Big Man Ale
Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - West Coast Winter Out of Production|
Score
7.29
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Formerly known as Winter Ale.
Our Winter seasonal beer is here! Originally brewed in September of 1992 at the request of three bartenders/managers (who have since gone on to great fame and glory) Big Man Ale has been a favorite seasonal brew at Cambridge Brewing Company ever since. Legend has it that the grist weight of Big Man Ale was their combined total weight –
770 pounds of malt!
Deep copper-colored and unfiltered (as are all of CBC’s beers), it boasts a full body complemented by strong, robust flavors. Its rich notes of malt and caramel are offset by very aggressive hopping—it is kettle-hopped with Columbus, Cascade and Centennial hops and further dry-hopped with even more Cascades and Amarillo. These hop varieties lend a fruity, citrusy character to this big malty beer, vaguely in the style of a strong stock ale or I.P.A. We just call it the Big Man.
Our Winter seasonal beer is here! Originally brewed in September of 1992 at the request of three bartenders/managers (who have since gone on to great fame and glory) Big Man Ale has been a favorite seasonal brew at Cambridge Brewing Company ever since. Legend has it that the grist weight of Big Man Ale was their combined total weight –
770 pounds of malt!
Deep copper-colored and unfiltered (as are all of CBC’s beers), it boasts a full body complemented by strong, robust flavors. Its rich notes of malt and caramel are offset by very aggressive hopping—it is kettle-hopped with Columbus, Cascade and Centennial hops and further dry-hopped with even more Cascades and Amarillo. These hop varieties lend a fruity, citrusy character to this big malty beer, vaguely in the style of a strong stock ale or I.P.A. We just call it the Big Man.
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6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Well I’ve had the ’04-’05 and ’05-’06 versions on draught and it’s about time I get around to reviewing it.
Deep ruddy copper, with some deep raspberry reds and light tan tinges. Small, but moderately retained beige head atop with little lacing, clear, but from being settled/fined, not filtered.
Nose is a melange of medium-alpha acid hops, some earthy, some juicy, some herbal and of course the requisite citrus. Not overly juicy, but rather dry, with only a smattering of crystal like malts and some caramel and pale malt sugars. Fair intensity, low yeast apparency for Cambridge, and no alcohol (Will is so good about keeping alcohol apparency to a minimum).
The beer starts off with a earthy, toasty malt dryness backed by red fruits and a strong citrus overtone, though lenient on the bitterness, allowing more fruity flavors to really set in. Dry, but not overly so, with some caramelized malt sugars adding a light stickiness. Crystal malt, but not overdone or papery. Some chewy, nuttiness, with some light traces of water, but overall a citric, fruity, English-meets-America IPA. Carbonation is fairly low, creating a lightly creamy texture.
Deep ruddy copper, with some deep raspberry reds and light tan tinges. Small, but moderately retained beige head atop with little lacing, clear, but from being settled/fined, not filtered.
Nose is a melange of medium-alpha acid hops, some earthy, some juicy, some herbal and of course the requisite citrus. Not overly juicy, but rather dry, with only a smattering of crystal like malts and some caramel and pale malt sugars. Fair intensity, low yeast apparency for Cambridge, and no alcohol (Will is so good about keeping alcohol apparency to a minimum).
The beer starts off with a earthy, toasty malt dryness backed by red fruits and a strong citrus overtone, though lenient on the bitterness, allowing more fruity flavors to really set in. Dry, but not overly so, with some caramelized malt sugars adding a light stickiness. Crystal malt, but not overdone or papery. Some chewy, nuttiness, with some light traces of water, but overall a citric, fruity, English-meets-America IPA. Carbonation is fairly low, creating a lightly creamy texture.
Tried
on 19 Mar 2006
at 12:54