Cambridge American Three Threads

Formerly brewed at Cambridge Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Cambridge, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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UPDATED: DEC 15, 2006 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.

Pours a dark brown with a creamy tan head. Lots of tiny lacing all the way down the glass. Smell is sour with a tart fruitiness, herbal hops and some nutty malt. Taste up front is sour and lightly vinegary but that soon fades a couple sips in. The sourness that remains is followed quickly by a bitter herbal hop taste and then finishes to a nice roasted coffee bittereness. Smoky. The flavors are all very distinct at first and then begin the mesh and blend into each other as you drink. The aftertaste is bitter, half hops and half roasted coffee and lingers for several minutes on the palate. Smooth drinkin’. An amazing beer, one of the coolest brews I ever had the pleasure to drink. Bravo!