BridgePort Bourbon Barrel Old Knucklehead

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

22oz bottle. Rating #83. Dark brown with an orange tint. Aroma is slightly sweet, nice and malty. Slightly bitter, not much bourbon present, but a very nice barley wine. (1066)

A vigorous pour into my 25cl tulip glass summons forth a creamy, dense, four-finger thick, nicely amber tinged, tan colored head. The beer is a deeply red stained, dark amber color that shows a brilliantly clear, red dyed, dark golden color when held up to the light. The aroma smells of washed out toasted malt, candied berries, faintly grassy hops are noticeable at first. At first blush the aroma seemed fairly bland, and very tame for a Barleywine. As the beer warms & opens up though some additional complexities start to come out, though it never gets the big aromatic presence one would expect from a Barleywine. Aromas of cherry liquor, some fruity brandy notes, a bit more herbal hops, and biscuit like malt add a little more interest to the nose.

Lightly sweet, with a viscous full mouthfeel that was almost a surprise coming off the week aroma. The beer has a light Bourbon Barrel influence that in addition to the usual notes of butterscotch, vanillin, warming alcohol and lightly spicy wood seems to play up an anise like flavor and some soft brandy notes (including a raisin and grape note). The Bourbon barrel is quite tame here, this is actually at a perfect level as it is just another component of this beer rather than a quite dominant one that many a Bourbon Barrel beer has. There is quite a bit of hop character here as well; nothing on the order of say a Bigfoot, but there is a nice herbal component, flavors of ripe pine needles, some candied citrus zest and a touch of menthol. The carbonation is a bit aggressive, but a quick swirl of my glass gets rid of the excessive fizziness and a touch of the pepper-like carbonic bite. I really like the fruity, sort of brandy like, perhaps cherry-cordial-esque note that this beer picks up; it is subtle, but quite pleasing.

I like that this is pretty easy drinking for a Barleywine (assuming you get rid of the excess carbonation) and the light barrel influence is a huge plus. Having said that the malt complexity is a bit lacking and the aroma is down right, even deceivingly so, weak (though it is decently complex as it warms up). While this started out slow, as I work my way through this 22oz bottle it really starts to come into its own; the flavor ends up really becoming quite well integrated, mellow (this can be a good thing even in a Barleywine), but distinct. A good beer, that is much more enjoyable than I was expecting.

Bomber, thanks to gunhaver. Pours a hazy dark rust color with beige head. The aroma is fruity, especially orange and peach, with some bourbony vanilla and sweet caramel notes. The flavor is strong wood at the front, with some orange peel notes, toffee, caramel, and a pretty subtle vanilla hint. It dries out considerably, finishing woody and slightly ashy with a respectably bitter aftertaste.

From a 22-oz. bottle from BridgePort BrewPub--Deep ruby color with a small off-white head. Woody, boozy, grainy. Oak and bourbon in the background. Lots of fruitiness on the tongue. Very nice beer and quite affordable.

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.

9/27/2009: BridgePort Bourbon Barrel Old Knucklehead (No 12)... Aroma: Cherry-vanilla bourbon with some caramel maltiness. Appearance: Bright reddish amber; collapsing beige head. Flavor: Caramel, prune, vanilla, hint of bourbon; decent hoppiness. Palate: Medium-bodied; mellow; cask-like mouthfeel; creamy. Overall: Decent attempt, but the regular Old Knucklehead is better.

22 fl. oz. bottle shared by alexsdad06. Thanks Brad! Rating #82 for this beer.

only had a sample at the brewery, but it was very tasty and I’d like to try more...

Bottling No. 12. Aged over 6 months. Pours a dark and lightly hazy crimson colored body. A foamy, beige colored head leaves thin arches of lace behind on the glass. Aromas include tons of stewed raisins, caramel, cherries, figs, and a warm bourbon-vanilla oak influence. Flavors follow suit, sweet from the caramel and stewed dark fruits, with a subtle bourbon and wood component. Earthy hop notes do well to balance things out, taming the sugary components and enhancing drinkability. The bourbon is not overpowering here, which is nice. Medium-full bodied and sugary up front, the mouthfeel finishes dry and warm from the big alcohol content. Overall, this is a very nice brew, but having consumed it just prior to a BA Old Numbskull, it cannot help but be outclassed.