Shipyard Longfellow Winter Ale - Shipyard Brewing Co.

beeroclock

United Arab Emirates

3.33/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The bottle throws you off, it has an old dude on it that looks like he'd drink budweiser. I poured this into a pint glass and it came out a brown liquid with a small foamy tan/brown head. Not a spectacular looking beer, but smells of some toffee & butterscotch. Tastes not like a typical porter, but it has the coffee tones to it and is slightly sweet. Aftertaste has some bitter hints and seems thinner than the average porter as well. Goes down ok and doesn't disappoint. Shipyard seems to be putting out some good products.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2007 21:55:31 | More by beeroclock

bark

Sweden

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What better way to celebrate an autumn hurricane in January than with a big (650 ml) bottle of an American Winter Warmer (English Porter? No way).?

The colour is deep amber-brown, the liquid is clear. The gigantic, slowly sinking foam is pale brown (probably one of the darkest heads I have seen). It pours very smooth, more like warm syrup than beer.

The strong smell is very roasted and bitter with citric notes, some alcohol and a hint of liquorice and rubber. A quite demanding aroma.

The taste is dry and bitter. Of course there is a distinct citric-sour hoppy flavour. The malt is roughly roasted (without getting black) giving a salty liquorice flavour, full bodied. There are also some yeasty flavours of gravy and dough. The aftertaste is bitter with a fruity-roasted-bitter flavour. The bitterness becomes the dominating note after a while and it lasts a very long time.


The carbonation is medium strong, small bubbles. The liquid is smooth.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2007 21:24:24 | More by bark

JanM

Sweden

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It poured with a dark brown, almost tar-like color, and with two fingers of thick, good foam. It was looking very inviting. The smell was of toffee, roasted malts and strong coffee notes. The taste was "bittersweet" with lots of coffee and some chocolate too. Inside is a fruitiness of maybe oranges, at least some citrus. All and all a well-balance beer and a fine porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2006 08:12:20 | More by JanM

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber from Florian's... Murky dark brown body with ruby-red highlights and a light tan head that's 2 fingers deep. Roastiness and hop bitterness dominate the aroma. Roasty chocolate and hops charactirize the flavor. Caramel in the finish and aftertaste.Tastes like a porter, almost like a stout. on the lighter side of full-bodied. This is definitely the best Shipyard brew, as the ratings reflect, unlike any other Shipyard (except the Brewer's Choice Ale). Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2006 02:03:07 | More by MrHurmateeowish

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle, this was a dark red/brown color with a thick coffee-colored head. It had a malty aroma with a tinge of dark fruit. Decent taste, coffee, fruit, a little hops. I thought the beer was a little thin, but still was quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 12:51:15 | More by lordofthewiens

shaebs99

New York

3.45/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Purchased recently as part of a mixed 12. I was relatively unimpressed with the other three beers, but thought this one was good enough to review.

It pours a dark cola color with a decent sized head that dispels slowly. The visible carbonation on the sides of the glass continues to remind me of a cola. The smell of the last one I had (that I am using to review) is fainter than the other two I had, but it has a slightly sweet smell which continues with the taste. Tastes and smells like a porter and is quite smooth. I also enjoyed the aftertaste which I find difficult to describe. I would consider the drinkability quite good and would have another Longfellow

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2006 00:22:56 | More by shaebs99

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Form a double duecer , this Winter Warmer pours a dark eggplant hue topped with an instantly settled tan thin ring with no bubbles seen in the glass.

Aroma is slightly caramel and toasted malt with a signature Ringwood aroma of buttered and pastry.

First swigs: Cola and porter. Toasted grain with a solid malt profile. Honey and toast and while warming up, a bit of waffle and buttered syrupy grain. Slight aftertaste of dark raisin and muffin.

Feel is medium bodied with a soft restrained carbonation. A bit of a tongue coater.

Last swigs: Seemed a bit like a spiced porter. Amost a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2006 03:37:50 | More by blitheringidiot

akahn

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Almost black cola color with red-brown highlights. Fairly sticky brown head leaves lace.

Mildly malty aroma, with slight hop notes. Sweet flavor with chocolate notes and sugary sweetness. Until it warms, there is a subtle, complimentary hop bite. This eventually peters out, but is nice while it lasts. Smooth with mild carbonation. Thin to medium body. Tasty but lacks depth and body. Pretty accurate to style, mellow, definitely sessionable, but this could use some more oomph.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2006 17:13:11 | More by akahn

jmz62565

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This pours a very dark reddish brown with a tan foamy head. The smell has some fruit,prune or raisin, aroma too it,but this scent is not very strong. The taste is very good with a strong presence of coffee and especially malt roastyness and sweetness. The m/f is medium with aftertaste that is just abit too watery and weak. Overall, this is a damn good beer and if the aroma was stronger this could be a rated much higher.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2006 01:21:36 | More by jmz62565

Drew966

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours very dark, not quite black, ruby around the edges from a twelve ounce brown bottle. I can smell hops and malt. At first I taste the malt, which fades into hops. I think there is a nice balance here between the hops and the malt. This is pretty decent, not my favorite winter ale, but quite tasty. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2006 02:19:17 | More by Drew966

SaCkErZ9

Florida

2.55/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Very dark mahogony color with a nice, tan head that dissipates at a leisurely pace, leaving a nice ring at the top and generous lacing down the side of the glass.

Smell is mostly just a sweet, sickly smell. Smells alot like a brown ale. Something smells wrong with the beer. Best by date is March of 06 so it should still be fresh. Weird smell.

Weird taste as well. Very sweet. Hints of chocolate. Tones of coffee. Not very impressive. Again, that weird, sweet taste is their and I am not sure what it is. A bit bitter and astringent as well.

Tangy and pungent mouthfeel. I will pass this by in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2005 00:28:45 | More by SaCkErZ9

rebel1771

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a lovely dark reddish brown with decent head. Smells include roasted malts, coffee and just a touch of chocolate. Taste is a bit underwhelming with the roasted malts making up the main body of the flavor with hints of fruits (plum and apple) showing up in the end. This is a tastey brew that has its' moments. Good not great.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2005 02:18:48 | More by rebel1771

Billolick

New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bomber bottle without any freshness indication on the labels. Pours typical porter like dark almond/honey amber. Light tan head, leaves fine stringy lacing. nose of plums and sweet malts. Pleasant and drinkable brew, notes of caramel, maple sugars and some lightly toasted malts and darker burnt malt notes. Lingering finish with another hint of plums. Nice, drinkable wintery brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2005 18:07:35 | More by Billolick

Gueuzedude

Arizona

2.4/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Aromas of faint oranges, dark malts and butterscotch waft from my glass as I pour this deep amber almost black brew. It is topped by a light brown head and shows ruby highlights when held up to the light. As I go in for a deeper sampling of the aromatics it is obvious that the butterscotch, movie popcorn, diacetyl notes dominate the nose of this beer. The taste is lightly sweet up front with a cooked corn DMS note in the finish. The taste is also dominated by diacetyl, through which a bit of roasted malt and complex maltiness has poked through, but just barely. Unfortunately for my sensitive palate the diacetyl notes dominate what otherwise could be at least a half way decent beer.

Despite my review, thanks to Pisskynights for this brew that comes from a generous sampling of brews which I know will be far better than this.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2005 04:20:21 | More by Gueuzedude

NEhophead

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1pt 6fl oz.

Creamy coffee colored head that fades to a thin sheet with a few pools of bubbles after a few moments. Some spotted lacing with average strength. Opaque, deep brown in color.

Big toffee and caramel aromas with hints of butterscotch. Whaffs of warming alcohol and light milk chocolate.

Milk chocolate and a big caramel flavor upfront. Moderate burnt roasted maltiness infused with a variety of nutty flavors: hazlenut, almond, and even a slight oak twinge. Moderate maltiness sweetness, but this one finishes rather dry with more of the nutty and caramel aftertastes. This one drinks more like a stout than a porter due to its dry finish, but very flavorful regardless.

Full bodied; dry and a touch grainy, but very palatable.

A very pleasant ale. Definitely one of my favorite offerings from Shipyard. Worth a try. This ale would really kick some ass if it were aged in some old whisky barrels, if anyone at Shipyard is listening. A solid offering on its own anyways.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2005 21:29:21 | More by NEhophead

LuckySevens82

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber with a picture of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on the label.
Pours a very nice burgandy with a tan head that is thick and rocky. In certain lights this brew appears to be brown, but I like it better as a burgandy.
Cramel, dark malts, and fruits dominate the aroma. Currants and cranberries peak through as well. There also seems to be a hint of cinnamon.
Very spicy, this one. Cinnamon is definately a part of this beer. There is also a very nice cranberry taste that is complemented nicely by the faint hop and citrus flavors (lemon and orange specifically).
This is a great winter warmer, so great, in fact, I could drink it any time of year.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2004 02:35:00 | More by LuckySevens82

rabidawg

Georgia

4.78/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: A deep mahogany with a nice fluffy tan head. Decent lacing, and average carbonation.

Smell: Buttery, sweet, and rich. Loads of dark, malty goodness, with dark fruits and toasted nuts.

Taste: Heavy buttery overtones, but certainly not overwhelming. This beer is flat out average when cold, but is absolutely incredible as it warms. Thick, sticky, chewy, and delicious. Dark, dried fruits aged in a root cellar with just enough hop presence to balance things out well. One of my absolute favorite beers, and an absolute must-try if in New England in the wintertime.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2004 02:34:32 | More by rabidawg

kunzbrew

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This brew pours a dark amber colour with a tan head that doesn't last very long leaving a sexy lace behind. A sweet caramel aroma anlong with low hop aroma hit the nose first. The first sip is has a high carbonation which hurst the tongue. the caramel and hop flavour continue to the tongue, the drinkabilty is ok but not great but not a bad winter brew as well.

Prost

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2004 00:39:25 | More by kunzbrew

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed a few 22 oz bottles of this the other day. Gonna cellar one or two. I pour a chilled sample into my pint glass. The brew pours dark brown with tints of reddish purple mixed in. A beige colored frothy head foams up lightly and dissipates quickly.
The aroma is malty sweet and has hints of raisins and general fruitiness. Maybe some molasses too.
First sip reveals a slightly sharp carbonation and medium bodied brew.
There is a mild sweet twang up front with a mild middle and the finish is rather dry and gives of a little bit of a wine character. Maybe some hop bitterness too. The raisin flavor carries from the aroma as well.
This is a tasty brew for a cold snowy nite like tonite.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2004 04:41:02 | More by sulldaddy

UnionMade

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a very dark opaque brown, nearly black. A creamy almond colored head tops the brew, lasting about halfway through the pint before dissipating enough for a patch of black to show through. Plenty of sticky lace creating rings as I sip.
The aroma is mainly a roasty maltiness, with considerable coffee. A mild ringwood nuttiness with some balancing herbal british hops. Faint fruitiness, mostly plum, and perhaps a touch of spice? I didn't think they spiced this beer, but I can smell some nutmeg and anise. A bit of chocolate and toffee. Not as complex as I remember in past years, but decent.
The flavor starts out with a pleasing coffee roastiness. A touch of chocolate, with some sweet fruity esters in the middle. Mostly a plum flavor, with a touch of apple. Roasty malt continues into the finish, with mild herbal hop bitterness and a ringwood nuttiness in the end. Definite walnut flavor. Some nuttiness and roasty coffee linger in the finish. No detectable spice. Very light body, with soft cask carbonation.
The body is considerably thinner than I remember, with a much more subdued flavor. The first time I tried this, a few years back, I couldn't finish drinking it. Too strong for my weak palate. Not bad, but I passed on another pint.

Serving type: cask

01-07-2004 05:53:20 | More by UnionMade

aracauna

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark. Looks pretty much black. The head was light, but not white, and fizzy. Soon faded to nothing but the circle of bubbles caused by the scoring at the bottom of my Petrus Triple snifter. The nose is heavy on the apple peels. Caramel, apples and assorted fruits are dominate in the flavor, but there's a lurking char flavor that stirs things up a bit. A really interesting beer and I can't really say I've had anything like it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2003 07:57:11 | More by aracauna

jtw5877

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a medium to dark brown hue with a tan head, smells kind of like a bells kalamazoo stout. This is an interesting holiday brew, it is dark,smokey (a little bit of roasted malt), a little bit of chocolatey stout kinda flavor, yet kind of a medium mouthfeel not to overwhelming. A standout beer in the Shipyard gift pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2003 00:33:34 | More by jtw5877

BeefyMee

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

So I was at the bar and there was a list of the Christmas beers sitting on the bar. I drooled over some of the bottles that I didn't feel like paying for (Mad Elf for $8 and I don't remember what else), and I contemplated the draft selection. I finally decided to get a Longfellow draft since I tried it and liked it out of the bottle not too long ago. Then, I looked at the main tap list on the wall (this place has 20-30 beers on tap) and noticed that it wasn't there. I was minimally upset and asked the bartendress whether it was on tap or not.

She says, "It's on cask." My eyes light up.

I barely communicated that yes, I would indeed have one. Then, I exuberantly explained to my brother how great it was that I was getting the beer on cask, this just moments after I thought I wasn't getting it at all. Then, the glass arrived so enough backstory.

I couldn't wait to dig in to this beer. I took a drink and it felt like heaven in my mouth. However, I swallowed and the taste left something to be desired. The overall flavor just seemed muted. Nothing jumped out at all. Not even to say hi. I enjoyed the cask quality of this beer, but I think it had the potential to be so much better, especially since I've had it out of the bottle.

Serving type: cask

12-21-2003 10:12:42 | More by BeefyMee

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown body, reddish 'round the edges, under a fizzy, cocoa-colored head that slips down to size with a quickness.
Aroma, dark fruits, nuts, nuts, some spices, a bit cola-esque, but it gets better through time, opens up and becomes more awake and alive, feels like a snootful of a dank pine forest and all that comes with it...
Taste: quite interesting, dark, spicy, malty, but mellow, and I taste further things now, maple, rum, molasses, more than I can't exactly finger, though more able, adept minds surely could. Feels more complex of an ale the more I sip into it, and instantly qualifies as the best brew from Shipyard I've sampled so far. Rich flavor, sometimes fruity, sometimes treacly continues to delight, and altogether this brew is a worthy ale to close a night in freezy mid-January Minnesota. If I had further samples at my side, this is one winter brew I could really get comfortable with!
Cheers to another fine Maine brew, and to rabidawg for sending it my way!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2003 10:01:55 | More by feloniousmonk

dpend

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. Bottle

Appearance is a deep brown with tinges of red. Has a thick nutty head that dissipates relatively quickly.Aroma is sweet caramel malt. A bit of chocolate is present in both smell and taste.With a bit more hop kick, this beer would taste like a porter.I'm liking this beer a lot and have found myself going back to it again and again.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2003 14:03:35 | More by dpend