Shipyard Blue Fin Stout - Shipyard Brewing Co.

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.99/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

I bought this as a single since it was fairly cheap and I havent seen this before, the label caught my eye but also expect it to be quality despite the ABV!

A: Pours a dark motor oil black, with a thin mocha colored head and not much lacing to speak of but there is some.

S: Aroma gives off some dark roasted malts, chocolate notes, and a blend of coffee and caramel. Awesome smell to this beer and especially sweeter than bitter.

T: Strong coffee flavor, mixed with hints of caramel is what I get in the initial flavor. Beer blends into a sweet chocolate and dark fruit combination that finishes with a dry, bread or nutty dryness.

M: Mouth has a sweet texture and not overly bitter. All the components for a good stout are there.

O: This is a session stout and is delicious at that. Lacks the ABV of a trophy type stout, but it doesnt matter because now instead of having 2 glasses of a bomber, you can have 6 beers of this and be straight!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 03:48:16 | More by SouljaSaia17

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown color that's moderately opaque. The head is a one finger khaki color with lacking retention. At least lacing is nice.

S: Roasted barley, nuts, chocolate, licorice, and a hint of coffee. Actually a bit more interesting than I anticipated - though considering the beer I had before this, just about anything will be an improvement.

T: The opening flavors are pleasantly roasty. A bit buttery in the midtaste, though it works to a partial extent in this. The finish goes back to the roasted barley and coffee, with even a bit of char. A slight floral note appears on the aftertaste, suggesting a pseudo-healthy hop profile. Nothing pops out in the grand scheme of things, but it's fine.

M: The first sip seems overcarbonated, but it smooths out nicely after sip #2. Shipyard actually did a decent job of nailing the clean dryness of a good Irish stout, except for a lingering chalkiness on the aftertaste. Gotta clean that one up, guys...

O: Good, not great. Very easy to drink and noob friendly, at least. I won't get a six pack of it, but it would be a good one to try on tap.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 23:13:44 | More by ThisWangsChung

Kendo

New York

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured from the bottle (with a twist-off cap) into a pint glass. Dark pour makes it look pretty thick. In the glass the body is black with a small (maybe a half-finger) light brown head.

S: Roasted barley and a bit of black licorice.

T: Bitterness is the overall impression - not sure if it's from the roasted malt or the hops. At times I think it's gotta be the roasted grains, but sometimes I'm not so sure. Really nothing more going on besides that roastiness, though after a few sips and my palate adjusts to it, I think I get a bit of roasted coffee beans as well as just generic roast.

M: Way too carbonated. A sharp, active carbonation doesn't help things here, as it makes the bitterness more pronounced on the palate. Heft is lightish.

O: I used to have a co-worker who owned a place in Maine not too far from Kennebunkport and the Shipyard brewpub. He used to rave about this beer back in the mid-to-late 90s, and I remember having it back then and kind of liking it. Either it's gotten worse or my taste buds have improved; this is nothing I would ever get again.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 23:43:38 | More by Kendo

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark sherry color upon the pour sits a dense pitch black in the chalice accompanied by a 1.5 finger mocha colored head that sits well but hardly pays its respect in the lacing department.

S: Burnt sweet grains, dark roast, moderate in strength. Dark fruit of plums with burnt chocolate.

T: Flavor is alcohol laced, chocolate and roast, dark fruit of prunes, black cherries, sweet burnt grains. Malty, worty, roasty with a sweet mention of alcohol and a touch of roasted fruitiness.

M: Mouthful leans on the light side per style, silky, roasty, with an oily feel. Not much carbonation detection, leaves a powdery roastiness coating on the tongue.

O: Overall a generally good stout, won't blow you away, but shouldn't disappoint as a casual example.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 00:07:19 | More by beerthulhu

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the 22 oz. bomber. Sampled on August 25, 2012.

The pour is a deep dark brown with a handsome looking tan, fluffy head that settles down after a few moments.

The aroma is full of dark toasted malts, coffee and the Shipyard yeast strain.

The body is near medium and somewhat smooth.

The taste has a moderate to high bitterness but not hoppy. The ending is dry but it does not linger.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 00:06:23 | More by puboflyons

soju6

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a black color with a small tan head that fades to some lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt and dark fruit with a bit of coffee in the background.

T: Taste of roasted malt with dark chocolate. A bit of coffee and dark fruit are mixed in. Mild bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Fairly full body, crisp and smooth. Nice balance but not overpowering.

O: Enjoyable beer, good for a few. Nice take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 09:57:02 | More by soju6

CloudStrife

New York

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into chalice. Best before June 2012.

A: Pours a pitch black with a thick 2 finger light khaki head. head sticks around for a few minutes and leaves some lacing on the sides. No light gets through this brew.

S: Fairly timid aroma, get some roasted malt and dark fruits but that is about it. A little coffee kicks in as it warms. Slight boozey presence.

T: Nice roasted malt flavor, very true to the style. A slight smokiness to it. Hints of coffee.

M: Light on the palette for a stout. Has a nice creamy feel to it. Very drinkable

Overall a tasty stout that has great drinkability. Very true to the style of irish stouts. Would recommend anyone to pickup a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 02:05:04 | More by CloudStrife

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber from Knightly Spirits Orlando. Poured into a Chimay goblet.

This brew is black as sin, with hardly another colour to penetrate the inky depths. Leaves an impressive head of light mocha foam. Great retention.

Nose is dark coffee, toasted malt, a bit of citric hops.

Bitter and astringent, this brew certainly upholds the "dry" portion of its style. If dry stouts are your thing, this one would definitely fit the bill. For myself, I lean towards the sweeter end of the stout spectrum, though I do enjoy the Irish stout style now and again. This brew was just too much for me, and I rate it so because I also didn't find the flavors mixed well - the tartness of the brew was overwhelming and the coffee flavor wasn't that enjoyable.

Thinner feel to it, and the carbonation was too strong. A miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 22:36:10 | More by JohnnyBarman

Brenden

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This stout is black, impossible to see through the inky darkness. On top forms a creamy medium brown head that is a little more than one finger tall but, while not huge, never, ever fades. It leaves lacing in almost a sheet even in a snifter. This one's got fantastic form.
The aroma gives off a strong malt backbone with a strong barley element along with a touch of smoke to it. There's just a touch of caramel and ghost of dark fruits. The flavor follows suit with a bit more tanginess that I don't feel complements the overall character. Malts go interestingly thin in the flavor where it doesn't in the aroma. Fortunately, the tanginess drops off a bit as it sits. A bit of leafy bitterness is also present in this beer well into the drier finish.
The body is medium-heavy, as the thinness of malts in the flavor doesn't translate to the feel. It's just slightly crisp, as the focus is more on smooth.
This is a very interesting beer, as I like how everything works in it except where the tanginess and thinness seeps into the flavor. Everything else is good, but something doesn't mix where the flavor's concerned initially.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 13:49:30 | More by Brenden

Tone

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a black color. 1/3 inch head of a tan color. Good retention and good lacing. Smells of sweet malt, slight roasted malt, dry hops, and a hint of citrus hops. Fits the style of an Irish Dry Stout. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of roasted malt, slight sweet malt, hint of sugar, hops, and a hint of dry hops. Overall, decent appearance, aroma, and body.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 20:08:35 | More by Tone

beardedterror

Iowa

2.08/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2

Poured into stout glass, served at approximately 55 degrees Farenheit:

A - Dark brown, nearly black color with 1/2 finger light tan head which disappears quickly, but leaves good lacing on glass.

S - Not much, especially for a stout. Slight toasted grain smell and a decent bit of smoke. Very slight caramel flavors after several minutes of smelling. No discernible hop aromas.

T - Dirt is the first impression I get. Not a pleasant flavor. Smoke is very high. Smoke from the front of the palate through the late finish, which could be due to high roasted barley content. Only flavor other than smoke is a huge buttery flavor. Very unpleasant. Batch could have been fermented too hot. Slight, but noticeable amount of bitterness, on par with style.

M - Creamy feeling. Slightly chewy. Sadly, best feature of the beer.

O - Very disappointing, as stouts are my favorite and I've heard good things about this beer. Perhaps a bad batch or just very old? I will give this one more shot (from a different retailer) in the future. Flavor was severely lacking in complexity for a stout. Smoke and butter were the only two things I got from this. It was difficult to finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 01:29:51 | More by beardedterror

dtivp

West Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark brown with a one finger medium tan head that faded quickly into a thin cap with very little lacing.

Aroma of roasted malt, sweet chocolate and dark fruit, not the strong toasty bitterness I like with a stout.

Taste of roasted malt, coffee and a hint of hops, very little if any sweetness that I noticed in the aroma.

Mouth Feel was medium body, very light carbonation, smooth, not very crisp or bitter.

Overall this is an average stout, a little thin and lacks that nice bite you get from a stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 20:32:16 | More by dtivp

leokbelo

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint glass, deep blackness, with a coffee like foamy head.
Sweet, roasted coffee, with hints of fruits and dark chocolate both on the nose and on the palate.
Hops are quite present, without overwhelming the palate.
A fine stout, medium bodied and full of flavor.
Recommended to any Stout aficionados!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 01:52:36 | More by leokbelo

zeff80

Missouri

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color with a small, tan head of bubbly foam. It left thin rings of sticky lace on the glass.

S - It smelled roasty with chocolate and some toffee notes.

T - It tasted of flaked oats with roasty malt. Subtle chocolate and toffee flavors, too.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied stout with a very dry finish.

O - This hits the style very well. It would make a nice sessionable stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 20:50:52 | More by zeff80

UCLABrewN84

California

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Best by 5/2012.

Pours an opaque black with a 1 inch foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Tiny streaks of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt and some subtle cocoa and dark fruit aromas. Taste is of dark roasted malt with some minor cocoa powder flavor. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a high level of carbonation that is a bit too much in my opinion. Overall, this is a pretty average stout with an emphasis on roasty malt without any real balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 05:54:23 | More by UCLABrewN84

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Blue Fin Stout is actually black - utterly, entirely black. Off the pour: black. The trim of its base: black. Its complexion against the afternoon sun: black. Even its surface: a barren, empty black. Without even the slightest carbonation I think you'd need night-vision goggles to derive any kind of aesthetic interest.

The aroma smells of roasted malts and a hefty dosage of sweetened milk chocolate. It is not a heavy-hitting aroma by any means, but it gives the air of a tar-y, viscous graininess so thick that it might just get stuck between your teeth. While it's a little shy of 'coffee' as far as its strength and roast, that's definitely the direction we're headed.

Drinking Blue Fin Stout is like chowing down on some chunky, chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (and washing them down with a splash of coffee and maybe a swig of tobacco juice). Half way through the bottle the mouth feels permanently coated in a smoky bitter astringency, as if each sip had been laced with tiny little coffee grind shavings.

Blue Fin is a classic Irish-style stout in every regard but one (err, four): the Warrior, Cascade, Tettnang and Goldings hops are all plainly noticeable and impart in all aspects of the beer - the bouquet, the flavor, the mouthfeel - a little extra leafy, flowery, lightly spicy character. It doesn't stand out too much given all the roasty chocolate notes, but it's there.

An Irish stout ought to be flavorful, quaffable and offer good value; Blue Fin Stout could be described by all of those things. I could see myself buying a fair bit of this if I were a New England resident. Their products may not be earth-shattering but Shipyard offers consistency and quality which, for me, both make compelling reasons to support them.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 20:19:55 | More by biegaman

hopfacebrew

Colorado

2.65/5  rDev -26%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On nitro tap at Vine Street Pub for Stout Month 2011. The beer was served in an 8oz milkshake pilsner glass.

A - A very very dark brown color, though not quite black. Amber/brown on the edges. A thin 1/4" creamy tan nitro head with little retention and almost no lacing.

S - A light sweet chocolate roasted malt character on the nose. Pretty average for an Irish Dry Stout.

T/M - The beer from the get go tastes light and thin and watery. Very little roasted malt character on the front. The middle brings a mild bitterness. The beer finishes very light and watery with a hint of roasted malt. Lightly carbonated and light/medium bodied.

D - Meh. A coworker of mine rejected it back to the server.

Overall, I was extremely disappointed in this beer. My 2 co-workers who also tried it said the same thing: thin, water, and reminded us of fish! Not recommended, I will not be back. Maybe we got a bad batch but this was not pleasant.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: nitro-tap

Reviewed on: 02-11-2011 20:09:33

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-27-2012 15:10:21 | More by hopfacebrew

AnIrishCroi

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Black body with medium brown fluffy head. High initial carbonation.

S: Toasted malts, slight smell of coffee.

T: Burnt toast. Coffee flavored. Thin taste, almost watered down.

M: Light, watery. Not in line with what I expected from a stout.

O: Poured from bottle to stein, expecting a heavy flavor and mouthfeel. Might as well poured into a Pilsner glass and treated it as such. Enjoyable beer, easy to drink, just wished it had some more body and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 02:09:21 | More by AnIrishCroi

Dope

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown, almost black pour. Ridiculous fluffy brown head. Good retention.

S: Mild roasted malt. Touch of chocolate. A bit sweet.

T: A bit of water followed by a bitter hit of char, roasted malt and coffee. Not much else too it. A little dry in the aftertaste.

M: Pretty watery.

O: Great appearance and decent smell had my hopes up but this beer is pretty plain. Not horrible but basically tastes like guinness without the creaminess.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 03:07:40 | More by Dope

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very nice pour with a soft light brown head and a deep, robust, almost completely opaque color. Chocolatey notes on the nose. Nice toasty malt with a smokey-like character also present on the nose. Medium body with an outstanding charring cocoa-like smokiness. Very good beer. Low alcohol content make this easily a great session brew. Roasty warm alcohol feeling to it. A great winter beer, actually and may be Shipyard's best. This is one beer that proves ABV does not make or break a beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 00:20:13 | More by bigdeuce

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

This one was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance- The completely black body is crowned by a beige film that disappears pretty quickly. There is no lace on the side of the glass.

Smell- Sweet is the first sense I get from this stout, like molasses or dark fruit. There is a little bit of roast, but it is buried.

Taste- There is a bit of coffee roast at the beginning, but it shifts forcibly into char and a slightly caustic finish. Whatever sweetness may have been in the nose is no where to be found in the drink. And the roast gets pretty heavy handed on the palate.

Mouth feel- This is far too thin and even a little fizzy. These are not qualities that generally make for a good stout experience. Especially when the palate is already full on char and some astringency.

Overall- This one started out okay, but as soon as it hits your lips, it becomes a bit of a let down. It is like they have a base for a stout in here, but then did not finish it by working the carbonation or putting any good malt or flavoring in with it.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 22:51:00 | More by Pintofbrown

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I purchased a bomber a while ago in Maine, and opened it tonight. Served in a Brooklyn Brewery stemmed glass. Dark brown colored body. Nice tan head forms, but faded fast. All that was left was a white circle of foam around the edges of the glass. Smell was appealing, with good notes of highly roasted coffee. Taste was not bad, but I've had better. Seemed like a lot of the flavors didn't meld well; everything sorta seemed jumbled. The roasted coffee flavor was too hidden by that odd sweetness. It also became cloying on my palate. Plus, I got an unusual buttery flavor from this beer at the finish. Lastly, this beer was just a bit too thin on the body. Blue Fin is a decent stout, but I could have remembered liking it more in the past. Now, not so much.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 05:29:42 | More by morebeergood

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.61/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

In a pint glass:

A: black colored body with a finger of light brown head

S: light bitter chocolate, coffee with some sweet roasted malts

T: sweet through previously mentioned flavors, slightly roasty

M: medium, fairly sessionable, dry bitter aftertaste and finish

O: good for the style and good for me, good Black & Tan with the Pumpkinhead

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 00:46:41 | More by kangarooAdam59

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Jet black and just barely misses opaque. Okay size tan head of foam that settles to a ring that stays but does not deposit much lace.

S: Nice friendly roasty nose with good heft. Cocoa leaning a bit more chocolate than bitter sweet cocoa. Molasses and super dark toffee sweetness with some malty grain in the background and some diacetyl as well. Some fruity esters dance at the margins. Barely there hints of coffee and really dark roast. No hops.

T: Quite a bit more roasty on the palate. More postum / chicory than real coffee up front, but the end takes on notes of almost bitter dark, dark roast – sort of Turkish coffee. Molasses sweetness takes on a bit of a sharp sort of minerally edge on the backend. Some dark breadcrusty malts, but it could use more to give some depth to the middle and better show off the rish roasty aspects. As the dark roast lingers in the finish it gets a little bit earthy, a little bit woody (hinting at char), and develops just a hint of an acrid edge.

M: A tad thin, even for a low gravity dry stout. Body is not helped any by the coarse textured carbonation. Drying from roastiness. Creamier CO2 and just a smidge more body and chew would push this beyond merely fair.

D: Very solid stout. Nice nose, good flavor, decent mouthfeel, and it looks okay too. Stands up nicely against the standard benchmarks. I bet it shines on a nitro-tap.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 00:10:10 | More by SickGnar

SDtastentune

California

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark dark and has a nice little brown head upon poring, works into a nice ring. Some good lacing.

S - Lighter coffee and sweet dark chocolate mixed in. Some sweeter ting as well.

T - Taste is a good balance between rich chocolate and molasses mixed in with some coffee notes, Finishes clean and thinner but great aftertaste.

M - Lighter body with some nice medium no prickly carbonation.

O - Overall this a great stout, not bad. Easy to drink on a cold night, and enjoy with some steak or bbq. Can be used as a marinating or beer batter as well!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 01:33:55 | More by SDtastentune