Shipyard Brewers Choice Special Ale Royal IPA (2008)

Bottle. Pours Hazy golden orange, off white head. Aroma is malted hoppy graham crackers. I guess this one could go either way at this point. The aroma is not crisp and citrusy so it leads me to believe that there could be peat on the horizon.

Flavor is bitter and malty, some wet bog and metal going on here. This isn’t super peaty, but I’m not giving my stamp of approval. So there ;)

Bottle 355ml.
Clear medium orange color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, moderate hoppy, grapefruit, toffee, buttery notes. Flavor is moderate sweet with a average duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. (130608)

Bottle pours a honey amber color with a dense foamy tan head. Some lacing along the glass. Fairly subdued aroma, slightly sweet and malty with a faint hint of hops. Similar to the aroma the initial flavor has more caramel malt presence than hops. As it begins to warms the hops begin to come through a little more. Some bitterness in the finish. Similar to the standard Shipyard IPA in that this reminds me more of a Bitter than an IPA.

12 oz bottle. Bubbely coarse offwhite head. Deep golden to light amber colored body. Fine laces. Grainy nose, fairly sweet with a moderate grapefruity hop scent. Caramellish malts and edgy bittering hops in the flavor. Fruity tones. Good body. Light astingent hop bitter ending. Goes well down.

Was really anxious to try this but was not impressed. It was surprising how watered down it tasted for how high the alcohol content is. Just wasn’t much to it.