Tasting notes… Prelude 2007
Greetings,
This posting is the first "Holiday" beer of the season, enjoy...
Prelude 2007
The Shipyard Brewing Company,
Portland, ME ( USA )
The Shipyard Brewing Company,
Portland, ME ( USA )
Preface: This is a sample of Prelude 2007 that the folks at The Shipyard Brewing Company sent to me recently. (The notches on the label say “Best Enjoyed Before: November 08. As it is 20 November I will cut them some slack.
As usual: “I assume this is a well cared for beer from the time it was sent to me until it's time I had a chance to taste it. This sample was kept refrigerated until a half hour before was opened. The tasting notes are as follows...”
twist off bottle top.
Appearance: This is a crystal clear deep garnet red brew with a head that is linen-tan foam with bubbles just barely large enough to sparkle, finishing in a creamy, slowly ebbing, rocky head.
Aroma: The first impression is the aroma of sweet roasted malt followed very quickly by a dusty herbaceous hop presence. I am led to believe this will be a rustic beer.
Mouth feel: The mouth feel is full and nicely carbonated. What carbonation there is lends a slight acidic spike (don't I just loved at that acidic spike to most beers?) To what starts out as a sweet beer and finishes with a great deal more hops than first impression.
Flavor: The initial flavor, sweet, almost peppermint sensation followed very quickly by slightly astringent floral palate-cleansing flavor of what are obviously hops. The balance between the flavors follows very closely that of classic British ale. However, being brewed in the United States , the sweeter more robust flavors end up sitting this dance out while enthusiastic hop flavors end up hauling their sweets back on the floor to finish the dance.
Finish: Dare I say it, the finish to this beer is almost refreshing. However emphatic the hop in the flavor, by the very end, it takes a more subtle route, yielding to some of the sweetness and finishing nicely balanced.
Comments: This is perhaps one of the less emphatic, less rowdy, of the winter brews that I've tasted. In fact, if I were to describe this in a single word, it would be "genteel". This is not a bad thing. If I were to have cooled case of this standing by, and perhaps a pound each of some fine New England cheddars, I would not be embarrassed at all to entertain more than a few friends. (If they brought a few loaves of bread.)
The Shipyard Brewing Company: http://www.shipyard.com/
What others Say:
BeerAdvocate:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/139/288
RateBeer (the 2006) version:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/shipyard-prelude-holiday-ale/4468/
Cheers!
Peter Lafrance
( peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com )
