David Brockington's Tasting 
Notebook

Seadog Brewing Company
(short notes)

Camden, Maine, USA

All beers reviewed at the brewpub, August 13, 1996.

The pub has a very touristy feel and clientele. The food was good. All the beers suffered from a thin, insipid body, diacetyl (although the butter was under control in a couple of the beers and actually added a nice nuance to the beer), and a general lack of excitement.

Penobscot Lager * * 1/2
Broadly in the Dortmunder style with a rough finish. Crisp enough, probably a lager, but not interesting.

Windjammer Blonde Ale * *
I like a little beer with my butter now and then. This trainingwheel ale has a big diacetyl aroma, the diacetyl dominates the flavor profile, basically burying the Cascade hops and British malts that underlie the Grade A Unsalted.

Owl's Head Light Light Ale? * *
Yep, it's light all right.

Old Baggywrinkle ESB * * *
Cask conditioned on a handpump. Delicate and subtle beer, with nice malty notes and a Kentish hopping profile. A nice touch of diacetyl adds a pleasant nuance to this pint, but it doesn't overwhelm the beer unlike the Windjammer.

Old Golly Wobbler Brown Ale * *
Who makes up these names?
This beer is thin. A light hoppy/malty/bitter aroma. Insipid, with similar notes in the flavor profile.

Black Irish Stout Irish Stout * * * 1/2
Poured under Nitrogen.
Medium roasty aroma, smooth flavor profile. The beer slides into a bitter roasty finish, with a touch of diacetyl evident in the background.

Hazlenut Porter Porter * * 1/2
Thin bodied. Buttery/Nutty aroma. Flavor profile has more of a brown ale quality rather than a porter. There is evidence of hazelnut in the flavor.

Old East IPA * * *
Thin bodied. Good alpha profile. Butter in background. As good as Red Hook's Ballard Bitter IPA.

Blueberry Wheat Blueberry Wheat * *
Thin bodied. Whatever. No evident blueberry flavor!

Sherman's Pale Ale Pale Ale * * *
Thin bodied. Dryhopped, nice hoppy profile. As much of an IPA as the IPA. One of the more interesting beers in the brewpub.