Shipyard Brewing Double Old Thumper Ale
This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.
There are several Shipyard Brewing beers that I’ve enjoyed throughout the years. The company’s Blue Fin Stout will always remain a favorite, but when it comes time to enjoying a tasty brew, I continually find myself drawn to their ESB, Old Thumper. It’s a tasty little brew that has a nice balance and welcome hoppiness that suites it’s character well.
Having the opportunity to try out it’s “bigger brother,” as the brewery puts it, is a treat. Double Old Thumper Ale is still classified as an ESB — albeit a 11.2% ABV ESB — but it’s also a beer that has heavy English barleywine style notes. This bigger version of a classic brew is just that, bigger in every way: sweeter malt profile, more pronounced hop bite and bigger alcohol footprint.
Man, that’s a dusty glass.While I was enjoying this beer with the wife, visions of Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) warning,” danger, danger, danger…” kept creeping into my head. Why? Because this thing is devilishly drinkable. Even at such a high ABV, this is a beer that’s quite approachable. The balance between the sweeter malts and the variety of hops used (Challenger, Progress, Goldings, Simcoe) makes for a slightly dry brew that goes down easy.
Appearance
The beer pours a bright, clear copper in color with a good sized, light tan head. Despite all the dust on the glass in the picture above, this is a fine looking beer.
Aroma
Sweet, caramel malts and spicy/herbal hop notes dominate the nose as a light booziness creeps in after the beer has warmed some. I also picked up some light apple notes in the mix.
Taste
Man, this thing tastes wonderfully. It’s very reminiscent of a dry English barleywine. The sweetness in the aroma carries over into the taste, but to a lesser degree as a more assertive hop character comes forward with a lingering bitterness and grassy notes in the warming finish. Head brewer Pugsley has done a masterful job in hiding the high alcohol content in this beer. It’s got a light warming sensation, but is otherwise very drinkable. This is a tasty brew for sure.
Overall
I was thrilled to receive this package from the brewery, but I’m even more thrilled at the prospect of having a series of reviews for this beer. I’ve got two remaining bottles that are just begging for a possible 1-year and 2-year revisiting. Until then, served with a relatively fresh brew date, Double Old Thumper Ale is a joy of a beer to drink.
Rating: 4/5