BridgePort Bourbon Barrel Old Knucklehead

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

22 oz bottle purchased at liquidsolutions. I am sort of dissapointed in the quality. I do think this one will be better with some time. I bought several so I will let them age some.

bottle courtsey of gunhaver: pours a very caramel brown small tan head looks nice. aromaa is very hoppy of citrus a good fresh fruit, some sweet caramel. flavour is a good fruit , some alcohol, slight oak adn bourbon but not much.

22oz bottle courtesy of msubulldog25 and I am surprised that the label doesn’t feature the current knucklehead’s image. This is a decent looking specimen of a barleywine, ruby red with a huge off-white head that quickly becomes a smattering of bubbles. The first whiff from the bottle suggested juicy fruit gum but it is quickly gone. The aromas from my glass are straight alcohol fumes and a very subtle orange-rind smell with some notes of wood. Whoa, very bitter flavor at first that bites my tongue, then some oakiness but not quite bourbon with a prickly feeling from the alcohol. The more I sip the more I taste wood and then some fruity gum flavors pop up. It has an astringent yet interesting mouthfeel. This is a very good deal for $4.50 considering it is barrel-aged and not widely distributed. I actually think this may improve with about six months, hopefully taming the fumes and astringency but I don’t see anything about bottle conditioning on the label. I love breweries like Bridgeport and Full sail that put out bombers of barleywine for less than $4. Oh yeah, if you read this far, make sure you let the beer warm up a bit before drinking it. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 02-28-2008 03:17:07

Bottle courtesy of Gillard. Dark amber with a light brown head, very small and disappears almost instantly. Tropical fruits, dark esters, caramel, toffee and some roasty/toasty notes. No sense of the ABV in the aroma, for me. Flavor profile is similar, tons of tropical and dark esters, caramel, roasted malts and some perfume notes. I like the mouthfeel, but I feel that it’s thin at points and maybe that’s a result of the barrel aging, I don’t know. Otherwise, where is the oak or barrel aging hints, anywhere, in this beer? ABV becomes very noticeable midway and throughout the finish, astringency picking up along the way.

Thanks to Brian for this one. Brown body with a tan head. Sweet candy aroma. Flavor has bitter hops up front, maltiness, caramel and no barrel or bourbon character noticeable. Finish is dry and slightly bitter.

Very disappointing given the possibilities of a barleywine aged in bourbon barrels. Pours a classic barleywine ruby copper color. The aroma, while weak, is strikingly hoppy, though - far more so than most barleywines I’ve tried. The taste is acidic, with notes of citrus rind, hops and a bit of the oak from the barrels. The taste of bourbon is disappointingly absent. It’s almost like a boozier version of BridgePort’s IPA with some extra caramel malt thrown in. Very, very ’meh’.

22 oz bottle from BottleTrek.com. Pours dark mahogany, creamy tan head, some lacing. Aroma is sweet malt and a bit earthy, almost musky. Flavor is similiar in the addition to a fruitiness and some vanilla. I want to taste the bourbon, however, not very detectable. The alcohol burn is harsh in the finish. Mouthfeel is a bit light for barely wine and overall not very complex. I was disappointed in this one and I plan on cellaring a few bottles to see if it will mature (however I am doubtful).

Pours copper into the glass with an orange tinge. Aroma is very tart and the bourbon aging is quite apparent. Flavor has a lot of warmth from the alcohol and has a great bourbon finish to it. Pretty smooth and enjoyable.