Shipyard Bourbon Barrel Aged Double ESB - Shipyard Brewing Co.

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to jmgrub for sharing this one at mrbubbler's "end of the world" tasting.

2012 vintage. Bottle # 626.

Pours a hazy orange-brown with a foamy khaki 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 malt, brown sugar, wood, and bourbon. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick and a woody flavor on the finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it's very boozy and needs time to settle down.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:24:25 | More by UCLABrewN84

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

3.6/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter from a corked and caged bottle. 2012 Vintage I believe.

Pours a hazy plum with a small head, dots of lace stick around for a bit.

Smells like dark fruit, booze, caramel, smoke and more booze.

Plum and bourbon start this one off. It smooths out with some molasses and earth. Some smoke, oak and pine show up at the finish. A little hot going down.

I think this would age well, but as is, too hot. I'll grab one for to cellar for a few years. Hope it mellows out.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 05:20:54 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a one finger khaki head that fades quickly to a ring leaving some lace. Cloudy brown color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Bourbon nose. Flavor is bourbon and dark fruit, with a mild alcohol burn. Nice double ESB. Bottle #185, caged and corked 750ml from Madden Beverage Saco, ME.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 22:17:55 | More by jdhilt

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On MonGiants have just swept the Series and the throngs are in the syreets. People are marvelling at the lack of burnimg vehiclea. Apparently two years ago thinga got prwtty put of hand . Imjust glad the bar ia half empty. Tried to get on herw twice last night withput luck.
k's Kettle, San Francisco. The A handsome pour, hazy copper in a tulip glass, , with a finger wttap at No aroma. Weird. Not even alcoholic vapor detectable. Might just be too cold.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2012 05:11:59 | More by martyl1000

Eagleman87

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle # 932. Very good ESB which sips nicely out of a snifter. Flavor doesn't have as much bourbon-like appeal as expected based on the aroma, however, bourbon taste could improve with bottle aging. As it warms to an ale temperature, beer smooths out in forward bitterness.

Appearance-Amber color thats very cloudy with a dminishing head.
Smell-Strong Spicy and Estery Notes on the nose mixed with an outstanding forward Bourbon aroma.
Taste-Dark Fruit mixed with very bitter hoppy taste profile as expected. Yeast gives the beer an estery lingering taste that is almost sour/tart.
Mouthfeel- Consistency is silky with delicate carbonation and a medium body. Unique, very long finish of bitterness which truly seperates this beer from other ESBs.

As of right now I like this beer a lot. I am aging a bottle of this beer for a few months, and a couple others for a few years to see how the profile changes over time (at which point I may or may not have to update this post).

For the bitter beer lovers, this is definitely worth tracking down and trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 13:43:31 | More by Eagleman87