Respect for Old Thumper

If you didn't know, Old Thumper has been brewed in England at the Ringwood Brewery since 1979. Shipyard's brewmaster Alan Pugsley trained under Ringwood's brewmaster, Peter Austin, years ago. When Pugsley joined Shipyard as brewmaster and co-owner he got permission to brew Ringwood's most famous beer in America. Austin even sent him his own Ringwood yeast so the beer would be identical.

When you hear about Ringwood yeast in Maine, it's usually in the context of “I'm getting tired of Shipyard using that same Ringwood strain in everything.” I think a big reason for that is that Shipyard doesn't make bold beers. They're mild enough to let the Ringwood taste come through. And why not? It's the one thing they have that no other American brewery can replicate. If I had a proprietary hop or yeast, I'd use it in everything I made, too.

I didn't know the story with Shipyard's Old Thumper until about a month ago when I was visiting my girlfriend in Ft. Lauderdale. I found a great bar called Original Fat Cats, with a great bartender who knew beer. I don't think I got his name.

They had Shipyard Export and Old Thumper and a couple of Sea Dog brews, but Old Thumper was on cask. It was already my favorite Shipyard brew, but I couldn't put my finger on why. As I was drinking it, the bartender told me the story about Alan Pugsley, and I gained a new appreciation for the beer. I'm drinking the last in a six-pack I bought last week right now.

It's on the strong side at 5.8%. Not strong for an American craft beer, but strong for England, where the government taxes high-alcohol drinks more. There's an apple taste, then a faint leathery taste, and on top of that is something like buttermilk. These tastes are present in all Shipyard's brews, but it's more apparent in Old Thumper, especially on cask.

The thing with Shipyard is, enjoying the Ringwood yeast is a prerequisite to enjoying the beer. I love it, others don't. But understanding the yeast is the key to enjoying their beer. Their beer isn't loaded with Munich or Crystal malts or specially-bred, high-alpha hops like most of the best American craft brews. But it has some subtle charms that eventually grow on you.