Shipyard Longfellow Winter Ale

Brewed by Shipyard Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

22 ounce bottle in pint glass. Dark dark brown with tan head and lace. Earthy chocolate aroma with a tiny hint of soapiness. Medium roasted chocolate flavor with medium tasteful bitter finish. Somewhat thin body medium carbonation. Defintely not "full-bodied" as described. Enjoyable and quaffable if somewhat nondescript. Ok for a London Porter. Nothing wrong with it, just not very exciting. Pretty decent, I guess.

I didn’t know what kind of beer Longfellow was when I first poured it. It looks like a darker brown ale when poured, but not as dark as a stout, with a frothy beige head. Aroma is thin, slightly hoppy. Thin, roasty mouthfeel. Flavors of chocolate, charcoal, walnuts, and figs, most of the flavor is in the finish. A drinkable winter ale.

Cask at Redlight. Pours a clear, dark, reddish-mahogany body. A small, bubbly brown head settles quickly to a minimal film with a small edge. Virtually no lacing noted. The first thing that strikes in the nose is overly ripe bananas. Sweet, sugary caramel malts, faint coffee, and cane sugar accompany the unmistakable scent of browned bananas. The flavor is overly sweet and lacking depth. Torched caramel meets old bananas and marshmallows, finishing short and bittersweet with spoiled fruits. The mouthfeel is thin and sticky. This is strange beer that bridges the gap between many different styles. Lacking direction and purpose.

cask conditioned. Dark fruits (figs, dates), smokey, chocolate and coffee in the aroma. Pours very dark brown almost black with a huge tan head, small bubbles can be seen cascading just at the surface. Smooth, a little sweet vanilla, some chocolate, slightly roasty with some caramel and hints of a richer molasses, in the flavor. Not bad, a good beer to serve cask conditioned.

12 oz. bottle - pours dark brown with strong aromas of malts and caramel; flavors are strong as well, but sweet with hints of chocolate

Date: 12/07/2004
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

dark brown, sweet carmel and butterscotch aroma, rich malt flavor, lots of carmel character blended with the signature butterscotch, light bitterness, a good malty winter warmer
-------- /> Date: 12/07/2004
Score: iii to ii+
Words: Bottle
Words: Wild Wing Cafe
Words: Marietta

big sweet butterscotch aroma and flavor, nice hop flavor, light bitterness,
-------- /> Date: 12/08/2005
Source: ww

clear amber, wispy beige head, sweet carmel malt aroma with a hint of cinamon, big body, great sweet rich carmel malt flavor, nice balancing spice character, nice cinamon that’s not over done, low bitter finish, very tasty
-------- /> Date: 03/16/2006
Mode: full bottle

ditto

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Bomber picked up at the Beverage Castle in Tampa. It poured deep clear amber with big bubbled tan head. The aroma is rich and inviting dark roasted malts, dusty malt residue, dark chocolate and coffee. The flavor doesn’t disappoint with dark roasted malts, some black patent malts, molasses, French roast coffee (that grows with intensity toward the finish), a slight astringency and hints of caramel candy. Doesn’t seem to fit the style with its low gravity but a really nice treat nonetheless.

(Bottle) Dark ruby colour with huge, frothy beige head. Malty nose with notes of chocolate, wild berries, cherries, caramel, spices and hints of coffee and citrus. Malty, slightly roasted taste with herbs, chocolate, caramel and hints of coffee and some citrussy hops in the finish. Mainly dry. Nice taste, but its is a bit thin and short. Would need some extra punch to be a true winter warmer.