Blue Fin Stout
Shipyard Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Pours mostly black and dark brown, lighter brown head on top 1/2" deep. Good retention. Aroma of roasted malt and nothing more. Ever more.

Taste gets into some light coffee and chocolate notes from the roasted malt. Bitter, but not problematic, sticks by the style guidelines in that you get a lot of chewy, kinda bitter roasted malt flavor, but without the crushing alcohol most stouts have in these imperialized times. Not that I don't enjoy a bit of rocket fuel. Plenty of dark breadiness kind of heavy bread aspect to it. Carbonation seemed just fine. Does qualify as the namesake, as there is a light drying effect on the backend of the mouth feel. Hints of burnt cardboard. Some might not like the levity or "thinness" but like I said, imperialized times make people forget anything in terms of style guidelines. This might be the best beer I've had from this brewery.

20 oz. on tap at the Shipyard Brewport in the Providence airport.
Deep ebony with fine bubbled two fingers of tan head. Thick sheets of lacing, 1 cm cap
Subtle coffee,chocolate, caramel, whole wheat bread scents
Taste is also understated, with light char, dark malts, chocolate, hop fruitiness, grass flavors.
Abundant stubborn carbonation, medium bodied, dryish bitter finish.
That time you had to wait at the Providence airport for a few hours, this was a good choice.

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 4/20/2016. Pours clear opaque dark brown/black color with a 2 finger fairly dense and rocky tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, dark fruit, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, dark fruit, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy hop and roast/char bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toasted dark/brown bread, nuttiness, light smoke/char, herbal, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance, and zero acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from hop/char bitterness. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.7%. Overall this is a delicious dry stout. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/drying finish. Very flavorful for the low ABV. Nicely rich English pale/roasted malts, balancing hops, and mild fruity yeast characteristics. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.

 

Pint on draft at Shipyard's brewpub at Portland Jetport.

Appearance: Jet back (LOL!) with a big cascading bubble action. Recedes to crown of brown film.

Aroma: Some chocolate, some coffee, some dark malt.

Taste: Big bitter chocolate presence. Very nice. Has that bitter milkshakish kick that makes an IDS so wonderful.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and velvety.

Overall: Well executed Guinness-like stout. Good stuff.

 

 

 

The appearance had a black colored body with a finger of light brown head. The smell had a light bitter chocolate, coffee with some sweet roasted malts. The taste was sweet through previously mentioned flavors, slightly roasty. The palate sat about at a medium, fairly sessionable, dry bitter aftertaste and finish. Overall, this was good for the style and good for me. I also was able to make a decent Black & Tan with the Pumpkinhead.

 

 

Presentation: 12 oz bottle bottled on 10-29-16 poured into a Guinness gravity pint glass.

Look: Very dark brown, almost black in coloration with a one finger dark tan head. Head quickly collapses to just covering the top of the beer.

Smell: Dark fruits with some chocolate and dark coffee.

Taste: Has a bitter, almost stale flavor.

Feel: Medium body with light carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

Overall: Not something I'd be looking to have again.