BridgePort Bourbon Barrel Old Knucklehead

Brewed by BridgePort Brewing (Gambrinus Company)
Style: Barley Wine
Portland, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter

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Had this bomber for a year or so. Dark red tinged amber color with a high beige head. Aroma of dark malts. Possibly a touch of tobacco. Medium plus body with creamy/fizzy carbonation. Flavor is dark malt, arguably bourbon, and some astringency that might be wood. Rather warming. Finishes with more of a bourbon character and actually seems dry - though that may be comparison with the beginning. I say it’s underrated, but maybe sitting around awhile improves it.

22 oz. bottle. Pours a deep amber/copper color with a medium plus sized beige head. The aroma has sweet caramel malts, bourbon, vanilla, wood and a slight tart character. The flavor is decent overall; caramel, bourbon, vanilla and wood with hints of dark fruits. The bitterness was a little more than I would like at the back.

Well balanced. Sweet caramel, and very light bourbon, which is the way I like it. Sweet aroma.

Boy, this one’s been sitting in the cellar for a wicked long time. I forgot it was there and when discovering it figured it wasn’t going to get any better. Medium copper pour, some carbonation remaining, although it tends to look a bit flat and grumpy. Evident tartness in the nose made me think wrong things. But surprisingly, the flavors are neither infected nor especially over the hill. Moderate wood and bourbon in there to complement what was at least at one point a boisterous West Coast BW. Malty and faded but still decent.

Draught@brewpub (Portland, OR, ABV 9.2 %)
Dark chestnut color, steady brownish head. Malty, sweet fruity, chocolate cake aroma. Medium-bodied. Quite alcoholic. Malty, dark fruits, rye bread, alcohol and late strong hoppyness. Quite hoppy barley wine with better drinkability than ABV indicates.

6th June 209
Cloudy brown beer. Softish palate leading to a dry finish. Inbetween is chocolatey malt with a woddy edge. Sour bourbon underpins. Not bad but some of that barrel vanilla sweetness would not have gone amiss.

Pours brownish red with very little head. Smells of oak, cherries, toffee, and fresh fruit. Taste caramel, toffee, citrus and earthy funkiness to it. Mouthfeel is medium thick and the finish is somewhat bitter.

This pours a murky golden color with a nice thick head. Smells of heavy caramel, vanilla, toffee, chocolate, fruits, and a bit of earth. Rather complex aroma to this. Sweet caramel and strong hops with a bit of chocolate. The finish is a touch bitter as well.

22oz bottle that’s at least two years. Pours a hazy, translucent copper amber with just a little white head. Nose is lots of raisin, caramel sweetness, a little leather, a little oxidation, orange, a little booze, a little bourbon. Flavor is orange, tons of sweetness, woody, leather, booze, vanilla, caramel, not a whole ton of bourbon. Full bodied, still a little hot finish. Bourbon has started to fade but the sweetness hasn’t.

Bottle from blutt59. Dark orange pour with an off-white head. Aroma is alcohol, caramel, licorice, and bitter chocolate. Taste is the same, but less impressive, with woody and boozy flavors as well.

Bottle courtesy blutt59. Cloudy orange color with light carbonation. Aroma is very woody and dark fruit. Flavor is dry and oaky. Finishes sweet and dry.