Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Blackout Stout from Cambridge Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Draught pint at CBC, 12/17/05. Listed at 4.0 abv this year.
Unfiltered ultra deep brown with a light-tan head that is one-finger high and manages to stick around throughout the whole glass, receding somewhat to about half its original size, but never failing. Lacing covers the glass completely. Aroma of light chocolate/cocoa, graceful notes of coffee woven in with light vanilla and soft barley grain notes. Hint of cola and hardly any of the characterful yeast of the brewpub. Weak aroma overall, somewhat dulled by the roasted barley, though for the style its about average. The flavor is predominantly roasty, though low on bitterness. Light pale malt sugars brush over the tongue (or more accurately, are washed over the tongue) as the significantly watery body carries it about. Some grassy, grainy barley notes, light vanilla, cola and bits of chocolate all dot the palate, never making too much an indentation. Lots of substance, but its a substantial nothingness. It’s not thin, really, it’s just that so much of it is water, and the malt sugars are few and far between. I still don’t understand why guinness influences microbrewers. This style dosent have to be tremendously watery, as this one is. I’m not asking for any more alcohol or stronger, richer flavors, as I appreciate a session beer, but it just needs MORE flavor. It’s funny because sometimes the alcohol or hops dominate the beer and bully the other flavors, well in this case, the water does it. Very light on the lactic notes, no alcohol apparency, of course and the carbonation is very gentle, the blend of CO2 and Nitrogen works effectively.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Late Harvest IPA from Cambridge Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7.5
2005 draught pint at Redbones (it’s on at CBC too right now) on 11/13/2005. Pours a hazy golden-amber-copper with a strong peachy-yellow hue and a foamy, well-retained, albeit small, white head. Aroma certainly wastes no time in introducing the hop aspects, which are all over the spectrum. Juicy fruits, floral notes, light spicy herbs and just a hint of citrus (surprsingly light on the citrus nose). Malts are smooth and supportive, adding light pale malt sweetness, hints of light toasty grains as well and the fresh yeast of CBC. Flavor begins with a strong sense of honey, sugary dough (though not heavy) and amply integrates the fruity, juicy hops. Light citrus, spearmint and wintergreen, with floral bitterness, more chewy malt entering and finishing lightly spicy, a touch yeasty and dry. Very well-malted and tremendously balanced. The commercial description boasts of piney, resinous hops, and while there is some pine-resin flavor, though more minimal than they make it out to be, I would suggest, there are none of the adverse effects of this characteristic. No syrupy, biting, over-the-top bitterness. Comparing this to Ipswich’s Harvest ale is quite natural for me. This one forgoes, just slightly some added hops bitterness expression and adds more balancing sweetness from the malt. The yeast is certainly different too, this one stays out of the way more. Hop complexity is also higher in Cambridge’s version, having more fruitiness and citrus. Mouthfeels are similar, though having more malt this is far chewier, with less dryness. Would like to see how this one evolves and compare the two side-by-side. No alcohol apparency.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus charged version. On draught at the NEBF on 10/29/2005. Pours an opaque, very deep black body, with a wispy beige colored head, that is not long retained, nor does it create much lacing. Aroma has a sour lacto note to it, with bitter baker’s chocolate and a fair amount of roast. Don’t get much brett from the aroma. A touch of light hops and then fades off with some light whiskey notes. Flavor is all over the place. I think they’ve pretty much got everything covered here. Light bits of sweet chocolate-caramel malt, a touch of dry tartness from the brett, dark roast notes, hint of floral hops and a lactic flavor that is lightly sour. Very moderate use of the barrel ends in only a touch of warming whiskey and light coconut. The body is medium to medium-full with a tight carbonation and lightly creamy texture. I wouldnt have thought I would have liked brett in a bourbon porter, but it works well enough and it is only lightly done, it dosent taste like they poured a lambic in to this. Serves to dry out the flavor and add interesting wild yeast notes. The base beer is not sweet to begin with, so it really dosent have to battle with a heavy malt sweetness. No alcohol apparency.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
On draught at CBC, 10/27/2005, with Crosling. Served a nicely unfiltered chartreuse-brown color, with a small off-white/cream colored head, fair retention. Aroma serves up chocolate, honey graham crackers, molasses, raisins and then a bit of sourdough on the end. Low hops profile, but what’s there is nice and flavorful (green floral and juicy, mildly herbal). Flavor is chocolatey, with lightly toasted grains, brown sugar and prunes on the end. Light hoppiness is apparent and tastefully done, while there is a lightly dry vanilla-liqueur/extract like flavor lingering in the background that is quite pleasant and balances the sweet choco-toffee malt. Fresh and with a low carbonation, lightly chewy texture. No alcohol apparency. Cherry and raisin fruitiness becomes quite apparent as it warms. Dry grainy notes mixed with chocolate linger on pleasantly.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
On draught at Redbones, 8/21/2005. Having had multiple pints of this baby, I can attest to the nice work on the barrel-aging. Never got old, and actually, the more I drank, the more I enjoyed the bourbon flavor. Pours a deep, milk-chocolate to dark-roast coffee brown, with some very faint ruby highlights and a small, but well-retained medium-tan head, mostly hazy. Aroma of wood chips, bourbon, molasses, touches of faint smoke and bits of dry blackberry or currant skins. A touch of cocoa powder and maybe some anise as well. Flavor is bourbony, but the sweet, sticky caramel holds up to it well, with touches of molasses/maple and dry, moderately bitter roast. Finishes with some raisins and coffee, real beany, grainy and thick. A delicious, savory beer, with the bourbony coconut and mild alcohol coming back to stick with you on the finish. Way to go Will, this is a barrel-aged beer that can stand up to the best in the country/world. Low to moderate carbonation and a medium body, with a chewy, sticky mouthfeel. I want to head over to CBC right now just thinking about it.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Honey-Ginger Ale from Cambridge Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Summer 2005 draught. Deep goldenrod yellow with some light tangerine juice suggestions. Chill haze. Head is fully dissipating, ginger seems to do that, with a bit of white foam clinging to the edges. No lacing on my glass. Aroma of candyish ginger, warm honey tones. Flavor tastes like honey and ginger, quite surprisingly. Hmm, it’s got a medium-light body, but the malt is definitely there, you taste the honey flavor of the pilsener malt more than you taste the honey flavor from the actual honey. I guess all the honey ferments out though. Motelpogo says boring, but what do you expect from a honey ginger. This is well-done, crisp and refreshing as promised and not thin and watery like many other summer beers. The ginger is not overdone either, which is nice for a change. Aireated texture, rather dry on the end, with quite a bit of carbonation.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
I think I’ve had about 15-20 tulips of this stuff so far this summer. Perfect appearance, dark mahogany brown with deep chestnut-ruby highlights, big stickyish medium-tan head is well-retained and there is plenty of spotty lacing about. Aroma of fruity, bitter hops (from the Red God) with that sticky sweet, black cherry-like fruitiness from the sour ale and a delicious earthy, semi-bitter chocolate and molasses note from the bourbon barrel porter. The flavor is similar to the aroma, with light hops acidity throughout and a big moderately tart, moderately sweet cherry flavor that dosent fade, to me, so much as does your palate get used to the flavor (actually I guess that’s the same as fading). Then you really start to notice the bourbon, only it’s very well-done and sort of mixes in with the chocolate and caramel. It’s got the hops bitterness for the hophead in your family, the barrel aging for the, um, barrelaginghead in your family, and the sweet, sticky caramel and toffee with roasted bitterness for the stout/porter lover. Though the cerise cassee was nowhere near as tart as I would have liked it to be and the cherries were a little bit too sweet and sticky, it works better here, with the sweetness being offset better by the other elements. The mouthfeel is divine, with tiny bubbles tingling your mouth everywhere. Silky, milk-chocolatey texture, with some oiliness from the cherries and hops. The porter really emerges as it warms, and you always get a kick of lightly tart cherries on the end. Awesome job, Will is a masterful blender. I wish this beer would get more exposure, it’s odd that no one really talks about this beer here in Boston. Oh well, I’m content to just keep sippin it. (Wish they wouldnt serve it so cold to start, though). Acid and dry yeastiness really bulid on the palate, but I seem to be able to drink 3 or so of these at a time without really being bothered. Sort of a palate killer though, I wouldnt go reviewing another beer after this one. Severely unfiltered, feels grainy at times, and that, I think, is why I like it the most.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
On cask at ABF, 6/18/2005. Dark brown body has dropped bright, as it is transparent when the pour settles out, with some deep violet tinged-ruby highlights throughout. Creamy, thick head is quite small, barely a finger high, but retained fairly well, yet with little lacing. Smells like rich, lightly bitter espresso beans, not much in the way of earthy compost, with some hersheys chocolate notes. Flavor has a mix of caramel malt and bitter espresso, giving it a little bit chewier a feel than the average coffee stout. Sugary sweet at times, a good deal less complex and not quite the mouthfeel of Founders’ or Dieu du Ciel’s or Bell’s versions Definitely watery on the end, however, with a touch of alcohol and gets a bit too bitter at times. Still, a good flavor if somewhat dominated by the coffee, but then, arent all coffee stouts?
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
On draught at the brewpub, 6/14/2005. Deep cornfield golden color, light white-gold tinges throughout. Lightly creamy off-white head sits atop, very small, but some retention and lacing. Lightly hazy body. Aroma of honey, light graham crackers, hints of earthy bitterness and bits of bubble gum. Belgian yeast is discernable, and there is a good dose of fruitiness (starfruit, tangerines). Some vanila notes. Flavor is moderately malty, honey and dough, not too much vienna huskiness, though it has a lightly grainy, moderately carbonated mouthfeel that is pleasing and holds out any watery feel it might otherwise have. Notes of vanilla, light tangerine and dry yeast on the end. Bits of floral notes throughout, with some light lemon zest mixed in with the sweet malt. Drinkable, with a definite Belgian yeast character lingering on. I enjoyed the thicker, more pronounced malt sweetness in this, as compared to the lighter, more attenuated L’amour du jour. 7/4/7/4/14
On draught at NEBF, 10/29/05. This is the only Brett version. All other brewpub versions were not brewed with brett. This was a very good beer to start with, and the brett makes it in to an excellent beer. Spicy and yeasty, with the appropriate tartness from the B. Bruxellensis variety. Like usual, the nose is more expressive than the flavor, being an American version, as they can’t quite seem to nail the flavor and saccharomyces balance, but this is darn near close and probably tastes better than the GI Matilda. And that’s in an absolute sense, since they have no real relation other than the brett. Great texture and very drinkable. 8/4/7/4/16
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Ginger Porter from Cambridge Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
On cask at NERAX, 4/27/2005
Dark brown color, thick looking, probably opaque, with a whispy yellow/tan head, low retention. Aroma of ginger, silky chocolate and light yeast. The ginger does dominate, but the brewer makes no pretenses that it shouldnt. For all of that, it is quite a sweet ginger aroma, not astringent or horribly spicy. The flavor, again, is ginger dominated, and it is the focus, but I still thought there was enough chocolate and light roast, with some musty yeast notes, to give a bit more complexity. The body was exceptional, silky, lush and full. Though it was over the top, most people I was with gave it grudging respect. Certainly not a poorly made beer. Funny, because I can’t stand their regular porter.