Shipyard XXXX IPA (Pugsley's Signature Series) - Shipyard Brewing Co.

bound4er

Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Purchased on a whim, which is usually a mistake. We'll see how it turns out.

A. Pours nicely with an amber appearance and a nice, two finger off white head that has nice retention.

S. Smells of malt, dank weeds (hops I assume) and spice (mainly pepper). Pretty nice overall.

T. Things turn south here - I am not sure what to make of this beer. There is a lot of malt and weedy, pine hop bitterness but nothing really that trips my trigger. Has a odd spritz to the finish.

M. Medium bodied with adequate carbonation.

O. Nothing I need to revisit - especially at $9 per bomber. I should have checked this out on BA before buying.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:09:58 | More by bound4er

hosehead83

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a wine goblet.
Deep apricot in color, with a rather short, off-white head of foam.
Aroma-Sweet toasted malt, citrus note
Taste-Big malt profile, toasted malt, some citrus hops creep in but not enough to balance the big sweetness. OK, but much better double IPA's out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 16:19:03 | More by hosehead83

TheSixthRing

California

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a beautiful ruby amber with an off-white, finger width head. Average retention. Results in a lacing that's thin but sticky.

Smell - Smells of caramel malts and a touch of toffee, with only the faintest hint of hops lying beneath.

Taste - Taste is thick, caramel character complimented by a nice floral hop undertone. Finishes with just a touch of citrus bitterness. Good flavor... but 2IPA? I don't think so.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full bodied. Nice, tingly carbonation. Smooth and drinkable.

Overall - This is an IPA, let alone an 2IPA? drinks like an aggressive red ale, and that's how they should market it. Loses points for being misclassified.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 06:29:11 | More by TheSixthRing

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up as part of a mix-a-six, enjoyed chilled from a willybecker.

The color is deeply hazed amber verging on copper with a quick to fall pale beige cap with overall avg bead and thin lace sticks. The smell is both fruity and herbal with moderately strong sweet scent of malt with slightly caramel essence with moderate alcohol in the nose. The feel is sweet and boozy for the most part with spicy and mildly bitter hop texture with moderate carbonation and warming semi-bitter and semi-dry finish.

The flavor has mild pine from the hops up front with light bitterness and herbal flavors with subtle fruity yeast taste that comes off as a light apricot with pear accent and subtle grapefruit fades in toward the middle with a citrus zest and sweet malt combination with mild caramel element and some dark sugar perhaps. The malt has a mellow toast quality with pepper and tangelo adding contrast, the alcohol finishes out the flavor in a not so mild way with light fusel and astringent hop tinge. The taste also seems strange with a prune/dried fruit element after the swallow. Overall it strikes me more as an English double IPA than American style with more malt and yeast that try to balance the hop bitterness and hop flavor is not as in focus. This is a good beer, but I would not seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 16:36:22 | More by Slatetank

schoolboy

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I know that I am being picky today, but this AIPA has a number of problems. It really needs better balance. The malt is too out front - you know it is boozy.

The beer looks fantastic in the glass. But it is a dark, slightly bitter, syrupy taste. The aftertaste is a bit bitter, but not a good bitter.

I will not buy this one again - not recommended.

Ammendment - I accidentally bought it again and I dislike it even more.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 01:16:20 | More by schoolboy

vfgccp

New York

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Beautiful, crystal clear, neon copper apricot body. Fine white head with moderate retention and lace.

S - Bold and surprisingly sweet. Apricot, fresh bread and brown sugar.

T - Smooth caramel muffles a broad herbal bitterness. Huge bready malt builds through the center and lingers through at the finish.

M - Smooth full body. A shade thick.

O - The huge malt presence seems to overpower the hops, but the net effect isn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 16:37:36 | More by vfgccp

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Crisp, clear, copper/amber body glowing with a large bubbled half finger head.

S - Floral hops, warm rubbing alcohol, and some green spiced vegetal notes. Faint citrus peel with some sweet malt wafts.

T - The high abv is pretty noticable, with a bitter alcohol bite up front. Grainy alcohol stands out, with some hop bitterness and a mild floral hop presence. Not much complexity or subtleness here. A chest warming finish and bitter aftertaste.

M - Pretty raw on the palate, warming.

O - Tastes like an average IPA with grain alcohol poured in. Not very keen on this one at all. Aging may smooth the alcohol but I don't think the body or flavors can support the strength of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 22:53:12 | More by BeerForMuscle

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shipyard XXXX IPA has a very thick, cream-colored head and a somewhat hazy, amber appearance. Lots of thick lacing is noticed. The aroma is strong, with citrus, lots of breadiness, some sourness, and even alcohol. Taste is of alcohol, grapefruit, bitterness, bread, and somewhat cloying sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium to thick and soft, and Shipyard XXXX finishes dense, bitter, and mostly dry. Overall, this is an interesting IPA, and I think it’s worth trying.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 22:21:32 | More by RonaldTheriot

Nerudamann

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – hazy amber in color, with about half a finger’s worth of frothy light tan-colored foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell – interesting smell. It smells like a Belgian ale almost, but with a fruity tinge to it. Can’t pull out the grapefruit, but the fruity smell does seem to make sense then.

Taste – interesting taste as well, and much like the smell. A teeny bit of a musky quality at the start as it’s getting into the middle, then it takes a turn and you feel more of a smoky/fruity quality. The finish is bitter, as is the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – pretty well-balanced, but does lean more on the watery side.

Overall – not a bad brew at all. Good-tasting and very interesting/thought-provoking.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:07:51 | More by Nerudamann

Etan

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Spiegelau tulip. Sent to me as an extra by Valdieu2.

A: Pours a brownish-amber with a nice thick white head. Good retention and lacing.

S: Mildly fruity hop aromas with strong notes of butterscotch and sweet wheat bread.

T: Like the nose, mild fruity hop flavors (grapefruit, pungent piney bitterness) followed by heavy malty and yeasty notes of toffee, butterscotch, buttered biscuit. Slight spiciness and alcohol in the finish.

M: Tingly carbonation, medium-bodied.

O: I assume this was brewed with a ringwood yeast strain, which dominates the flavor profile. Not bad if considered more of an English DIPA, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 04:16:07 | More by Etan

briandot

District of Columbia

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: It's a darker amber IPA, almost into the red zone.

S: Not very strong, not very unpleasant, not very pleasant. I have a good sense of smell so I found it lackluster.

T: Super malty for an IPA. The hops leave very quickly, and I can't differentiate them as any particular type. It has the hoppy bite, but for a very brief moment before giving way to the malty body.

M: Well, not too bad. A little, um, fluffy? It's a bit syrupy but with as much head and malts, it's like eating frosted flakes.

O: I don't think I really enjoyed this one. It's an acceptable beer when there is nothing else to drink, certainly better than any adjunct, but falls pretty short for a quality IPA.

Disclosure: Had this one sitting around slightly longer than I should have, but I don't think that's the problem with it. It just isn't that great a beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 00:39:23 | More by briandot

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour shared at DarthKostrizer’s place.

Pours a clear orange with a bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of herbal hops, brown sugar, and some alcohol aromas. Taste is pretty sweet with some herbal hops and brown sugar up front and a malty finish. There is a mild amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good but quite sweet DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 04:51:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

ThickNStout

Georgia

2.38/5  rDev -35.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle from ABC Liquors (St Pete, FL). Served in a Southern Tier snifter. 

Pours deep orange with 2 fingers pale head. Decent lacing. 

Smells of biscuits and faint hops. A little lacking. 

Tastes a little off. There is a big bitter hop flavor initially with a sharp unfavorable astringent taste. It never really opens up or reveals any depth or character. The alcohol is much more present than in most other IPAs of similar abv. 

Medium feel with moderate to high carbonation. Slightly oily/ sticky with a long astringent aftertaste. 

I've had many subpar DIPAs but this one has to take the cake. It started out lookin nice but spiraled down from there. Admittedly age could be a factor (bottle indicates best by March 2012) but I sure don't plan to seek a fresh one to find out...

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 23:01:28 | More by ThickNStout

drabmuh

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Beer is orange with a mild haze, a big off white head, small bubbles, some lacing, moderate to low carbonation, looks good.

Aroma is mildly hoppy, a little sweet, some butterscotch comes through.

Beer is light to medium in body, pretty butterscotchy, a little sweet, a little dry on the finish, moderate bitterness, it was too buttery for me to finish the bomber, I won't be repeating this.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 16:04:34 | More by drabmuh

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice amber hue with very good clarity and a crystal off white head. Nose is pretty subdued for a DIPA which is putting me off a bit but whats there is some ruby red grapefruit sweetness.

Huge body and incredibly subtlety, if thats good. The way to best describe the flavor is caramel covered grapefruit which doesnt sound good but its a unique and tasty combination. This beer has incredibly long finish and lingers with you for a while. Whats strange is that the malt is really the start of the show here with the hops acting merely as balance which it does so magnificently. The flavors all blend together to one incredibly tasty sip but this is not what hop heads are looking for in an IPA.

Caramel is the primary flavor.

I however do find it unique and it does stand out. Hop presence is there but it's only as important as the rest of the beer. A very tasty brew at 9.25%

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 02:29:52 | More by jtierney89

Greywulfken

New York

4.5/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: golden orange with a foamy head

S: citrus and pine

T: grapefruit, pine, citrus, hop; complex and balanced

M: sweetness and bitters temper one another, medium body, refreshing and satisfying

O: delighted with this purchase - my only other Shipyard ale was the Smashed Pumpkin, which I loved - clearly their Pugsley's signature series ales are worthy of consideration. I would highly recommend this beer. It is bright, floral, and hoppy, but with enough body and a high enough abv to be taken seriously. This is the most citrusy and piney - and in a real good way - beer I have ever had, and it also brings just enough sweetness to complement the astringency - a very sharp and delicious brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 23:43:02 | More by Greywulfken

beardedterror

Iowa

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear light-red copper with a thick 2-finger head that lasts through the majority of the glass.

S - Very intense hop aromas, with citrus as the strongest. Floral and spicey notes linger in the background with a slightly earthy and piney finish. High amount of lacing over the entire glass.

T - Very bitter, but well suited to the style. Excellent hop flavors, very complex and well balanced with each other. Little to no malt flavors detected. Slight alcohol flavor and hotness detected, but not overpowering. Very long-lasting bitter bite to the finish.

M - Medium body with a decent amount of carbonation. Feels warm on the palate due to high alcohol content.

O - Solid IIPA. Good hop flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 00:00:53 | More by beardedterror

kojevergas

California

2.65/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap covered in gold foil served into a N'Ice Chouffe stem beerflute in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Acquired at a Ralph's market nearby. Reviewed live. Expectations are average.

Paired with honey wheat pretzel braids. Served refrigerator cold but allowed to warm over time.

A: Pours a one finger head of nice cream, good thickness, and great retention for the high ABV. Colour is a light semitransparent amber with copper hues. Interesting for the style in that it's not just a clear copper. I'm sufficiently intrigued. No visible yeast particles.

Sm: Bittering and floral hop notes. Some cream. Butterscotch (diacetyl?). Toasted malts round out the character nicely. Very English IPA esque, mixed with the toasted malt body of a light winter warmer. I suspect Fuggles were used. (Consulting the label, I discover I'm wrong.) A clean, mild strength aroma.

T: Hoppy, with the bitterness coming through in the third act untamed by other notes. The climax holds the cream and floral hop notes, with the toasted malt occupying the beer from open to midpoint, filling out the body. The third act is comparitively empty. Some cream on the open, accompanied by a hint of straw. More like an English IPA than an American. I get a bit of grapefruit, but only hints. No alcohol comes through. No yeast (not that there should be). Some light caramelized malt. Both flavourfully and structurally imbalanced, but decently built. I enjoy it in a general sense. It's certainly neither unique nor special.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some cream after the midpoint (texture-wise). A biteen overcarbonated. Too thick. Suits the flavours only generally.

Dr: Drinkable but not special or unique. I wouldn't have it again. A below average example of the style, largely due to its inability to balance the bittering hops of the climax and third act. IPAs are not about a hop or IBU competition; balance is still integral. Fans of the style will likely find something to like about it.

C-

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 07:49:13 | More by kojevergas

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tap at Sea Dog pub in northborough, MA.

Pours a big fluffy 1.5 finger head fades slowly with lacing over copper reddish orange hazy beer.

Nose has earthy hops, hints of citrus fruit and other fruity hops, some malts as well chewy syrupy reddish malts, caramel, toffee, etc, and some candy citrus earthy hops.

Taste comes on bitter and strong, earthy chewy almost candy hops, a flavor like hop extract, spicy hops but no real fruit this time. Then malts, sweet and a bit syrupy, candy, syrupy malts with a reddish copper and chewy malt flavor. Booze is masked by the sweetness and bitterness fairly decently at this point. Finishes still fairly sweet chewy and spicy hops and pretty bitter, little sticky, long lingering bitterness. Nice bitter earthy bite on the finish, bit of grassy herbal hops, and booze comes out some on the finish

Mouth is a bit heavier bodied, decent carb, just a hint of booze until it warms and then the booze kicks in a bit.

Overall not bad, lots of malts and hops but not a lot of hop flavor, booze is hidden well, no off or bad flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 19:13:25 | More by jlindros

JDFish

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams Breather

A: Poured a beautiful dark, clear amber, a small one-finger head that went away quickly. Thin lacing rings. I found this one by itself from Merinos..it could've been sitting there awhile

S: I got lots of plum and tropical fruit-- specifically pineapple. Some breadiness in there. Smelled pretty dang good to me

T: Close to smell. Lots of tropical fruit. Some alcohol on the back end and it finished pretty dry. Overall, I liked it considering its ABV

M: A little thin to me. Not much carbonation. As I said, I could've got an old one.

O: Pretty good, especially if you like fruity esters with your hops. Its does warm your core nicely. I'd definitely would not pass on one if offered.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 00:07:51 | More by JDFish

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a magnificent orange red with a 2 inch off white head that leaves globs of lacing all over the glass. Smell is tangerine, bread, carmel, and grapefruit. Taste is sweet in the start and bitter grapefruit in the finish. Body is large for the style, good carbonation, a touch on the dry side, and easy drinking for the large ABV. This drinks different than most DIPAs, the malty profile reminds me of 90 minute.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 22:45:49 | More by SawDog505

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I would have never bought a bomber of this but to roll the dice on a 12 ounce beer from a brewery that I typically can't stand doesn't seem so wrong especially when it's a style of beer that I really like. Appears a glowing ruby copper color with a light beige khaki head forming thick with fine even lacing as it dwindles. Aroma has upfront citrus and earthy hop accents going on...not bad at the first few smells. The flavor howevery is soapy with hops and ringwood yeast notes, citrus pith with a blinding bitterness and hop pellet explosion. The tart Pugsley open fermentation system doesn't do it for me and this beer has an astringent perfume like finish about it. Mouthfeel the bitterness doesn't leave us, the carbonation is mellow and even definitely the best of the Shipyard lineup...Overall I have no need to revisit this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:18:30 | More by WVbeergeek

jsanford

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a Pint Glass

A - Pours a clear, dark copper with a fluffy off-white head that settles to a thick cap, leaving lots of soapy lacing clinging to the glass.
S - Big nose of pungent floral hops, buttered bread, and sweet caramel malt. Not too shabby.
T - This is certainly a BIG beer. Loads of sweet caramel malt and buttery yeast hold their own with the moderately bitter pine resin and herb hops. Ultimately a nicely balanced beer, and the 9.25% ABV is hidden nicely. All that said, this still comes across a bit bland, but it's easily one of the better Shipyard brews I've had.
M - Creamy and smooth, with a medium-full mouthfeel and lowish carbonation. Finally, a Shipyard beer that isn't watery!
O - While this could certainly be a case of "In the Valley of the Blind..." considering my usual disdain for Shipyard, I found it to be an overall enjoyable beer. Not something I'll look for again, but nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 04:38:07 | More by jsanford

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bomber bottle, poured into a straight sided glass.

A- translucent amber, with a puffy white head and retains and laces fairly well

S- some herbal hops, but mostly caramel and biscuity malts.

T- Some herbal/floral hops up front that are soon crushed by the malt bill. Quite english tastes of caramel and heavy breads. Ends sticky and bitter on the palette, but has a lingering sweetness that doesn't quite work. They cite cascade hops several times on the label, but I can't find the orange rind in this for the life of me.

M- Sweet and sticky, not really what I'm looking for in this style.

O- kind of a higher ABV/gravity version of HopDevil that is way to heavy on the malt bill. Strives for greatness, but just falls short in a jumbled mess.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:45:11 | More by JWU

Swim424

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

poured from a bottle into gorden biersch glass

A-clear amber with lots of carbonation bubbles. smell head sits on top.

S- smells of a sort of dull malt with a bit of hops.

T-Very flavorless malt. sweet but flavorless. Lots of hops, which is good, but the actual malt flavor isnt that good. dont really know how to describe it. can definitely taste the high ABV.

MF-a bit creamy smooth with a hoppy aftertaste.

O-very average. not the worst i have had but nothing I would care to have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:55:19 | More by Swim424