BridgePort Bourbon Barrel Old Knucklehead

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

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.

2008 Bottle #12 - Pours a beautiful ambery brown, slight off-white head, Brown sugar dominates the aroma, tastes of dried fruit, Redman and booze. There is a definite alcohol presence, but isn’t the burn that alot of other fortified brews have. Pleasant bitterness balanced with a malty goodness, I will drink this again...

Bottle: Poured an hazy deep amber/copper color ale with a medium size fomay head with good retention with some good lacing. Aroma of sweet barley malt with very subtle hints of toffee and bourbon. Taste is a mix between some sweet barley malt with some notes of toffee. Vanilla and bourbon notes are very difficult to notice. Full body with good carbonation and no alcohol was discernable. Not as compelx as I would have liked it to be but very good nonetheless.

Thanks to toncatcher for bringing this to the Alesmith Release party line tasting. Aromas were very sweet with dark fruit flavored malts. Flavors were similar but almost too sweet. Alcohol in the flavor too. Just OK

[Vintage 2007] Tap @ Barleywine and Big Beer Fest... Poured a dark amber with a thick beige head. Aroma of fermented sugars and dark malts. The bourbon barrel aging seemed to not have phased it. Still a tiny earthy hop character with sweet, syrupy sugars. And the alcohol had a lingering aspect. The sweet malts aided with the balancing.

22 fl oz bottle. Pours hazy brown with a diminished off-white head. Mild wineous and spiced hoppy with a dark and mild roasted malty base note. Bitter and slight spiced flavoured with a solid caramel malty and dense hoppy note. Ends malty and slight spiced.

Bottled. A hazy deep red beer with a thin tan head. The aroma is very sweet with notes of alcohol, while the flavor is sweet malty with notes of alcohol and fruit, leading to a drywoody and alcoholic finish. Thanks Papsoe for sharing.