Casco Bay Winter Ale (Old Port Ale)

Brewed by Casco Bay Brewing (Shipyard Brewing Co.)
Style: English Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Bottle 12oz. Dark brown color with huge light brown head. Complex aroma of malt, hops and spices. Medium to full body with smooth texture. Full flavor with hoppy bitter finish. First brew from this brewery and it was very good.

Bottle: Coppery hue with small frothy head and very good lace. The aroma has notes of piney and grassy hops, caramel and biscuity malts, allspice and basil, and a hint of blackberry. The taste starts with a smooth malt entrance followed closely by some mild fruity twang and spice. The finish is much more akin to a British bitter with hop notes all about and I found the aftertaste to be quite hard with burton salt noticeable. The feel is initially lively and crisp but a metallic overtone makes it less than fully refreshing. Good beer but missing that something to stand out. What’s with the "Old Port" thing anyway, I was looking forward to some port character but alas it must be just a moniker.

Pours a rich red. Aroma: hops, spiced. Not that sweet, kind of sour - just enough hops to remind you it is hoppy. - but not aggressive.

Drank this from a bottle found in the cheap bin at Spirit Haus in Amherst, MA. Not much head but it is a nice dark red color. Smells like a beer. Smooth taste that is a little hoppy but not overwhelming.

Pours deep red with a tiny white head that quickly dissipates. Lacy and still. Smells fruity (cherries?) with a bit of bitter spice. Taste is nice and hoppy. Also a bit sour and fruity. Got that cherry flavor again. Alcohol finish is ther as well. Smooth but I can definitely taste that alcohol. Stonger than I expected. Medium bodied but light for a strong ale. Also very smooth for a strong ale. Reminds me of Riptide red with that same fruitiness (same yeast?) but much stronger and warming. Very nice winter warming ale. Perfect for Maine winters.

Red in color with brown accents and a pale tan head. Aroma of toffee, cream, even pumpkin pie spices. Flavor profile is flat. The bitterness is not quite right and overcomes the malt. This used to be the best beer made by Casco Bay. This years, 04-05, falls short of its normal greatness. The English hopping rate is so high that it tastes like canned grren peas. Nothing of the beautiful aroma components is within the flavor profile and that is bad. I was hoping the new brewer (supposedly from Bridgeport) would make things even better. I believe he brought a set of preconceived notions about brewing to Casco Bay and over-altered there already decent recipes.

Pours amber. Aroma is caramel and a little raisin. Slight offwhite head that hangs around a bit. Roasty flavor with some fruits coming through.. Some caramel creamy on the palate and smooth. Good body and good palate. This is very drinkable and tasty. Not outstanding but overall o.k. to drink. Good session beer.

Bottle, from Julio’s, for best flavor drink before 02/01/05. Good nose, caramel , little musty, little prune, Great reddish orange color. Small beige white head that faded quickly to leave a little lace. Bitter fruity roasted flavors. Kinda nutty chocolatey with a metallic streak, some dried fruit, Medium body, lite creamy oily, bitter sour dry finsh. I like it. Not overwhelming, but enjoyable. 7.3% helps with the dryness.