BridgePort Old Knucklehead

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

Dark, opaque, reddish appearance, moderate head formation. Malty, jammy aroma, preserved fruits, sherry trifle. Red winey palate, plenty of berries (raspberry) up front, sweet and fruity, strong attack of citric bitterness and astringency. I love hoppy IPA’s but the hops just seem to tarnish the vinuous fruity character. Almost great but just spoiled a little.

7/24/04. Poured out of bottle, sampled at San Diego Barley Wine Tasting courtesy of SDbruboy 7/24/04. Dark orange-brown with a faint red trace. No real head-- a bit of a cognac appearance. Somewhat faint aroma, but it’s pretty straightforward for the style with fruity malts. Flavor is dark, twiggy whiskey with subtle caramel. Pretty imbalanced even for a barley wine. Some metallic potency on the finish. Prickly. Medium-full body, sticky on the lips, but not much there. Not close to a great beer, but a serviceable barley wine.

Bottle. Poured nice red amber with a tin tan head that left good lacing. Fruity malts and alcohol in the nose. Smooth, sweet flavor with a little hops and a bitter finish. Full body and mild carbonation. A serviceable barley wine, but nothing out of the ordinary.

I really liked this barleywine, which is not one of my favorite styles. Attractive pour at the brewpub and inviting. Aromas are vinous and sweet. Flavors are ever so slightly sour with caramel and toffee plus hop power. Body is rich and decadent. This is really great IMHO...a top tier barleywine.

blood touched deep amber color with a halo of larger bubbles...sour rubbing alcohol soaked hop buds and fruits in the nose...deep & malty and significantly sweet flavors...nice and smooth (like the rap group) not overly complex though, but maybe its just too young.

Sampled with egajdzis and eyedrinkale after the Philly gathering. Deep coarse reddish-brown...extremely vinous and sour nose, and a bit sour all the way through..light hops, sour cherry-grape notes, fairly thick and syrupy but without enough bitterness to keep from cloying until the very end, when hops take over but it’s too late, because the beer has, essentially, failed.

Almost red pour. Kind of dissapointing as the malt was by far overtaken by the hop taste. Can’t say it’s too strong but no balance.

Poured reddish copper color with no head or lacing. Vinous aroma of dark fruits, and light soy. some alcohol and nice light carbonation. Dark fruits and malts, very light citrus, some orange peel, and a long burning sensation.