Bad Knees Blanton Barrel Aged Old Ale
Cambridge Brewing Company

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From:
Cambridge Brewing Company
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
10.5%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.28 | pDev: 7.01%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 06, 2017
Added:
May 02, 2010
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by u2carew:
Photo of u2carew
Reviewed by u2carew from Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Served in a snifter glass.
A) Poured with a finger thick head tan in color. The head settles fairly quick, leaving a creamy and semi-sticky lacing. Dark mahogany body.
S) Robust caramel and toffee malt aromas. Hints of raisin, apple and plums. The alcohol potency lingers just below the surface.
T) Caramel, toffee, and alcohol from the get go ... wow! The malts mellow leaving dark fruits and the alcohol. In the finish, a subtle citrus nip mixed with light caramel and an earthy alcohol taste.
M) Slightly syrupy. Full body. Light fizz. Alcohol effervescence.
D) Another great brew from CBC. A slow drinker due to the ABV but still a tasty bugger.
May 02, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Enjoyed at the barley wine festival. Reviewed from notes. 2011 vintage in Blantons

A - Poured into a snifter a hazy dark chestnut hue, thin head that fades to leave a light thin halo.

S - Aromas of big dark fruits, raisins, leather, bourbon, nice caramel, light barrel and vanilla.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, good raisins, earthy, nice bourbon, good caramel, vanilla, very nice sweetness balanced by oak. Nice dark fruit and leather.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, creamy mouthfeel, alcohol hidden well.

O - Overall this was a well crafted to the style with great bourbon notes. Well done.

Serving Type: On Tap
Jan 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

May 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kmlund from Massachusetts

Feb 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Jslay013 from Massachusetts

Jan 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Gushue3 from Massachusetts

Nov 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by lucas1801 from Massachusetts

Jul 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by chugalug06 from Colorado

Mar 11, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by pcarney8 from Virginia

Feb 08, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Reagan1984 from Massachusetts

Feb 02, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by ctrevino from Indiana

Feb 02, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Jason from Massachusetts

Jan 31, 2013
Photo of woosterbill
Reviewed by woosterbill from Kentucky

3.76/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On-tap at the brewpub.

A: Cloudy plum body, only a thin ring of tan head. Average.

S: Huge bourbon presence - whisky, vanilla, oak, and spice. Some almost tart dark fruit underneath. Excellent.

T: Opens with gigantic whiskey - rather raw - and closes with lots of fruit: figs, grapes, strawberries. Hugely boozy finish. Harsh, but flavorful as hell.

M: Lively , almost spiky medium-full body. A bit much.

O: As much as I enjoy big bourbon-barrel Old Ales, this one was just over the top - too fruity, too boozy, not terribly well integrated. Still enjoyable to drink due to its abundance of flavor, but not as good as many other examples of the style.

Cheers!
Jan 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by aorloski from Massachusetts

Jan 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Auror from Massachusetts

Jan 09, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by GuidedByBill from Massachusetts

May 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by PEIhop from Massachusetts

Jan 27, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by Pahn from New York

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of ngeunit1
Reviewed by ngeunit1 from Massachusetts

4.32/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Beer is a hazy ruby red-brown color with a finger of off-white head. The head fades down super sow leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is full of dark fruits, brown sugar, and oak. There is also just a touch of subtle hops and lots of rich caramel.

T - Starts out with lots of rich dark fruit flavor and rich caramel. There is also some brown sugar as well. Through the middle, stronger dark fruits and some oak and vanilla flavors come through. The finish is a mix of rich caramel and dark fruit with a bit of booze that lingers.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer feels thick and kind of syrupy. The beer also warms the mouth as it finishes from the booze.

D - Very drinkable. Heavy, rich, and complex, but still very well balanced. The booze and barrel flavors are nicely mixed in.
Jun 13, 2011
Photo of axeman9182
Reviewed by axeman9182 from New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
On tap at CBC 6/3 (and again 6/5). This one was served in a snifter.

Bad Knees pours a deep brown color that's reminiscent of tobacco. There's about two fingers of khaki colored head that dissipates rather slowly and leaves some thick rings of lace clinging to the glass. The nose is a malt lover's paradise, it's redolent of brown sugar, vanilla, and marshmallows. The flavor takes all that and manages to up the ante. There are additions of toffee and a wonderfully delicate note of bourbon. Maybe it's the integration of the brown sugar, but the marshmallow flavors tastes slightly toasted. I'm a sucker for English Barleywines and Old Ales, and this one has easily the best flavor of any I've tried. I'd give it a 6 out of 5 if I could. The only chink in the beer's armor is the mouthfeel. The body isn't as rich and full as I'd like to see from such a big, malty beer. At the same time the carbonation is a bit too much, actually becoming a minor distraction at times from all the wonderful things this beer has going on. Despite the mouthfeel issues, Bad Knees is one of my absolute favorite beers, and one I can only hope CBC decides to bottle at some point in the future.
Jun 12, 2011
Bad Knees Blanton Barrel Aged Old Ale from Cambridge Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 28 ratings