-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Old Knucklehead Barleywine
BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub
- From:
- BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 9.2%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 3.96 | pDev: 11.87%
- Reviews:
- 100
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 07, 2019
- Added:
- Dec 16, 1998
- Wants:
- 44
- Gots:
- 25
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Darkmagus82:
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas
3.23/5 rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
3.23/5 rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Poured from bottle into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a deep amber color with a tiny head of white foam. The head fades super fast leaving almost no lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the beer consists of a mix of a sweet and hoppy smells. The strongest of the aromas is that off a caramel smell, which is mixed with some fruity smells of raisin and plum. The hoppy smells are mainly herbal and earthy in nature, with these aromas all mixing with a decently strong boozy oak smell producing a rather moderately hopped and boozy aroma overall.
Taste – The taste begins a mix of sweet and hop as was depicted in the nose. Some caramel and a little bit of molasses are the forefront of the sweet and are mixed with a hint of apple and raisin at the start. Along with the sweet, is a little bit of hop, with it mainly of an earthy and herbal nature. The two hop flavors grow stronger and stronger as the taste advances to the end and are joined by a decent boozy taste. The boozy taste begins initially as a more warming vodka flavor, with it taking on more and more oak and sharp booze as the taste gets to the end. With the sweet fading a little bit and slight increase in the maltiness, one is left with a rather boozy, harsh, and somewhat sharply hopped barleywine flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is quite thin for a barleywine of 9.2% with a carbonation level that is on the slightly higher side. A thicker body and lower carbonation would have certainly been better for the style and made for a more flavorful and less boozy tasting brew overall.
Overall – Not really one I enjoyed too much. The hops were OK, but the oaky and harsh booze mixed with a little bit of sweetness at the end really took away from the beer as they just did not meld very well. For those reasons and the rather poor mouthfeel, the brew make for one that I will not frequent too often.
Apr 01, 2015Appearance – The beer pours a deep amber color with a tiny head of white foam. The head fades super fast leaving almost no lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the beer consists of a mix of a sweet and hoppy smells. The strongest of the aromas is that off a caramel smell, which is mixed with some fruity smells of raisin and plum. The hoppy smells are mainly herbal and earthy in nature, with these aromas all mixing with a decently strong boozy oak smell producing a rather moderately hopped and boozy aroma overall.
Taste – The taste begins a mix of sweet and hop as was depicted in the nose. Some caramel and a little bit of molasses are the forefront of the sweet and are mixed with a hint of apple and raisin at the start. Along with the sweet, is a little bit of hop, with it mainly of an earthy and herbal nature. The two hop flavors grow stronger and stronger as the taste advances to the end and are joined by a decent boozy taste. The boozy taste begins initially as a more warming vodka flavor, with it taking on more and more oak and sharp booze as the taste gets to the end. With the sweet fading a little bit and slight increase in the maltiness, one is left with a rather boozy, harsh, and somewhat sharply hopped barleywine flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is quite thin for a barleywine of 9.2% with a carbonation level that is on the slightly higher side. A thicker body and lower carbonation would have certainly been better for the style and made for a more flavorful and less boozy tasting brew overall.
Overall – Not really one I enjoyed too much. The hops were OK, but the oaky and harsh booze mixed with a little bit of sweetness at the end really took away from the beer as they just did not meld very well. For those reasons and the rather poor mouthfeel, the brew make for one that I will not frequent too often.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Lingenbrau from Oregon
3.95/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
.............................
2019 edition from a crowler.
Beautiful mahogany color with excellent clarity. The garnet highlights and thin khaki foam only add to the luster. That foam quickly dissipates leaving no trace.
Raisin and figs galore with suggestions of molasses, cherry syrup, and oak.
More of a prune juice approach in flavor. Light mulling spice, orange peel, Concord grapes and the slightest touch of wood imaginable.
A tad thin on the body and lacking in carbonation, which actually makes this quite drinkable. One the sweet side, with a good masking if alcohol, giving the overall impression more of an English than American style Barleywine, in my opinion.
A fine Barleywine. Maybe not the best, but certainly a classic. Another that will be missed from Bridgeport.
Cheers.
Mar 10, 20192019 edition from a crowler.
Beautiful mahogany color with excellent clarity. The garnet highlights and thin khaki foam only add to the luster. That foam quickly dissipates leaving no trace.
Raisin and figs galore with suggestions of molasses, cherry syrup, and oak.
More of a prune juice approach in flavor. Light mulling spice, orange peel, Concord grapes and the slightest touch of wood imaginable.
A tad thin on the body and lacking in carbonation, which actually makes this quite drinkable. One the sweet side, with a good masking if alcohol, giving the overall impression more of an English than American style Barleywine, in my opinion.
A fine Barleywine. Maybe not the best, but certainly a classic. Another that will be missed from Bridgeport.
Cheers.
Reviewed by pianoguy from Washington
3.9/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
(17th edition)
22 oz bottle. No bottling info
Pours a dark amber/mahogany body that was slightly hazy. A light tan head dissipated after a few minutes. Some thin lacing
Smells sweet and malty at first pour. This settles down to a health whiff of funky yeast, along with a little oak. Interestingly I'm not getting much scent of the (9.20) alcohol
Taste follows the smell with these exceptions; The oak and the alcohol are much more pronounced.
Medium, almost full feel
Overall. Not bad ! Somewhere between a lighter barleywine and a boozy winter warmer.
Feb 19, 201722 oz bottle. No bottling info
Pours a dark amber/mahogany body that was slightly hazy. A light tan head dissipated after a few minutes. Some thin lacing
Smells sweet and malty at first pour. This settles down to a health whiff of funky yeast, along with a little oak. Interestingly I'm not getting much scent of the (9.20) alcohol
Taste follows the smell with these exceptions; The oak and the alcohol are much more pronounced.
Medium, almost full feel
Overall. Not bad ! Somewhere between a lighter barleywine and a boozy winter warmer.
Reviewed by Tone from Missouri
3.42/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear, mahogany. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of sweet malt, alcohol, yeast, liquor, and slight wood. Fits the style of an American Barleywine. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level and a noticeable bitterness. Tastes of sweet malt, alcohol, yeast, liquor, strong hops, and slight wood. Overall, strong body, liquor dominated body and aroma, and weak appearance.
Aug 17, 2016Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
3.92/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22oz bottle Poured a dark amber color with a small, off-white head of fluffy foam. Sweet caramel and toffee aromas are followed up by piney notes. A combo of sweet and bitter. Toffee, caramel and butterscotch flavors with a bite of piney bitterness.
Aug 05, 2016Reviewed by Jeffsta1 from Washington
3.89/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.89/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Nice, dark amber color. Pale tan head with distinct goldenrod tinge.
Mild nose. Sweet malt, slightly funky.
Taste is a nice balance of malt, sweetness, and some bitterness. More balanced and old-school than many newer barleywines that aim to be loud and over the top.
Mouthfeel is moderately rich, viscous. Perhaps just a tiny bit more carbonation than I'd prefer. But, nice.
On the whole, this is a nicely integrated beer, many good qualities, that I just don't love. Maybe better with food - this is almost surely more food-friendly than many bigger barleywines.
Jul 19, 2016Mild nose. Sweet malt, slightly funky.
Taste is a nice balance of malt, sweetness, and some bitterness. More balanced and old-school than many newer barleywines that aim to be loud and over the top.
Mouthfeel is moderately rich, viscous. Perhaps just a tiny bit more carbonation than I'd prefer. But, nice.
On the whole, this is a nicely integrated beer, many good qualities, that I just don't love. Maybe better with food - this is almost surely more food-friendly than many bigger barleywines.
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.47/5 rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.47/5 rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Hits those brown and dark red notes with a noticeable degree of sediment/solid particulate floating around. is it yeast? Aroma imparted caramel sweetness and a little bit of cascade hoppiness.
Came off like an imperial winter warmer. Dark fruit like bitterness enhanced by the hopping. Some woody malt tones bringing in toffee notes to balance the caramel. Malting isn't super heavy. Prolly thinner than your average barleywine.
Apr 19, 2016Came off like an imperial winter warmer. Dark fruit like bitterness enhanced by the hopping. Some woody malt tones bringing in toffee notes to balance the caramel. Malting isn't super heavy. Prolly thinner than your average barleywine.
Reviewed by josephandbrown from Oregon
4.18/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
22oz bomber pour into a shaker pint glass.
Old Knucklehead pours a surprisingly light-colored amber for the style. It's still darkish, but quite a lot lighter than I expected. It has a decent though smallish head. The aromas are light; I get more from the smell after a sip. Flavorwise, it is quite nice. There are heavy notes of oak and malt, and just a little bitterness in the aftertaste to balance it out. Knucklehead is nicely carbonated, and has an overall thick feel to it.
This is easily Bridgeport's best beer, and I get excited every year when they release it.
Jan 01, 2016Old Knucklehead pours a surprisingly light-colored amber for the style. It's still darkish, but quite a lot lighter than I expected. It has a decent though smallish head. The aromas are light; I get more from the smell after a sip. Flavorwise, it is quite nice. There are heavy notes of oak and malt, and just a little bitterness in the aftertaste to balance it out. Knucklehead is nicely carbonated, and has an overall thick feel to it.
This is easily Bridgeport's best beer, and I get excited every year when they release it.
Old Knucklehead Barleywine from BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
224 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!