Shipyard Blue Fin Stout

Brewed by Shipyard Brewing Company
Style: Dry Stout
Portland, Maine USA

Pours black into a shaker. Mocha head with good retention leaves spots as it slowly recedes. Smoky resin aromas. Crisp chocolate cake turning to blue cheese and on to hoppy chocolate in the finish.

In short: A problematic creamy stout. Bad bottle?
How: Bottle 22oz. Consumed fresh a few days after purchase
The look: Black body topped by a medium tan head
In long: Nose of earthy malts with rubber undertones. Body is really on the creamy side of things, a big mushy sponge that feels a bit lifeless. Taste is some kind of malt cream, some vegetables (and god forbid, broccolis!), chocolate cake dough, wet cookies. I hope this was a problematic bottle, from a better brewery I’d buy another one to but I’m just about to give up on this brewery. Named after a breadless unprocessed tuna sandwich.

Brown bottle, 12 onces, best before November 2009, gift from Philippe Boutin (merci!), savoured on August 25 2009; eye: black, opaque, lots of cappuccino head that turns into a tiny ring, slight lacing; nose: roasted malt, light vanilla, light hops, coffee; mouth: roasted malt, vanilla is more present than the nose suggests, acridness is quite present, slight hops, coffee, water, dry and relatively short finale in roasted malt with presence of acridness, medium body, silky texture, average carbonation, slightly bitter; overall: correct FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 12 onces, meilleure avant novembre 2009, cadeau de Philippe Boutin (merci!), savourée le 25 août 2009; œil : noire, opaque, beaucoup de mousse cappuccino qui se transforme en un petit anneau, très légère dentelle; nez : malt rôti, léger vanille, léger houblon, café; bouche : malt rôti, vanille beaucoup plus présente que le nez le suggère, âcreté bien présente, très léger houblon, café, eau, finale sèche et relativement courte en malt rôti avec présence d’âcreté, corps moyen, texture soyeuse, carbonatation moyenne, très légèrement amère; en résumé : correct

12 oz bottle. Dark, roasted, little to no head. A little better than average, but still nothing spectacular.

Dark and opaque like a thick Coca-Cola. The thick medium-brown head overflows. Head sits atop like shaving cream. The smell of the malt is roasted, but also sweet like semi-sweet chocolate and caramel. Dates and a hint of raisin. A little bitter but more sweet. The taste is a bit musty, but doesn’t deter. There is a bitter malt blast. Some sweet fruits like mild raisin, dates, dark grape. As it warms up, a charcoal bitterness comes up, with a tart finish. Smooth and oily. Medium thickness, but easy drinkin’. A very solid stout. Wait for it to warm and pour it slowly.

A: Poured jet-black and opaque with a very small, tan head that hung around for the duration. Small amount of lacing on the glass. S: A very nice combination of heavy malt, in the form of chocolate, and a lot of roasted coffee. Quite a lot of character, here. T: Starts off with the sweetness of dark chocolate, and finishes with the roasted coffee that was so present in the aroma. Average duration, but not overpowering. M: Body is medium, yet slightly thin-oily... not as thick as you would expect from the color. Average carbonation for the style. D: I’m only starting to enter the world of stouts, but I was really impressed by this one. A very good, non-overbearing dry Irish stout that would probably make a good entry-level stout for anyone else in the same boat.

Tap at the Del Mar race track. Pours a deep brown-black with a small light brown head. Low malty flavors, light smoke, too fizzy. Very dry mouth, almost cause cotton mouth. I did not enjoy this one too much.