So, I don’t know if it’s Ontario brain-washing, overly romantic memories of cottaging in Muskoka as a child, or a geniune love of the little blue berries known (cleverly) as Blueberries. In pancakes, as jam on toast, in pie. So if you put Blueberries in beer, I’m pretty much yours. Now, some of you will remember from last fall, I reviewed Ship Yard’s Smashed Pumpkin. Shipyard is not a brewery lots of people in Ontario are familiar with (due, mainly, to our wonderfully thought-out liquor laws) which is a shame. Shipyard has been making excellent brews since 1994, and are highly respected south of the border. Incidentally, Ron Keefe—of The Granite Brewery—trained with Alan Pugsley, Shipyard’s brewmaster. So while you can only get Shipyard bottles on occasion seasonally, you can taste Alan’s impact on the Toronto brewing scene any time you like, at Mount Pleasant and Eglington. Interestingly, I’ve just read on the back label that Smashed Blueberry is a hybrid of a porter and a Scotch ale, flavoured with Blueberries. What an interesting combination, I’m stoked! Oh, and one more thing before we’re off, Smashed Blueberry is the last of my “stuff in beer” reviews. I have a monster of an oak-aged beer from Cameron’s coming up. Be excited!
Smashed Pumpkin Ale — Shipyard Brewing Co.
From a big 625ml bomber, Smashed Blueberry pours a very dark brown, nearly black, opaque except at the edges where touches of red glimmer and light gets through. About 1″ of creamy head lazes around the surface of the brew from most of the glass, only really dissipating towards the end of the glass. Lacey evidence of it can be seen to the last mouthful. Aroma is wonderful, definitely clearly blueberries, a bit like blueberry jam, but the fruit is not overbearing. There is clearly also warm carmelly malt, a bit of charred wood and a touch of earthy hop. A bit of heat from the alcohol combines with the dark jammy quality of the berries to give this an aroma a bit like a young port, which is just lovely. Taste is a bit different from the aroma, immediately you get sweet roasted malts, with more charred wood, espresso and chocolate; a burnt Starbucks, if you will. With the grace of a orchestral string section, the jammy blueberries swell in volume as the beer glides across the palate, leaving a sweet fruity linger with hints of smoke, checked lightly by a confident tannic hop. This is one of those beers that manages to leave both a sweetness on you tongue, with a nicely dry hop on your cheeks, in wonderful balance with each other. While not as refreshing as a fruity wheat beer, I know many people would immediately think of this as a perfect summer-time dessert beer, but I know what I would pair it with food-wise: Breakfast. Blueberry pancakes with Ontario maple syrup, and I would drink this instead of my usual tea. Plus, given the size of the bottle, it could easily provide AM liquid pleasure for two. I will admit I balked a little at the price, and I probably wouldn’t splurge on it often, but this is a beer that is totally worth the cost. Get it while you can.
Cheer, Shipyard!
About the Brewery:
Since 1994, Shipyard Brewing Company has been brewing fine quality products with a wide range of style profiles. We use only top quality ingredients and pride ourselves on the consistency and freshness of our products. All our beer is hand crafted from recipes developed by master brewer Alan Pugsley, one of the most influential people in the craft brewing movement in North America.
We are the 19th largest craft brewery and 28th largest brewery in the country.
Award-winning Shipyard beer is available in 38 states and markets for our freshly brewed, hand-crafted ales continue to expand.
The Shipyard Brewing Company was founded by master brewer Alan Pugsley and entrepreneur Fred Forsley. Shipyard first began in 1992 at Federal Jack’s Restaurant and Brew Pub in Kennebunk, which is one of Maine’s original brew pubs and working breweries. Within two years, demand for Shipyard beer outpaced the small operation and, in April 1994, Forsley and Pugsley opened the Shipyard Brewing Company in the heart of the waterfront in Portland, Maine on the site of the former Crosby Laughlin Foundry.
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