Appearance: Pours a deep red amber. Tight one finger off-white head that receeds quickly leaving very little lacing.

Smell: Mmm. Big scent of buttery sweet caramel, hazelnuts  and butterscotch. There is a little bit of hops on the back end but the main smells are sweet. Almost smells a bit like ice cream with nuts and caramel topping. Yes…that good.

Initial Taste: Not as sweet as the smell but just as enjoyable. Soft malt sweetness with a hoppy bite and a nice buttery mouthfeel that makes this a spicier beer than anticipated. The strong hop infusion gives this beer a bitter but clean aftertaste.

Thoughts: Another good Winter beer. This is by far my favorite beer season. The beers are spicy, warming and full bodied. Prelude by Shipyard delivers to us a perfect example of winter seasonal brews. This beer has an awesome smell and the taste is warming and spicy with a little sweetness and nice buttery mouthfeel. I like this beer but it’s not one of my go-to winter selections. There is just a little too much bite in the aftertaste for this to be on the top of my list. But overall it’s a great representation of the style.