

Shipyard Melonhead - Shipyard Brewing Co.

Shipyard MelonheadShipyard Melonhead

Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.

65 Ratings
no score

(send 'em beer!)
Ratings: 65
Reviews: 16
rAvg: 3.01
pDev: 19.93%

Brewed by:
Shipyard Brewing Co. visit their website
Maine, United States

Style | ABV
Fruit / Vegetable Beer |  4.40% ABV

Availability: Spring

Notes/Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.

(Beer added by: Brad007 on 05-01-2013)
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Ratings: 65 | Reviews: 16 | Show All Ratings:
Photo of TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.05/5  rDev +1.3%

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains sweet melons, light caramelized malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: There starts out very sweet with a strong watermelon flavor. Then some breadiness comes in from a thin malt character. The hops presence is very mild but brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.


O: Flavorful, goes down ok, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, for the type of beer it’s not too bad but it’s not something I would want to drink unless my options were very limited.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2013 22:52:53 | More by TheManiacalOne
Photo of WVbeergeek


3.49/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours pale golden orange with a slightly hazed body finely carbonated bubbles form in a large white head. Speckled sporadic lacing is left behind. Aroma has candy like notes of watermelon think Jolly Rancher, soft notes bready grains. Flavor is interesting rides the palate with sweet candy tones of watermelon, finishes with dry yeast notes and ample breadiness comes from the base ale weighing at 4.4% abv. Something about each sip becomes cloying, the sweet notes really hang on and it just becomes too much for me with each sip. There's a much cleaner yeast profile here than found in most Shipyard Ales. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied fine bubbled carbonation, like I said the natural flavoring weighs too cloying on my palate and leaves me not wanting to finish this particular offering. Definitely not an overall good sign when you don't want to finish the beer, this will be popular with the masses. The only other watermelon beer I've had has been from Roy Pitz their Watermelon Lager is much more drinkable than this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2013 18:25:26 | More by WVbeergeek
Photo of Brad007


3.2/5  rDev +6.3%

Pours a bright gold with a one-finger head into my glass. Very clear. Looks like apple juice to me but it is what it is.

I'm not sure if the watermelon is actually natural as it is very sweet, almost pucker-worthy in the nose.

You get a decent watermelon kick upfront that never really goes away. It fades just enough to reveal what is likely a base american pale wheat ale underneath with wheat notes in the middle.

Not TOO sweet toward the back as the base beer is given more of a chance to make an indent on the mouthfeel.

If you like beer with some kind of fruit flavoring added, then you might like this. It could work on a very hot day but then again, so could a decent pilsner. Your mileage may vary on this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 06:32:21 | More by Brad007
Photo of GarthDanielson

North Carolina

2.59/5  rDev -14%

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a pale, golden coloring that is crystal clear and has a ton of carbonation bubbling throughout. Sparse, filmy, white surface coating. Aromas of syrupy sweet watermelon...very similar to when you add Jell-O powder to the boiled water, and you get that really intense, sugary, sweet aroma. That's exactly what this smells like. Flavors are surprisingly not as sugary and overpowering as the nose would lead you to believe. There is a roasted grain backbone supporting a mild watermelon and honeydew blended sweetness. There is also a tangy, almost astringent kick at the end of the palate that is a bit unpleasant, amplified by the carbonation and thin, watery body. The aftertaste has a Jolly Rancher characteristic, with a filmy coating left behind. Cloying, lingering finish. This beer missed for me...jumbled and unbalanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 22:03:27 | More by GarthDanielson
Photo of tone77


3.2/5  rDev +6.3%

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1 inch head. Smell is strong of watermelon. Taste is a little off. Some melons, some odd flavors, not terrible but just so-so. Feels light in the mouth and overall an attempt at something unique, but this is a mediocre beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2013 04:25:48 | More by tone77
Photo of Brenden


2.79/5  rDev -7.3%

This beer us a very clear and bright dark yellow that almost sneaks into amber territeory, with lots of spritzy bubbles rising well after the head has fallen. Speaking of, it's pure white and fizzy, rising to between a half and full finger and falling back down quickly. It looks more like a soda than a beer, but at least some big bubbles on the sides and wispy stuff in the middle remain, though they only have enough substance to leave tiny spots here and there.
Watermelon does come out in the nose, and pretty strongly. It has a candy-like sweetness at first, but that backs down for more tartness to come out. Some malts are also noticeable.
It is what it is, a refreshing, light, summer beer with fruit. Interestingly, it's much more identifiable as beer in the taste. Crackery malts form a foundation, though it's a little musty and grainy, and there's a floral note too. It's actually somewhat bitter, even. Some weird metallic note slides into the finish, but not too much, though an aspirin-like note follows it.
There's obviously focused on lightness and crispness, and that it has. It's a little weak and shallow, but it quenches the thirst.
Shipyard confuses me with their massive shifts in quality from one beer to another.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2013 19:40:15 | More by Brenden
Photo of puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev +14.6%

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle with an expiration date of December 2013. Sampled on October 2, 2013 which is an unseasonable 80 degrees.

It has a slightly cloudy pale yellow pour with a quick bursting head that fizzles quickly.

Watermelon and grains lead the aroma on the nose with a touch of clean, crisp hops in the background.

Light and refreshing body.

I kind of like the watermelon forward sweet taste considering I am not a huge fans of fruit beers. But it comes across as quite refreshing on a hot day and easy to chug. Mild dry hop finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2013 22:15:35 | More by puboflyons
Photo of tigg924


3.68/5  rDev +22.3%

Appearance: high carbonation, 1 inch head, clear, gold in color

Smell: toasted malt, light wheat, and melon

Taste: big sweet watermelon, some rind, some toasted malt, and sugar

Mouthfeel: sweet with slight bitterness, light body, high carbonation

Overall: If you like the other fruit beers from Shipyard, this one should not disappoint. I find this way better than the pumpkin, but not as good as the apple as the melon here is sweet but not overpowering. If I am going for a watermelon beer, it will still be 21st Ammendment's but this one is a solid beer for a summer's day.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 13:15:01 | More by tigg924
Photo of thecheapies


2.23/5  rDev -25.9%

Golden beer. A little orange-y in its hue. Dead-headed. Started out with an inch or two, then fizzled out to nothing.

Syrupy sweet artificial watermelon and apricot. Very sugary. Like a sour watermelon gummi candy. Hints of orange and artificial peach. Yikes.

Fake watermelon again. Bubblicious gum, melon ring, and sugary herb tea. Too sweet. Light and watery. Barely beer. Difficult to handle.

Carbonated just fine. Body is super thin. Drinks like a cider. Not for me.

Regrettable purchase. Will pawn off to anyone else. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2013 22:43:02 | More by thecheapies
Photo of VelvetExtract


2.95/5  rDev -2%

A-Pours a crystal clear golden color. Head is a thin, white cap. Very mild lacing.

S-Big whiff of artificial watermelons. Smells like watermelon flavored candy. One of the more forceful watermelon aromas I have come across.

T-The flavor is better. The watermelon is less intense here. There is also a long, wheaty finish after the watermelon.

M-Light and bubbly. Isn't cloying, thankfully....but when it warms up, it gets close. Not crisp and its reasonably sweet on the finish.

O/D-Wasn't expecting much so therefore I was not disappointed. The first sip was the best and it got worse as time progressed.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 00:11:35 | More by VelvetExtract
Photo of bmwats


3.01/5  rDev 0%

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a nonic.

A: Golden hue. Pours a 1 finger, foamy, white head. Plenty of rising effervescence continues throughout. Settles pretty quickly. Pretty nice beer ring lacing.

S: A little grain, but mostly watermelon Jolly Rancher.

T: Light grain, and a slight bitter fruity note.

M: Light body. Crisp and refreshing character.

D: Session.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Nice, foamy, white head and some decent beer ring lacing. A little grainy with watermelon candy. Light bready flavor with a slightly bitter fruit. Overall, this is a decent quaff.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2013 01:04:26 | More by bmwats
Photo of BEERMILER12


3.09/5  rDev +2.7%

A: Pours a clear straw yellow color with a fingers worth of head that fizzles out within a minute

S: Starts out with quite a bit of the watermelon, and moves to a light artificial sweetness and some light maltiness. Definitely dominated by the watermelon, though

T: Follows the nose. Starts off strong with the watermelon and artificial sweetness, and then moves into a lightly bready maltiness and more artificial flavors

M: Light bodied with moderate-high carbonation

O: In all reality, it tastes like someone dropped a watermelon jolly rancher into a very light wheat beer and added some artificial sweetener. It is a very average fruit beer with a focus on people who like sweet fruity drinks. Not surprised with this offering after Applehead, although that was a bit better

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 00:46:59 | More by BEERMILER12
Photo of becktone


3/5  rDev -0.3%


Nose: Overwhelming aroma of watermelon Jolly Ranchers here. Definitely some kind of extant flavoring used. Its ok, but smells fake. Smells rather like one of those push pops, the kind that were in a triangular shape tube that you got at a fifth grade "family picnic' during school hours. Complete with footlong hotdogs and a slice of real watermelon. I mean honestly...you could do better than this...its just "watermelon" flavoring so far as the world takes it in terms of candy. Sweet smelling, maybe some different citrus fruits in there if you really want to break it down...something very tropical...cant put a finger on it, but these are the things that we see as "watermelon" in candy. Very artificial.

Tongue: Tastes just like it smells, artificial... Actually it reminds me of the gas that they use to put you to sleep in the operating room hahahah. Not a bad beer by any means, just seriously dull and plain and no depth of pioneering here. I mean, how about instead of using a LD Carlson Fruit extract you actually use the real fruit? I'm not saying that is what is used here, but it tastes like it. Real fruit tastes different from those extracts and this tastes like extract...I can't imagine that this beer could get this sweet a watermelon taste from real watermelon...Anyhow; it goes down easy enough on a hot day.

Drinkabitliy: I can safely say go for Against the Grain Galangal Action. This is a far superior watermelon beer. It just does the watermelon flavor justice without being fake or candy-like. Easy drinking though....buy it again...? No, glad to have tried it but there is better out there for someone who is looking for a summer fruit inspired beer....Galangal Action.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2013 00:03:10 | More by becktone
Photo of mooseisloose


3.21/5  rDev +6.6%

This caught my eye in the super market on a sweltering day as potential for a good summer cooler. That said lets give it a whirl. Popping the top the smell is jolly rancher watermelon without a doubt with a bit of hops in the background. Pours to a bright yellow with a multi sized bubble head. Taste is as expected with a twist. Taste starts off sweet then get sweeter an melony but then it gradual is overtaken by a flat slight bitterness that builds in the back of the mouth and then the aftertaste is both sweet and flat mildly bitter. Very refreshing and different. Not a sessioner but a break from the ordinary.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 19:59:55 | More by mooseisloose
Photo of BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -0.3%

So I bought this "beer", realizing it would likely be a funky one. Well, I was right. This beer smells like watermelon Jolly Ranchers and tastes like watered down, mass produced American style LITE Lager. I would not recommend this beer to anyone, at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2013 02:16:09 | More by BeerForMuscle
Photo of Carpentiere

New Hampshire

3.16/5  rDev +5%

This is strangely good. It is light....but has a lot of flavor. Also, unlike other fruited beers thes one actually retains the essence of what it is trying to portray: melon. This is a great summer-ish beer. I do think that with this beer....one would be enough. I think the flavor would get annoying if consuming a number of these at one setting.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 21:52:44 | More by Carpentiere
Shipyard Melonhead from Shipyard Brewing Co.
72 out of 100 based on 65 ratings.