Probably the best thing to come out of Portland’s Shipyard Brewing Company in the last year has been the Pugsley’s Signature Series.
I’ve whined a bit in the past that Shipyard isn’t my favorite local brewery. The crew definitely brews great traditional English-style ales, but my distaste for their proprietary Ringwood yeast makes most of their beers a bit unpalatable for me. I certainly applaud Shipyard for becoming so popular and maintaining a solid stable of year-round and seasonal beers, but in the past only the strongest-flavored brews like the Blue Fin Stout and Prelude really did it for me.
Since last October, the four beers that have come out of the Pugsley’s Signature Series have really turned me on to the brewery. I tried the barleywine right after release last fall and enjoyed the traditional English take on the style. The XXXX IPA and Imperial Porter proved to be tasty brews, and I raved about the Smashed Pumpkin earlier this fall. So, naturally, I jumped on the chance to try a cellar aged version of the barleywine when it was released earlier this month.
Brews and Books 