Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale

Brewed by Sea Dog Brewing (Shipyard Brewing Co.)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Topsham, Maine USA

Bottle as Sea Dog. Aroma is hoppy with a touch of grapefruit. Flavor is hoppy, full of citrus, and creamy at the same time.

12oz bottle ( Kennebunkport IPA)-A medium to dark amber bodywith a huge off white head. slight aroma of hops and citrus with a taste of the same. There is a malt taste as well. No identity for the hops and it had a funny aftertaste.

Kennebunkport label, (Pugsley Brewing LLC). Bright copper color with a taller fluffy cream colored head. Decent isles of lace. An interesting aroma of grapefruit and cream. A touch of floral perfume as well. Smells like a hoppy cream ale. LIghtly toasted malt with just a hint of fruitiness. A fairly sharp acidic bitterness comes in late. Starts out malty and ends up dry and bitter. Lacks the depth need to carry it through to the end.

Bottle from Trader Joe’s. Kennebunkport label. Medium amber in color. Aroma is very burnt and toasty. Some caramelized qualities. Toasty flavors. A little sour as well with a touch of hoppiness. Drinkable, but not too exciting.

12 oz bottle from Trader Joes, under the name of Kennebunkport IPA. Pours clear copper-amber with a moderate whitish head which diminishes rapidly. Aroma of toasty, slightly citrus and fruity malts, alfalfa and lemon peel, floral hoppiness. Lightly caramel, more toastiness, tangerine and hints of mint, with crisp floral notes and biting pepper and herbs in the finish. Medium body and tingly carbonation. I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised by this beer, given that appears to be just another contract brew. It’s a not bad little IPA, certainly not in the west coast style, but a quite drinkable example of an east coast style.

12 oz from Trader Joe’s. Pours light amber with a short off-white head. Floral, citrus aroma of hops and some strawberries with caramel. Light mouthfeel. Hops are on the sweet side. Slightly soapy. Decent malt back, but adds to the sweetness that ends up taking away from the overall taste.

12 oz. bottle from Trader Joes (as Kennebunkport IPA). BB May 2008. Aroma of caramel malt and faint bitter hop. Reddish copper color with a beige head that stayed. Medium bodied with creamy carbonation. A malt sweetness somewhere between light and dark. What is often found in "red" ales. Hop is floral rather than bitter. Not bad. Finish is more sweet than dry, and finally a little bitterness shows up. It’s fairly flavorful, just simple. An IPA for those who lean towards fewer IBUs. Upon reflection it reminds me of Badger Fursty Ferret in color and palate.
Earlier Rating: 6/4/2007 Total Score: 2.8
Nice resin hop aroma. Copper color with a decent off-white head. A bit thin bodied, floral hop, some malt, and an interesting flavor note like nuts. The finish is decently bitter, but the interesting flavor hangs on too long. Not bad. Not the best.

A pretty good beer. Has a very hoppy aroma with a hint of maltiness underneath. The flavor is an assertive bitterness in the beginning followed by a creamy maltiness without much effervescence. It’s smooth with just enough bite. Like a lot of other Sea Dog beers it’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a pretty good, drinkable beer for a decent price.