Liquid Solutions

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Bridgeport Old Knucklehead 22oz:

The Old Knucklehead came in and we received enough to cover all outstanding orders with some left over. If you have already placed an order we will be shipping it out soon. If you have not, there is still time. It is no longer in “Pre-sell” status and I have the computer tracking the inventory very close so if it lets you put them in your cart it means there will be enough to cover your order.

This is not a beer that is easily pegged into a style category. Is it a brown, a red, a strong ale???? Well, I’m not too sure but it is a great beer no matter what you call it. Reddish brown in color with a tan head. The aroma is bready, dark roasted barley and leafy, citrus rind hop. The flavors is nutty, chocolate and caramel with a hoppiness of leafy, earthy and citrus. A bit on the chewy side but with enough hops to cut through.

Classic German style pils. It pours pale gold with a large head that falls quickly. The aroma is grassy/hay. The flavor is lightly malty sweet up front with a touch of lemon. The grassy hops kick in at the finish along with an easy bitterness. It has a very clean light body with prickly carbonation.

Light copper in color with a light grassy hop aroma. Pale malt flavor up front with slight bitter finish. If you are looking for something that is easy to drink and want to get away from the big hopped ales one usually finds on the shelves today, this is the one.

This coffee brewed imperial stout is as black as night and has a thin tan head. It has a wonderful aroma of coffee (duh!!) dark chocolate, bready malts and plenty of pine / orange/ grapefruit hops. The flavor has a medium high bitterness with the fore mentioned flavors. The 13% does come through in both the aroma and flavor but the flavor profile is high enough to withstand it. This one should age beautifully with the alcohol and hops smoothing out and the coffee and dark malt coming forward.

Mikkeller’s 12% barley wine is an excellent product that straddles “drinkable now” and “excellent aging potential” well. Most of us beer geeks and handle (and enjoy) the big hops you tend to find in young American barley wines (“Big Foot”, “Old Crustacean”, “Old Horizontal”) but make no mistake, the Danish brew has that plus a big sweet malt bill that is chewy and tasty. I served it at about 60 degrees and the fig, date, caramel and chocolate come screaming through. The hops do their part at the end to calm things down and ready you for another sip. Yes there is a spicy (but not hot) alcohol kick but maybe that will age out. This one will age 5 easy maybe into the 7 to 10 range. The cage and cork (synthetic not natural) should slow oxidation while it matures over the long haul.

This Norwegian Stout clocks in at a respectable 9%. Pours black with a cocoa-brown head. Flavors of roasted malt, licorice, chocolate with a nice fruity ester. The aroma gives hits to an overpowering roasty flavor but it belies its sweet smooth nature.

Brilliant copper amber color with a creamy off white head. The aroma is a wonderful mix of fruity (orange/grapefruit) hops with light caramel malt. The flavor is of grassy citrus hops, fruity yeast and sweet malt. Medium body and full mouth feel makes for a smooth brew and enough of a hop finish to end dry.

Now this is my kind of IPA. It has a bit of a red hue to it, which reflects it higher malt content. The floral/grassy hop aromas and flavors are perfectly in tune with the slight caramel/crystal malt flavor. It has the appropriate bitterness to satiate the IPA fan but balanced enough for those of us who care for a bit of malt in our brew.

Clear copper with a thick white head with good retention. The aroma is big spicy, herbal hops. The flavor is a bit sweet with some caramel and licorice along with a big bitterness and earthy, herbal hops. The finish is a lingering bitterness. At 9.6% this Imperial IPA is mainly for the hopheads

*** Pre-Sell ***
Batch 12 of the Old Knucklehead will be available soon. Don’t wait, this will not last long. Although I have the price I still do not know what my allotment will be. Old knucklehead number 12 is aged in American Oak Bourbon barrels with big vanilla, toffee and sherry notes on top of the malty fruity well hopped barleywine.

It has been five years since the last knucklehead, Fred Eckhardt (well known Portland author) with the new knucklehead being John DeBenedetti who is the owner of the oldest beer supply company in the country right here in Portland OR (http://www.fhsteinbart.com/). For more info check out…..

http://blog.oregonlive.com/thebeerhere/2008/02/barrelaged_bonanza_pt_4.html

As with “The Abyss” these order will be fill in order until the supply is gone.

Sorry folks, for those of you who tried to order the Old Knucklehead it is now fixed. Man! Flip one wrong bit and the item is un-orderable.

Matt

Lot 81 1996 Rose de gambrinus $24.99
Lot 82 1994 Thomas Hardy $13.95

Red brown in color with a medium tan head. Rich in flavor with caramel, chocolate, cherry with a cinnamon / licorice spiciness. Not thick and sweet as you might think from the description but does have a nice full body and a smooth texture.

As a witbier the cloudy yellow color is very appropriate. The aroma is big and spicy, citrusy, and floral. The coriander flavor hits you right up front, malty/wheaty in the middle with a yeasty hop bitter finish.

Their triple is a pale gold color and the carbontation is high. It is lightly sweet with a nice fruity ester and just a hint of hop. Some spiciness kicks in with an insinuation of coriander and pepper.

It is mahogany brown with gold around the edges and pours with little head. The aroma is of cake, raisin and a touch of spice. The flavor starts off with the aforementioned raisins then moves on to a light chocolate and brown malt with a leafy hop and anise finish. The body is medium to light and the carbonation is rather low for a Belgian but with the lighter body that keeps the texture from getting too prickly.

This 6.5% blond pours a light golden color with plenty of carbonation and a brilliant white head. Crisp and dry with an easy pale malt character with a leafy hop presence from start to finish. The finish is mildly bitter and ends clean.

Gember is a Belgian blond style spiced with ginger. Straw yellow in color it has notes of honey, pepper, lime and of course ginger. The ginger is not over done and finishes nice and dry. A very well done ginger beer.

This is very dark brown / black in color with roasty coffee, caramel, tones with a hint of molasses. The nice body and good head make this beer into one fine stout.

This barley wine is both tasty and more unique than most. It is very dark brown and has a light roasty aroma and a big grassy hop aroma. The flavor is of dark malt - not as strong dark as a stout, but roasty like a very dark brown ale. The hops are strong and bitter and will make this dark barley wine age very well. As dark, yummy and bitter this beer is, I plan to put several down in my cellar.

This Norwegian Stout clocks in at a respectable 9%. Pours black with a cocoa-brown head. Flavors of roasted malt, licorice, chocolate with a nice fruity ester. The aroma gives hits to an overpowering roasty flavor but it belies its sweet smooth nature.