Cambridge Brewing Heather Ale and Weekapaug Gruit

Cambridge Brewing Heather Ale - Brewed with Heather Flowers (2012)

First Batch Brew.

22 fl. oz. / $6.99 USD / 5% ABV

About: "From out of the darkness of pre-recorded history, Heather Ale is an altogether unique brew. Originally crafted by the inhabitants of coastal Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Northern British Isles, fresh heather flowers and other herbs were used to balance and flavor the rustic yet sweet toasted character of the malted barley. Its brewing tradition existed long before the advent of hopped beers, and has continued, sporadically, in small rural communities for millennia.

Brewed with imported Scottish floor-malted barley, fresh hand-harvested heather flowers were added to the kettle during the boil along with sweet gale and lavender, with a further addition of fresh heather and yarrow to the conditioning tanks. Each year the CBC brew-staff handpicks the fresh herbs for this beer from a field along the Atlantic Coast, and adds them into the brew-kettle the very next day. The aroma and flavor are a surprising jog of ancient memory, with commingling subtle notes of heather and honey and an obscure wildflower spiciness complemented by the interplay of mild but assertive, toasty-sweet malt.

Note: Pregnant or breastfeeding women may wish to avoid consuming this beer due to the mild medicinal nature of the herbs used in crafting this beer."

Thoughts: Heather Ale poured a slightly hazy auburn yellow with a huge fluffy white head full of small incredibly small bubbles. The carbonation in this thing is going nuts!

This beer smells really cool. Probably no surprise that it smells of a floral brew. It reminds me a little bit of Samuel Adams White Christmas for some reason. It's got a winter spiced ale type of thing going underneath those huge floral notes. When breathing in real hard, it's like putting your nose right inside a blossoming flower. Really cool stuff.

Before I even get to the taste, I gotta comment on this mouth feel. This beer has an insane feeling to it, it's great. It's incredibly thin and airy, and it just explodes into bubbles and dissolves... now that probably doesn't sound too appealing, but it is so weird and unique and just feels so funny that I love it. It's reminiscent of a soapy type of texture, but doesn't really taste soapy which is a fear that some brewers have with lavender additions.

Of course it's got all of that floral tone from the scent right in there with the taste. A light malt backup gives off a gentle semi-sweetness, and among that there's a soft peppery flavor that goes along with it. It's very crisp. Toasted malts aren't all too sweet, and do have a little bit of raw touch to them, but that helps this beer right along without taking it to any extreme area. It's got a decent bitterness, a decent sweetness, tons of flavor all around and it genuinely interesting.

Overall the taste is pretty unique, and it's got a great aftertaste too. A fun little beer.

Cambridge Brewing Weekapaug Gruit (2012)

Limited Release - First Batch (April 2012)

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 5.5% ABV

About: "A modern take on a mideaval, unhopped herbal beer! Produced for centuries, long before the use of hops, Gruit (pronounced “grew-it” or “groot”) was what beer was throughout the Middle Ages. Our contemporary interpretation of gruit is brewed with malted barley, wheat, and oats, and fermented with our Belgian yeast. It also incorporates the traditional brewing herbs sweet gale, yarrow, and wild  rosemary, along with Labrador tea, licorice root and nettles, all organic and wildcrafted."

Thoughts: Weekapaug poured a deep and hazy dark-auburn orange and featured a big, light-auburn almost tan head that began to rapidly deplete as I started snapping photos. It's loud too. Definately the loudest head I've ever heard before. Kinda sounds like rice crispies, that's how loud these bubbles are popping! Nuts.

Speaking of nuts. It's very nutty. Not really peanuts though, slightly off. Yeasty nuts more like it. And yes, I did stop and giggle to myself after I wrote that. The scent immediately reminds me of a certain Dogfish Head brew... Pangaea.

Taste is that of the smell. It's very mellow. There's a hint of light butter in there, or are the herbs just playing tricks with my mind. It's not remarkably sweet, but there's a lingering sweetness throughout the whole beer. When you first get some in your mouth it's just slightly tingly and almost hints at being spicy, but not really. There's an almost sour-like tinge that can attack if you let it hit the right spot, but mostly it's only a weak puckering effect. It's a bit fruity up front, like a semi-sour citrus, but the herbs mix in quick and take the flavor to a strange otherworldly dimension... then after it's swallowed there's that lingering Belgian yeast / peanut note. It's not bad.

Mouthfeel is that of a semi-flat soda. It's very smooth and crisp through. Starts to dry the throat after a while.

This beer goes through a few fun little stages but it doesn't seem terribly complex. It's like a strong tea rather, with a bready malt backdrop. This beer is ranking for me as a very decent end enjoyable experience. I'm not going to go out and re-buying it anytime soon, but I would like to try other beers of this seemingly rare style. After all, the very few beers I have tried that taste like (two or three of them) have all been unique and also pretty good, though all very similar tasting. Something about these types of beers intrigue me in a strange way. I don't yearn for them, but I'm still rather fascinated and want more.

Cambridge Brewing 2012 Pumpkin Beer Festival

Freaks, Geeks and Weirdos - and not to mention some Totally Hot Babes - all united yesterday for a fun filled elbow to elbow beer-breath-a-thon in Cambridge, Mass, known as LineFest! Uhhh, I mean PumpkinFest. Well, it was LineFest for anyone who got there after 2:30 PM, as the small venue was jam f'n packed with thirsty hipsters and pumpkin-lovin' nerdlings alike! Everybody was in the pumpkin pool. A couple of times I even stood in line for a few minutes, only to realize that it wasn't even a line. What in the fuck is that? Just a bunch of people standing around near a line that's so bombarded by other lines that it's nothing short of a rabid zombie horde. There were lines everywhere man. People were getting felt up... warm, wet breath hit the back of necks... boobs were grazed... crotches were pressed upon unsuspecting

And did I mention totally hot babes? Well, there were some pretty hot babes there. One girl looked like Mary Jane's slightly thicker sister. She was wearing a hello kitty shirt and was by far the hottest chick at the place (I fell instantly in lust)... she was Gourd-gous! And there were quite a few ladies there in ultra-tight leather and pleather and spandex outfits as Bayonetta, Black Widow and Baroness. OK, they were all Black Widow. Or trying to be. Whatever. The point is they were hot, and babes too. There was also a guy in a low budget homemade old-school Captain America outfit that really looked the part, so well done on him. Oh, and the girl in the red cloak that works there was really jacking my lantern. If you know what I

Also, I don't know if there were really so many hipsters there, or if they were just dressed up that way for the costume party? Hey, is everyone utilizing Belgian Yeast in their beer now? I thought my tongue was playing tricks on me, but apparently not. I rinsed out my cup each time before getting my next beers, but I could still taste that Belgian Yeast! I thought I didn't clean the cup well enough, but in fact it was because nearly every beer I drank at the place has it in it. What gives? Anyways, I got there at 12:30, a half hour before the doors opened, and ended up being in the middle of a huge ass line down and around the block. The last half of my stay at the establishment, people weren't being allowed to enter until someone else left. So that sucks for them... I guess? But I read that you gotta go either early or late to these things so, yeah. Since I like to get my drinking out of the way early

Onto the hot babes beers:

1. The Bruery Autumn Maple - Belgian Style Brown Ale (2012)

Brewed by The Bruery, in Placentia, CA. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 10% ABV

About: "Brewed with 17 lbs. of yams per barrel (in other words, a lot of yams!), this Autumn Seasonal is a different take on the “Pumpkin” beer style. Brewed with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Vanilla, Molasses, and Maple Syrup, and fermented with our traditional Belgian Yeast strain, this bold and spicy beer is perfect on a cold autumn evening."

Thoughts: Autumn Maple. Alright. Oh, The Bruery. Sweet. This looks to be a  good beer to start with. Autumn Maple poured a thick and cloudy burnt orange color with a small white bubbly head.

It's a light smelling ale, toasty, very lightly spiced.... I'm getting loads of Belgian Yeast. There's a little bit of cinnamon lingering about, and a real subtle blend of spices. For a 10%, I expected more of a scent on this one, not one so mild.

It's very tasty. There's a harsh booze sting on the first sip, and I guess that's where that strength was. I'm really trying to get that maple syrup here, it's what I want to taste. Feel is about a medium  and it's a bit fizzy. There's a sticky quality to this beer, and I guess that's the maple syrup coming into play, but it's not really all too evident in the taste itself. I guess I should expect that by now though. However, the beer is very pleasant tasting, and has a classic type taste for the Autumn season. Gotta love those yams! And it's strong, which is always a plus.

2. Hill Farmstead Autumn Saison - Belgian Farmhouse Ale  (2012?)
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery, in Greensboro, VT. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV

About: "Shaun Hill's 1'st Pumpkin Beer, brewed in collaboration with Jackie O's Brewing Co. and Grassroots Brewing after years of goading from Will Myers. A simple malt bill provides an orange hue. Ben's Pumpkins from Snug Valley Farm provided the requisite squash. The goal: A complex Belgian style pumpkin ale with little to no spicing."

Thoughts: This beer is a very light orange color, especially light compared to the rest actually, but it's still a pretty orange. Kinda murky too. The head was tiny and not condensed at all.

There's a lot of malt in the scent, and it's very straightforward. An underlying Belgian yeast comes up from the back, but overall everything here seems pretty light.

The taste is pretty damn sour. It's very mushy tasting. It gets slightly peppery once that yeast kicks in, and once all the flavors mingle together the beer gets more of a fruity tone about it. Still pretty sour though.

Mouth is light and that sour tone brings on the puckering.

3. Stewart's Brewing Mischief Night - Pumpkin Ale (2012)

Brewed by Stewart's Brewing Company, in Bear, DE. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV

About:  "Many innocent pumpkins met a gruesome fate so that you sadistic people could have your annual spiced treat. We hope you're happy! Straight from the mind of the ‘Beer Admiral’ himself. Head Brewer Rick Hoffman presents a ‘traditional’ spiced pumpkin ale. Rick added over 10 lbs of pumpkin per barrel. Brewed with a touch of Maize for softness, and to fit the harvest spirit. Spiced with a custom blend of whole botanicals including Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Cloves and Nutmeg."

Thoughts: Mischief Night. What a cool name huh? This one poured a reddish-orange with a minimal haze to it. One of the filtered offering of the venue perhaps. The head was pretty frothy, yet faded quickly.

This beer smells really sweet. Kind of like spiced apples, or strawberry syrup! Really cool.

The taste is unique. It's rich and malty, but with a weird kind of tang to it. Not bad at all. It's sweet, spicy and has a a mild sourness to it that creeps up on you.

It's pretty frothy. I'm sure the corn brings it back from being a total malt bomb, but the more you sip this one the sweeter it gets. Is that cloying sweetness? It's a very interesting brew, that's for sure.

4. Elysian Headless Horsey - Pumpkin Brett Beer (2011/2012?)

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Company, in Seattle, WA. USA.

8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 6.7% ABV / SPECIAL TAPPING: 2 PM!

About: "100% Brettanomyces-fermented Pumpkin Ale brewed with Pale and Wheat malts and unmalted wheat. With some time to age, it has become more of an elegant thoroughbred than drayhorse. The inspiration for this beer? They thought of the name first, and knew they had to brew it." What the hell kind of description is that?

Thoughts: Headless Horsey poured a super cloudy auburn orange hue with no head whatsoever, which was weird.

And speaking of weird, this one smells weird as shit too! It's very tart, kinda like pineapple juice. Pineapple juice... and funk. Yeah. Not incredibly pleasant.

The taste is a sour pineapple hit to the mouth. Whew! This is a strange ass beer, man. I'm not really diggin' it all too much. And by the looks of things, the people that just got this brew before me aren't really into it either. There's a lot of strange WTF faces around and some not too flattering banter on this one.

This is the funkiest one so far. Like watered down juice with a double extra tart thrown in, and a touch of funk.

5. Cambridge Brewing Valley Ghoul - Scotch Ale with Pumpkin and Heather Flowers (2011)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 8.5% ABV

About: "2011 Strong Scotch Ale with Pumpkins and local barley. Our Valley Girl series of local-ingredient-beers gets ghoulish with barley grown and malted in MA from our Valley Malt BSA. Super rich malt character presides over Pumpkin, Brown Sugar, Molasses, and Heather Flowers in the finish. Subtle, like a swift kick in the kilt. Adding pumpkins was a seasonal no-brainer, and a last-minute addition of heather flowers contributes subtle, delicate floral notes to this robust, malty beer. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!"

Thoughts: Valley Ghoul poured a dark and gloomy raspberry red / orangy brown color and was very hazy. The head was small due to the pour but lasted a long while.

This smells Awesome! Wait, what the hell... bubblegum just came rushing in. Oh, and loads of booze! It's flowery, and well, just an insane mix of things going on. This is like a Bride of Frankenbeer.

The taste is hard caramel, molasses, and literally tons of brown sugar. This is some serious malt. It's intense. Very sweet, a little peppery, and then those Heather Flowers come in again and it's bubblegum booze.

There's a bit too much bubblegum for my liking, but I did enjoy the hell out of this one while it lasted. And I'm sure there's a market for a beer like this. A weird market.

6. Cambridge Brewing Kraftwerk - Belgian Tripel brewed with Pumpkins and Aged in White Wine Barrels (2011)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.75% ABV

About: "Kraftwerk is brewed in the style of a Belgian strong ale known as Tripel, but to it we have added hundreds of pounds of pumpkin, along with a very subtle addition of assorted autumnal spices. After a very warm fermentation with our house Belgian ale yeast, Kraftwerk was sent to the CBC Barrel Cellar to age for several months in Sauvignon Blanc barrels where the beer transmogrified into a striking beverage like no other. The result is a classic version of a traditional Tripel, with subtle pumpkin flavors, and notes of oak and a white wine-like finish. The combination of esters from fermentation, barrel aging, and lingering wine character has created a beer with crazy fruitiness, a super dry and sparkling body, and a grape/stone fruit/tropical finish. Simply unlike any pumpkin beer you've ever had."

Thoughts: Werk poured a lighter yellowy orange color with a fluffed white top. The beer is of course quite hazy.

Scent is on the lighter side of things, but really interesting and inviting. It's fruity, and you get a big presence of that white wine. It's pretty cool. Smells a bit like fruit cocktail after a while. Nice.

This tastes excellent! You really get that mix of the oak and white wine straight away. There's a lot of ripe pear, mild squash, and a ton of fruitiness. The spices have all but been lost in the mix, and you wouldn't immediately think of this as a "pumpkin beer", but that flavor is still inherent to the beer. Only muted. Overall though this is a really interesting beer, it has some intriguing layers of taste and it's just "delightful".

7. Cambridge Brewing Fire and Brimstone - Cask-conditioned Ale with Chipotle Peppers and Cacao Nibs (2012)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 6.66% ABV

About: "S.A.T.D cask-conditioned with Ancho, Chipotle, and Habanero Peppers, plus Cinnamon Sticks, Cacao Nibs, and Dried Pumpkin Flakes. Rich, chocolaty, smokey and maybe a little hot. You have no one but yourself to blame!"

Thoughts: Yeah, I suppose after that I may as well hit up the beer with the Habaneros in it. Why the hell not wreck the palate after that whimsical brew above.

This beer is dark. It smells harsh. There's tons of chilies in this. A smile, comes to my face.

That's hot. Not only is this beer just spicy as all hell on the first gulp, but it's got a creeper quality about it too, because halfway through that burn is just rushing in and doesn't let up. There's a nice mingling of flavors going on here. The chocolate really takes a backseat to the peppery flavor and the smoke, and for that I am thankful.

Fire and Brimstone is super tasty, has a slight tartness to it, is rich, malty and brings the heat. Did I taste the dried pumpkin flakes? Nah... but whatever.

8. Elysian The Gourdfather - Pumpkin Barleywine (2012)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 11.2% ABV

About: "The Gourdfather is a Pumpkin Barleywine you can’t refuse, mellowing with age but still reminding you who’s boss. A veritable pushcart of malt bill brings Pale, Munich, Cara-hell, Cara-vienne, C-15 Crystal and Pumpkin Seeds up against a rival neighborhood armed with Magnum hops. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Thoughts: Gourdfather poured an auburn red, honey like color with a foamy white head atop.

This smells like red wine. Ah, memories. There's a super strong barley flow to this one, but at the same time the hops and seeds give off this weird otherworldly type scent to it. It smells slightly acidic and maybe a little bitter. It's pretty cool.

The taste is unexpectedly more sweet than I had expected. It was a bit of a shock. There's not much of that red wine vibe in the taste, but rather a booming slam from those malts. It's slightly tart, there's a heavy dose of dark fruit, plums especially, and a lot of sweetness. After a while some caramel notes start to come out and it gets a little twang from that fruitiness and the hops.

Despite being so heavy and rich, this is some easy drinking.

9. Iron Hill Ichabod - Imperial Pumpkin Ale (2012)

Brewed by Iron Hill Brewery, in West Chester, PA. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.5% ABV

About: "This extra strong spicy Belgian Pumpkin Ale is truly a beer from the farm. It is unfiltered with a beautiful burnt orange color. Ichabod’s nose is filled with flavors of the harvest including Clove, Allspice, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. The palette is sweet with hints of Roasted Pumpkin, and Caramel. There is a warming finish that is both fruity and aromatic. Over 6 pounds of pumpkin per barrel were added right to the mash. Drink enough and you’ll lose your head too!"

Thoughts: This beer poured a semi-dark auburn haze that's blood orange in color. The head was extremely minimal.

I'm picking up scents of light bubblegum (again!?), toasty malt, a little bit of booze. The spices are light, and aside from that roasted tone to it, it seems pretty mild.

Well, it tastes a bit rubbery. It's malty and the spices are indeed light. Not really too interesting of a beer. It's kind of got this burnt embers mixed with old He-Man toys going on. I've tasted beers with similar problems, and this one isn't too offensive in that area, but it's there. This beer is very boozy, but it's also pretty meh.

Mouth on this one is slightly drying, but I have been ingesting good dose of cinnamon throughout the day. Not to mention that oak. But the drying is just starting to hit after this one particularly so take that into consideration.

10. Stewart's Brewing Gourdzilla - Pumpkin Ale (2012)

8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 8.666% ABV / SPECIAL TAPPING: 4 PM!

About: "This Monstrous Pumpkin Ale is brewed with Radioactive Pumpkins grown at a secret location in the South Pacific, and fermented with Genetically Modified yeast. Gourdzilla is sure to please even the most finicky pumpkin zombies, and still have time to lay waste to Tokyo in its spare time."

Thoughts: Radioactive Pumpkins huh?

Gourdzilla poured a honey gold with orange tones, and featured a frothy light beige head on top. This one's got the biggest head out of all the beers so far. Huh. Must be that "Genetically Modified Yeast"!

The smell starts off with a "traditional" Imperial Pumpkin Ale style scent, which is promising since none of the other beers so far have had this. Spices are present, but a little light, and I can actually smell the water in this one. It's nice.

The taste is very peppery up front. This one isn't too sweet, not too bitter, and while the taste is rich and savory, it feels a little light. There's no kick to this beer, and that's a bit unfortunate. It's the closest thing to tasting pumpkin out of this lineup though, and it's still pretty good.

I guess everything in some way will always be compared to Pumking. If this one had a longer linger to it and a spicier kick, it could very well compete.

11. Cambridge Brewing Grey Ghost - Belgain-Style Double White Ale with Grey Ghost Pumpkins (2012)

12 fl. oz. / 3 Tickets / 6.75% ABV

About: "300 pounds of Grey Ghost heirloom pumpkins from Sylvan Nursery flavor this strong version of a traditional Belgian White Ale, along with Orange Peel, Coriander, and Grains of Paradise. Freshly chopped and shredded, the pumpkin is added to a mash of Pilsner and wheat malt, raw wheat, and flaked oats and fermented with our house Belgian yeast."

Thoughts: Ghost poured a light gold, yellowy orange color. It's slightly hazy and the white head left a ring around the top of the brew for a long while.

The scent is sweet and tart, and of course that Belgian yeast is making an appearance. There's some mild zest and a gentle flow of spice to this one.

The taste, just like the last beer and many other pumpkin beers, is peppery at first. This one has got a heavy taste to it though from that mash. It's also very fruity on the tongue... that orange peel really brings some nice citrusy tones to the brew, and there's almost like a lemon lime thing going on. The wheat and grey ghost pumpkins really blend well and I think adding coriander was a nice choice.

It's slightly watery, and goes down smooth. 

To me, most of these beers are more of an experiment in brewing rather than what's normally classified as a "Pumpkin Ale". These are like "Ale with Pumpkin in it" instead. Of course, I didn't try anything that I have already tasted before when I went to this event. They had Pumking, DFH Punkin, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumkin, Heavy Seas and a slew of others. I forgot to try Wormtown's offerings, but I'm not going to cry over it. What I really wanted to try was the Ultra-Rare Allagash Ghoulschip (a Barrel Aged Sour Pumpkin Ale brewed on Halloween night 2008 and aged in oak!), but they were tapping that at 8 PM and I wasn't going to stay that long. They tapped the Avery Rumpkin about forty-five minutes after I left as well, but I just drank that a few days ago.

I had a real mellow time at this extremely festive event. The overly large Pumpkin Ravioli was a really sweet and good tasting dish, though I should have saved some cash and ate a Sausage with Pumpkin Mustard outside. And it would have been a lot more comfortable it I wasn't rushed off of my table, but they've got time limits set up so I don't really give a fuck. Plus it was hot in there. It was just the hovering that bugged me. I also would have liked the Pint Glass to have the pumpkin design from their previous logo above. It looks a lot more sinister with that jagged mouth. Will I ever go to another one of these? Probably. Will I do reviews? Not sure. I would of loved to have drank tons of Pumking on tap and chased it with Rumpkin, but hey, I like trying the new shit. Maybe next time. Hopefully there will be more Totally Hot Babes for me to

Cambridge Brewing Bannatyne's Scotch Ale and Big Man IPA

Cambridge Brewing Bannatyne's Scotch Ale (2011)

Brewed and Bottled by Cambridge Brewing Co., in Cambridge, MA. USA.

Winter Seasonal - December (Limited Release) - Batch #1.

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 9.2% ABV

About: "This strong ale style comes directly from Scotland, boasting a huge, complex maltiness and very full body, which finishes with a long, herbal, hoppy dryness. We craft this traditionally big, malty beer from imported Scottish Maris Otter pale malt and a touch of roasted barley. We then caramelize the strong wort in the kettle and subject it to extended cold-conditioning to round out its myriad complexities. Intriguing flavors of caramel, chocolate, molasses, and a hint of treacle are not uncommon to those perceptive of palate, so slip on that old kilt (wear whatever you want underneath- we’re pretty open-minded.) and enjoy!"

Thoughts: Poured a dark reddish brown with a very slim tan head that depleted rapidly. The beer is hazy, and the slightest bit see through. I'm not seeing much carbonation bubbles.

Smells like sweet coffee. Wasn't expecting that. Loads of malt coming through.

Doesn't taste like coffee, thankfully. It's a bit fruity, like black cherries. Very warm and pleasing. Slight bit of tart afterburn. Little bit of a smokey almost banana split with candy shell topping. Caramel, hints of spices, with a low alcohol haze in the background. Roasted malts, raisins, sugary sweetness, and almost an unnoticeable amount of dark chocolate.

Medium, and a bit syrupy. Very rich and creamy. Prepare yourself.

This is like a mix of a big Scotch Ale and a little bit of a Stout. This beer is strong and seriously malty. Overall a pretty cool beer. It's been a short while since I had a downright mean and nasty malt bomb like this. I like it.

Cambridge Brewing Big Man IPA (2012)

Winter Seasonal. 

22 fl. oz. / $5.99 USD / 6.8% ABV

About: "Our Winter seasonal beer is here! Originally brewed in September of 1992 at the request of three bartenders/managers (who have since gone on to great fame and glory) Big Man I.P.A. has been a favorite seasonal brew at Cambridge Brewing Company ever since. Legend has it that the grist weight of Big Man Ale was their combined total weight – 770 pounds of malt for 10 barrels of beer!

Deep copper-colored and unfiltered (as are all of CBC’s beers), it boasts a full body complemented by strong, robust flavors. Its rich notes of malt and caramel are offset by very aggressive hopping - it is kettle-hopped with Columbus, Cascade and Amarillo hops and further dry-hopped with even more Cascades and Amarillo. These hop varieties lend a fruity, citrusy character to this big malty beer, in the style of a “winter-ized” I.P.A."

Thoughts: A Winter Seasonal IPA huh? Interesting. I wonder how it will compare to a certain other beer like that...

Real dark color on this one. It's like a raspberry, ruby toned beer and quite a bit darker in tone than a lot of other IPAs. It's a lot more reddish than the usual orange standard, but that's what "winter-izing" is all about, right? The head is puffy and white, and the beer is very clear.

Smell is crisp, citrus, loads of hop profile, very fresh, earthy and leafy... a lot of those cascade hops come shining through. This smells pretty damn good.

Malts get pretty much destroyed by the abundance of hops here. It says on the bottle that there's a "robust malty balance" to this, but this is very hop heavy with a resinous blast that takes over. Overall though, I'm finding that it's not terribly complex. The flavor actually fades rather quickly. Aw man... but there's lots of floral and grassy hits with each gulp, so keep gulping away! It's a very good effort, but it gets a little thin on the taste once it's down. Tastes of a quality brew, just wish it was a bit longer lasting. Once it warms up it starts to give off this nutty kinda flavor, like unsalted cashews.

These guys tried with very nice results to get Celebration Ale down with the scent, but the taste just falls apart at the seams once swallowed. A damn shame too, since I really dig their other brews. This one is still good mind you, but not as good as their other stuff. Mouth is medium, watery, bubbly and popping.

Cambridge Brewing Tripel Threat and Sgt. Peper

Cambridge Brewing Tripel Threat - Belgian Style Tripel (2011)

Brewed and Bottled by Cambridge Brewing Co., in Cambridge, MA. USA.

Winter Seasonal - November (Limited Release) - Batch #1.

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 10.0% ABV

About: "...CBC was the first American brewery to create and produce a Belgian-style beer. Our tripel went on to win our first ever Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, in 1991, before there was even a category for 'Belgian Ales'. Tripel Threat is fermented with our proprietary Belgian yeast strain and brewed using imported Continental malts, hopped with Spalt and Goldings, and very lightly spiced with freshly toasted and ground coriander.


For the first time ever, Tripel Threat is also available in 22oz. bottles for takeaway at CBC and at better beer stores throughout the Commonwealth. Our label pays homage to CBC’s first Head Brewer, Darryl Goss, who developed Tripel Threat. Proceeds from bottle sales of Tripel Threat will benefit research for a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease."

Thoughts: Poured a very light straw yellow with shades of light auburn and a two finger seriously white fluffy head that took a few minutes to pop away. There's a ton of carbonation bubbles rising up. A Ton! Though a very light brew, there's no seeing through this one at all. It's hazy as a dusty motorcycle kick-up.

This spicy Belgian yeast is becoming more and more familiar with me over time. Smells a tad bit sour, with some almost tropical fruity tones. Papaya?

That spice is pretty damn amazing. It's like a zinging. Orange peel. Bananas. Not so flowery, and some fine tasting hops. It's hardly bitter at all, in fact, it's actually really sweet with a gentle sour flowing in and out. I'm very pleased that the normal funk associated with Belgian yeast is very low level here. This beer tastes absolutely beautiful. Yeah, I could drink this all day long. There's got to be some of that Belgian Candi Sugar in this... it's just too good.

This beer is a medium-thick, a little bit syrupy and very warming.

I was pretty psyched when I saw this on the shelf about a week or two ago. After the total ownage of their first bottled batch of the Great Pumpkin Ale, I've been waiting eagerly for more of the company's offerings. This very special candy / beer of theirs has finally been bottled in a 22oz Bomber with some kickin' artwork. What's next guys? I'll buy it you just bottle it.

Cambridge Brewing Sgt. Pepper (2012)

Limited Release - First Batch (May 2012)

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 6% ABV

About: "Saison-style ale with Peppercorns. It was twenty years ago today… Well, almost twenty years ago today, as we present to you the first of three special Anniversary Beers in celebration of our upcoming Twentieth Anniversary! It was April Fool’s Day, 1989, when Phil “Brewdaddy” Bannatyne first opened the doors to what would become one of the preeminent breweries in the country. Of course, true to the spirit of the day, it would be another month before the first house-made beers would be available on draft.Sgt. Pepper has been brewed with Pilsner, CaraVienne, and Rye malts, plus Magnum and Spalter hops. But the driving force behind this beer is the contribution from whole peppercorns! Black, Green, White, and Pink Peppercorns were added to the brewkettle, and they provide a noticeable fresh, herbal spiciness to the nose and through the palate. Pink pepper provides a high, floral character mostly as an aromatic, and Green pepper offers an herbal freshness with slight heat. White pepper contributes a subtle earthiness, and Black pepper engages the palate in a lingering, tingling warmth. All combine to accentuate the complexities of our Belgian yeast, and are balanced by crisp malt character with a hint of sweetness."

Thoughts: I'm lovin' the Beatles ref and the Psychedelic Record logo. Very nice work. This beer looks of a dark amber, hints of orange, with a robust stark-white head.

Well, the scent certainly lives up to the name. I'm getting nothing here but Belgian yeast and Pepper! Tons of it. It actually smells pretty damn good, considering that I love pepper and have recently become accustomed to the strange beast that is Belgian yeast. It smells fun and interesting in a funky sort of way.

Belgian yeast is heavy on the nose but light on the tongue even though it's a major part of the flavor here, but man, the pepper in this brew is fucking amazing! Not only does it have a decent kick at the swallow, but it's permeating throughout the overall flavor and then afterwards there's a spiciness of that dust on the tongue and back of the throat that just sizzles a little bit. It's done to perfection and never reaches any extreme point where it becomes undrinkable in any way. Fuckin' loved it. My mouth is filled with a peppery coating and that's they way I like my foods. And beer, is my foods.

Mouth feel is a little light and fluttery, but I think that matches well with the lingering affects of that burning spice that creeps up on you with each gulp!

Well, Cambridge Brewing have done it again. There's not one single beer of theirs that I've tried that I haven't enjoyed tremendously. I guess that would have to place them now as my second favorite brewery, after Southern Tier of course. I cannot wait for their next release! Every time I hit that bottle shop and see one of their striped labels on the New Beers rack, I go a little nuts.

Cambridge Brewing The Great Pumpkin Ale

Cambridge Brewing The Great Pumpkin Ale (2011)
Brewed and Bottled by The Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, MA. USA.
Autumn Seasonal (Limited Release) - Batch #1.
22 fl. oz.  / $ 5.99 USD / 4.4% ABV 

About: "New England’s first pumpkin ale is finally in a bottle. Made with fresh MA organic sugar pumpkins and organic MA malt, real pumpkin flavor is complemented by just a touch of spice. All hail the original Great Pumpkin!"

Thoughts: I didn't even notice the guy with the axe walking away from that destroyed pumpkin whistling a guilty tune. I love the colors on this. I'm not really down with stripes (aside from Freddy) but this artwork is pretty killer. I wouldn't mind a poster of it actually. It's also pretty cool that they put the batch number and when it was bottled on the side. I think I'll show that off here. Their website states that this is the first time the ale has been bottled in the 22 years of its existence.

Whiter than usual head that fades fairly fast but doesn't completely disappear. Minimal carbonation. It's a bit of a darkish orange with a little bit of amber.

 

Smells really good. Hit first with a lot of caramel... smells of sugar and brown sugar. It's a little smokey and fleshy at the same time.

Very earthy. Not terribly over-spiced, but I'm getting some pepper. It's not strong and there's no kick to it, but it tastes pretty damn good. Nothing synthetic or generic here. It's a little malty and rich with the pumpkin. This is one damn fine ale. For a Light Ale with a lower ABV than many of the others, it still manages to obliterate them taste wise.

It's a bit watery with a slight foaming. Tingles the tongue but doesn't abuse the mouth. Leaves behind no film and doesn't dry you out.

 

Such a minimal bitter aftertaste. It may not be as thick as I would have liked, but this one doesn't cop out on the taste with cheap ass ingredients. It's nice to see a light pumpkin ale in a bomber bottle that kicks the ass of its brethren. This one really does deserve to be in a tall standing bottle all its own. Nice work.

 

  Cambridge Brewing The Great Pumpkin Ale (2012)

Autumn Seasonal (Limited Release) - Batch #3.

22 fl. oz.  / $ 5.99 USD / 4.4% ABV

Second Thoughts: I reviewed the first bottling of this beer last year, and this bottle is from the third batch. I wonder what happened to batch #2? Hmmm...

Holding this beer in front of this white screen the color is a pretty light orange, shades of yellow, slightly amber even. There's loads of carbonation and the beer itself is pretty clean looking. The stark white head faded in about a minute's time, but left a thin layer with some black bubbles on top.

The scent is very earthy pumpkin with brown sugar and a hint of mild Belgian style yeast. It smells sweet, but not overly sweet, and just a tad spicy.

The taste is very raw pumpkin, slightly tart, with lots of pepper up front and soft tingling spices on the tongue just after the swallow. With that tingling after a while, it's as if you can feel the sugar dancing around in your mouth. Despite nothing be to up front or overpowering, there's a ton of flavor presented here. It's not weak, despite not being as sugary or spicy as others and having a rather low ABV, but believe me when I tell you that this tastes pretty damn good. If something like Pumking is too strong for you, and cinnamon/clove bombs aren't your thing, but you're looking for a worthwhile pumpkin ale, then this is the perfect beer in those regards. Very little bitterness on the end.

Mouth feel is a heavy medium, pretty thick actually. Slightly coating, but very clean feeling.

I'm satisfied with purchasing this one again. It's one of my favorite pumpkin ales out there, near the top for sure, but on top in its own way.