Yule Grog 2015 Part 2: Shipyard Brewing GingerBreadHead Ale.

My second brew of the 2015 Yule Grog is the GingerBreadHead Ale by Shipyard Brewing of Portlane, Maine. Created in 2014, this is the second year GingerBreadHead Ale has been in production. It is 4.6% Alc. by volume and available annually between November and February. With each review of the Yule Grog, I'll be taking notes live as I drink the beer for the first time. The notes I write will be divided into two sections -- drinking it cold and at room temperature. My comments will be genuine. I'll highlight what I like and dislike about the beer. No matter what, I'll explain to you my final verdict with honesty.

Shipyard Brewing was founded in 1994 and was the fastest growing craft brewery in the United States by 1996. Currently, they are ranked as the 25th largest craft brewery in America. Their line of beers has won numerous national and international awards in their twenty year history. Other beers they produce include the Shipyard Blue Fin Stout and the Shipyard Export Ale, with a nearly nationwide distribution. You can probably find one of Shipyard's finely crafted beers with your local grocer or specialty beverage retailer.

I'm a big fan of all things ginger, so I pray this doesn't disappoint me. Let's get to drinking!

Cold out of the fridge:

• Has a dark mahogany color.
• Possesses a sweet aroma with faint notes of ginger.
• Tastes like an unsweetened, bland soda.
• Extremely carbonated.
• No real taste of any kind.
• Way more tasteless than I expected.
• It's like an alcoholic soda pop, but without any flavor.
• Not unpleasant to drink, just sort of pointless.
• All fizz, no flavor.

At room temperature:

• Still no ginger flavor.
• The aroma of ginger has stayed roughly the same.
• Almost all of the carbonation has disappeared.
• Now feels and tastes like a flat soda pop.
• Very watery and runny.
• Somewhat bitter.
• Might as well have been drinking an out-of-date, lifeless cola.

What an utter disappointment. This ale had close to no flavor at all throughout the entire experience. If there was ginger in this (and I suspect there was because I could faintly smell it), then Shipyard certainly didn't add enough to the brew for anyone to actually taste it. I might as well have been drinking an expired Pepsi cola. Bland, lifeless and altogether pointless, I can't recommend GingerBreadHead Ale.

Yule Grog 2015:

Part 1
Part 3
Part 4

Brew Spew 2015 Part 4: Shipyard Brewing Little Horror of Hops.

The fourth beer of my 2015 Brew Spew is the Little Horror of Hops from Shipyard Brewing of Portland, Maine. While I don't normally like India Pale Ales, I decided to give this one a go out of fairness. If I'm going to cover a broad range of seasonal beers for the Brew Spew, then I should at least include one IPA. So, here goes!

Shipyard Brewing was founded in 1994 and was the fastest growing craft brewery in the United States by 1996. Currently, they are ranked as the 25th largest craft brewery in America. Their line of beers has won numerous national and international awards in their twenty year history. Other beers they produce include the Shipyard Blue Fin Stout and the Shipyard Export Ale, with a nearly nationwide distribution. You can probably find one of Shipyard's finely crafted beers with your local grocer or specialty beverage retailer.

The Little Horror of Hops is 5.9% Alc. by volume and available annually between September and November. As with all of the beers I taste test in the Brew Spew, I will provide a real time set of notes divided into two categories. These were written as I was drinking the beer for the first time. My critique will be honest and straightforward, whether I like the beer or not. Let's begin!

Cold out of the fridge:

• Deep orange color with a moderate amount of foam.
• The odor was fragrant and smelled like bitter, unripened fruit.
• An extremely bitter beer, much like biting into a grapefruit.
• The carbonation is almost undetectable upon the tongue. I know there's fizz in it, but I can't feel it because of the overpowering grapefruit flavor.
• Light-bodied and easy to swallow, thankfully.
• The bitterness is all on the front and sides of my tongue. Not too much bitterness upon swallowing.
• Surprised at how non-peppery the flavor is considering it's an IPA.
• The fruity taste somehow shines through the bitter nature, helping to make it more enjoyable.

At room temperature:

• The bitterness has mellowed slightly.
• Still foamy on top.
• The citrus-like grapefruit flavor has also calmed down a bit. It's not so in-your-face.
• Has not developed any weird, funky aftertaste.
• Overall, it still tastes fairly similar as to when it was cold. The change in temperature hasn't altered the taste too much.

As I stated previously, I do not like India Pale Ales. They're simply too bitter and unpleasant for my personal taste. That being said, if I did like IPA's, I would without a doubt enjoy Little Horror of Hops. The bitter flavor rests on the front of the tongue as you begin swallowing and not in the back of your throat. That's the key element here -- bad beers taste terrible when they're going down. The Little Horror of Hops did not have that wretched back-of-your-throat taste at all. Surprisingly, I did greatly appreciate the grapefruit quality that the beer presented. If I could find a beer that had this grapefruit essence without being so bitter, I'd probably really enjoy it! Overall, if I were an IPA fan, I'd look forward to drinking Little Horror of Hops every year. If you like IPA's, then I definitely suggest you give Shipyard's extra hoppy seasonal beverage a spin. Considering I have zero vested interest in drinking IPA's, this verdict should really be taken as genuine.

Brew Spew 2015:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 5

Ice Cream That Will Make You Scream!

The snow clouds are moving away. Temperatures are on the rise. April showers are sweeping through the United States. Spring has definitely arrived... and Summer isn't far behind. That being said, Americans are returning to one of their favorite frosty treats -- ice cream.

Of course, we all know of popular flavors like vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mint chocolate chip and fudge royal... but what about the other not-so-well-known flavors? I present to you a rundown of ice cream flavors that might just make you SCREAM!

Lobster -- That's right, you can actually order lobster-flavored ice cream right here in the United States. This odd flavor is produced by Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium in Bar Harbor, Maine. It should be no surprise given the geography. Surprisingly enough, it's quite the popular selection with the locals. Now that's some ice cream with a bite!

Butternut Squash -- When you think of potential ice cream flavors, vegetables typically don't come to mind. This odd concoction is crafted by il laboratorio del gelato in Manhattan, New York. Mmmmm... squash flavored ice cream. I think I'll pass.

Secret Breakfast -- Perhaps the best ice cream for deviants and those whom will eat anything, this unique flavor is from Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco, California. So what exactly is in Secret Breakfast? You've been warned... it's a mixture of whiskey and corn flakes. Talk about the ultimate hair of the dog treatment.

Wasabi Pea Dust -- This is an ice cream flavor with a kick! Coming from the wildly successful Big Gay Ice Cream in New York City, it is sure to wake you right up upon first bite. They also have other interesting flavors like Cayenne Pepper and Pumpkin Butter (I think I'd like to try this one, actually).

Cow Tongue -- This one is probably the oddest flavor on the list, hence why I saved it for last. You can taste not only this unique treat, but many others just as strange (if not stranger) at Japan's Namja Town amusment park in Ikebukuro, Tokyo! Within Namja Town are various ice cream parlors. Some feature more traditional, well-known flavors. Other stalls... they're peculiar to put it mildly. You can not only order Cow Tongue, but also Octopus, Snake, Salt and Yakisoba -- all in ice cream form. Sign me up!