Shipyard Longfellow Winter Ale

let age about 7 months before cracking as fresh is a bit to jumbled to enjoy. pours dark brown almost black with small tan head. aroma is burnt malts, bitter chocolate, a bit of spice. drinks with bitter chocolate throughout but a slightly bittersweet malt on the front. dark caramel, tobacco, leather, and spice bring up the end. very easy drinker but also quite complex. good strong ale.

Pours dark brown with a medium amount of foamy tan head. Aroma is roasted malts, dark chocolate, and biscut. Flavor roasty and bitter with sweet caramel base and a bit of fruity spice in the finish. Kinda similar flavors to some porters. Overall, worth the try.

bottle 650 ml from Systembolaget rated in good company on midsummer EXP 31.09.09 dark brown transparent fluffy beige head high carbonating dark malts dash of chocolate perfumed paraffin dominating until last drop spicy aroma and sticky waxy dryish finish. Once in lifetime I will taste this kind of candle wax beer.

Bottle thanks to Daknole. Pours with a foamy tan head over a very dark brown body. Aroma of chocolate, cocoa dust, earth, some hops, concorde grapes and caramel. Taste is burnt sugar, caramel, harsh tobacco, toffee, light smoke, some earthy hops and a bit of roast. Creamy bubbles and mouthfeel. Not bad, but nothing special, was easily able to finish the bomber by my self at the end of the night...not bad.

Pours brown with a thin tan head. Smells of sweet malt, fruity. Tastes fruity and sweet with an earthy finish.

Bottle. Pours a mahogany body with a tan head. Floral dusty apple hop character with some dry roasted nutty character and almond. A hint of butterscotch, not bad.

660ml bottle (Systembolaget, Stockholm)
Spicy perfumed candle wax aroma, and a bit of alcohol. Lively carbonation. Dry ashy body, a bit thin - and more wax. Plenty of hoppy bite. Chocolaty finish, but the paraffin is too dominant. A bit too fizzy too. Disappointed.

November 2008 Beer of the Month Club
(Rating is from 12/19/08)

Overall Impression: A pretty decent dark, heavy winter ale, relatively traditional for that style.