Cambridge Benevolence

Brewed by Cambridge Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Cambridge, Massachusetts USA

Note: CBC 17th anniversary aged in a wood barrell brewed in 2001. Oh my is all I can say...poured a dark black hard to tell in this light whether or not it is pitch black but it is very close leaving a tan head in its wake. The aroma is dark fruits, raisins, figs, nuts, brown sugar, chocolate are all present in the nose. The taste is syrup thick, nutty, figs, lots of dark fruit with a syrup consistency and a chocolate fudge background. This is the most complex nose, and taste I’ve ever come across. This brew had to be an experiment, cause who would think of putting all these different flavors together. But they compliment each other so well. And so drinkable at 10% The nose is as complex as a Belgian ale, with the chocolate hop presence of a stout, and finishing with a tartness of a well crafted sour ale. Could this be, all these flavors combined by a mad scientist, it is true. The only disappointing thing about this beer is that I will never be able to sample this again.

My Bottom Line:
This grandiose achievement in brewing harmoniously marries bourbon, sour cherries, medjool dates and wild yeast flavors into a luxurious body worthy of meditation. This ambitious project has bloomed into a most marvelous osmosis of Flemish Sour, Fruit Beer and Barley Wine.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A slice of foam surfs the mahogany-tinged dark brown.
-Alcohol seems to vary a lot from batch to batch; from 8.6% to over 12%!
-Vinous fruitiness, tartness and wooden dryness meld beautifully into the vanilla sweetness.
-Alcohol is remarkably well hidden for a 12% brew.
-The soft tiny bubbles are effervescent, making this a very classy, easygoing sipper despite all the present flavors.
-Complexity here is endless, yet all flavors seem to coexist on the same plane. Very impressive!

On tap at the brewpub.

I have wanted this for almost 2 years...pour is murky brown amber...smell is alcohol, oak smoke, raisins, dates, vanilla...flavor is vanilla, grape, butter, dates, alcohol, oak...god damn this is awesome...

09.30.05 GABF Murky brown. Queer nose is like a barleywine crossed with an oude brune. Molasses, fresh caramel, honey, peanuts, prune juice, old cask. Fascinating sniffer. Smoky notes dance throughout. Tastes like sugar, wood, cherries, white sour balls, pineapple, bubblegum. Damn this stuff is wild and delicious. Palate is more like a sour than a strong ale as it’s unctuous but medium in heft. Really could be a dangerous quaffer.

Woody, minty, herbal, maple, tart aroma with some Belgian yeast character, dates and raisins apparent. Opaque muddy brown body with very low, off white head that recedes to ring. Chocolate, raisins, dates, fig-like fruit flavours with some funky vinous character and some alcohol. Tart in the woody, bitter finish. Medium body is quite dry with lively, lightly prickly carbonation. Sampled at GABF 2005. This gets my vote for top overall beer at the festival for this year!

En fût au Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA. Robe noire sans mousse. Arômes de chocolat noir, de porto, de caramel et de fruits rouges. Saveurs de madère, de chocolat noir, de cerises noires, de porto et de malt caramélisé.

GABF 2005. Hazy, dark chestnut body with a fast-fading, effervescent beige head. Aroma of bourbon, sweet dates, figs, organic dark honey, and maple syrup. Smells sweet and sublime. Flavor is very earthy, malty, fruity, oaky and wild with nice dark toasted cherry elements. Sweet but balanced by a long, organic fruit peel quality bitterness. Superb and exciting beer.

GABF 2009: Settles in the glass in a dark haze with an off-white topping. The nose is alive with bourbon, toffee, vanilla, wood, and chocolate. Moderately acidic mouthfeel brings notes of bourbon, chocolate, toffee, and sour wood notes. By far my favorite offering from this brewery at the GABF.