bottle from Total Wine in Jacksonville, FL. Pours a clear red amber with a medium head. Aroma is hops, some sweet caramel. Tastes lightly bready, touch of spice, toasted malt. Drink six pack bottles or more for certain - a nice, nice beer.

This was not bad. May have been better than it really was because of the atmosphere I drank it in.

Reddish color with dark highlights. Thick soapy head. Aroma of toasted malts, bread and some sweetness. Flavor of toasted malts, toffee, and bread. Very drinkable. Not impressive though.

My Lobster Ale poured crystal clear amber with a burgeoning head of foam lapping at the lips of my glass. Receding with the tides, her head leaves no lace and only scattered traces of foam on top. Wafting along a gentle breeze, her nose reaches me with a tantalizing aroma of toasted malts, toffee, and crunchy bitter nuts. Not overpowering, but faint and delicate, I have to strain to gather just that smidgeon of information. While not encouraging, I refuse to hold her weak nose against her. Instead, I dive into her amber depths to explore what wonders and mysteries she has to offer me there. Faintly sweet with hints of bitter nuts, caramel, and toffee while a thin mouthfeel washes it over my tastebuds almost faster than I can actually taste. Light with a sessionable sweetness which permeates her palate, hints of fresh lemon blossoms linger in her finish, transporting me to a lemon orchard in full bloom. The further along, my Lobster Ale warms and grows in bitterness with nuts and lemons taking top place while toasty malts and warm bread offer support from the background. The caramel and toffee are mere shadows of their original self which wasn’t much to begin with, and I quickly find my glass empty.

She is unfortunately too clean and neat. A very light red ale, Belfast Bay’s Lobster Ale needs a more definition of flavor and character. Like a faint summers ocean breeze whispering of the seasons to come, all the right ingredients where there, but just barely. If you are looking for a light sessionable red ale, then Lobster Ale is waiting for you, but if a bigger game is your intended catch, then look elsewhere.

Red in color. Aroma very faint hop and sweetness but almost undetectable. Taste is very light and easy, boring.

A reddish amber ale with a thin white head. A doughy oxidized aroma, In mouth, run of the mill amber ale, rather light, doughy, a bit buttery. Baaah...On tap at MMM Bello’s, Newark, Dec. 27 2008.