A taste of... Chamberlain Pale Ale

ORIGINALLY POSTED 02 JULY 2007

Shipyard Brewing Company

Portland, ME

USA

Appearance: This is a dark copper colored brew, not quite red. A light tan, frothy, large bubble, yet firm head sits atop this brew.

Aroma: There is a great deal of hop character to the initial aroma. However, there is a roasted malt, almost a bread aroma that follows through. Finally, in the end, the floral notes of the hops dominate.

Mouth feel: As this is a bottled beer, the carbonation is a little high, resulting in a small acidic bite. Nevertheless, the mouth feel is of a creamy smooth beverage.

Flavor: The flavor of hops dominates this beer all the way through to the end. My impression is that this beer is rather high in international bittering units, higher than even than initial and final impressions. The undercurrent of malt flavors are what keep the hops from becoming overpowering.

Finish: The hop accents in the finish of this beer are not overpowering. The finish leaves off without an astringent sensation. In fact, it is quite a refreshing beer for such a high hop content.

Comments: After tasting this pale ale, I am even more interested in revisiting the rest of the Shipyard products. For two reasons; first to compare Chamberlain Pale Ale to their other products, second; to become more familiar with the beers brewed in Maine. I did note, when I opened this bottle that it is a twist-off cap. For some reason I found that unusual.