Blunderbuss Barleywine
Cambridge Brewing Company

Blunderbuss BarleywineBlunderbuss Barleywine
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From:
Cambridge Brewing Company
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
Ranked #72
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,120
Avg:
4.26 | pDev: 7.98%
Reviews:
58
Ratings:
151
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 28, 2024
Added:
May 10, 1999
Wants:
  98
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Mikeluzzjr:
Photo of Mikeluzzjr
Rated by Mikeluzzjr from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -6.1%

Oct 25, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.4 by liquorpig from Massachusetts

Jan 28, 2024
Photo of Sheppard
Reviewed by Sheppard from Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This review is for the 2022 version of the beer. Pours a medium brown like an apple cider color (the juice, not the hard cider). Ther's caramel, vanilla, char, cinnamon. It's a little hot right out of the gates. Melds together like a boozy burnt brûlée'd marshmallow. It's nice but time might do it good.
Jan 29, 2022
Photo of CHickman
Reviewed by CHickman from New York

4.16/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours almost opaque reddish brown color with a small tan head that faded quickly and left basically zero lacing. About what I expected from an oak barrel aged barleywine.

Smells and tastes of caramel, charred oak, molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, butterscotch, bourbon, dark fruit like rotting grapes and cherries, then the flavors amp up and include malt like syrup soaked bread, piney notes, orange peel, raisins, floral hops, mild spicy aspects and dark rum as it trails off.

It’s quite boozy with the vanilla and dark fruit lingering after each sip, blending with the sweet malts and toasted oak. Pretty complex in every way, but the 12.75% ABV listed on the bottle never lets up. It’s the type of beer that might develop differently in every bottle, which is what makes it exciting but a roll of the dice.
Jan 28, 2022
 
Rated: 4.15 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

Jul 12, 2021
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Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
supplied via a meet the brewer exchange that I was friends with the brewer
[pours a red hued amber body with good off white head
aroma has hints of lime
the flavour has that nod towards butterscotch booze with citrus hoppiness
Jan 30, 2021
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.34/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From the shorty corked bottle in a snifter. This nice little barley wine
pours a murky and muddled orange tinged dark brown with light
tea highlights and a modest head of white foam that settles to a
thick ring, and a thin light film. Nose of spicy hops, citrus elements
of orange zest, touches of golden raisin, light brown sugar, and herbal
notes of pine. Flavors hit a better note with pine, oak, vanilla, light
brown sugar, dates, figs, and orange zest. Nice mouth feel; medium
body, smooth, rich, warming, low carbonation, and a medium dry
finish showing notes of cherry (!?!) and citrus.

Overall, a very nice barley wine worthy of laying down for a few years.

Cheers
Oct 05, 2020
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Pours cloudy maroon red with a creamy khaki colored foam head. Smells super concentrated, absolutely rich and amazing, notes of dark jammy berries, grape bubblegum, fresh figs, black cherry, plum, dark dried fruits, prune, caramel malts galore, dark caramel, toffee, toasted brown bread, molasses, hints of chocolate, vanilla, coconut, marshmallow, oak barrel, rye whiskey, with some earthy herbal hops. Tastes dark, roasty and fruity with notes of concord grape, dark berries, fig, black cherry, plum, prune, raisin, dark dried fruits, roasted caramel malts, some chocolate, toasted brown bread, dark caramel, dark toffee, molasses, char, vanilla, coconut, marshmallow, oak barrel, rye whiskey, grainy spice, with some earthy herbal hops. Feels medium bodied, slick with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a really nice barrel aged barleywine.
Jun 29, 2020
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This is the 2019 vintage, Union horse reserve bourbon barrel finish. On tap at Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, MA.

This smells like honey malt, toffee, spicy oak, port, bourbon, biscuits, raisin, caramel, and a slight hop character.

This has a bit of similar feel to JW Lee's, with that honey/port/maple syrup/caramel type tones. It's got a pretty sweet backbone, but the spicy oak and bourbon reign that sweetness in. There's a touch of warming booze as well. It feels very old school, and very well done in general.

This is medium bodied, just a touch syrupy, but it finishes surprisingly dry on the back end, due to the barrel character.

I've been curious about trying this beer for a while now, and it's an impressive and under-the-radar barleywine for sure.
Feb 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3.99 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Feb 10, 2020
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium to dark reddish orange with a fine, one finger khaki head with great retention and thick lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, fresh and dried plums, raisins, dates and cherry. Flavor is dry caramel and mildly biscuit malt, dates, figs, mild plum, oak and whiskey. Finishes with rich biscuit and caramel, a bit dry. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A beautifully brewed English barleywine that has elements of both the dark fruit styles and the biscuit ones. Richly malty with nice barrel notes of oak and whiskey; well balanced. This bottle is listed as 12.5%, which is well covered. Excellent and well made.
Mar 08, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by VelvetExtract from Massachusetts

Jan 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.14 by Prost76 from New Hampshire

Jan 04, 2019
Photo of mike22ne
Reviewed by mike22ne from Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a bottle, 2018 vintage fresh from the brewpub.

Looks sub-par, opaque brown with no head.
Excellent smell and taste, lots of caramel toffee, biscuit dough and sweet honey and toast. A bit of dark earthy herbal hops, but this is a big malty beer. A good subtle touch of rye whiskey from the barrels.
Feels is full bodied, medium heavy, strong but well rounded in depth of flavors. Very low carbonation and some warmth but the alcohol is well hidden. Some dry oak in the finish, leaves me wanting another sip.
Overall really delicious, a fantastic beer for sipping on a cold winter's night.

Glad I could have some, will be worth getting more!
Dec 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by shelby415 from Oregon

Oct 21, 2018
Photo of jbertsch
Reviewed by jbertsch from Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25
Cork and cage bottle poured completely flat. Aroma and flavor were still nice though. Lots of toffee with hints of caramel, peaty cherry, bread and more.
Oct 13, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by unclekeith from Alaska

Sep 18, 2018
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass.

Color and appearances seem to hit on a lighter and murky shade. Copper muted, closer towards orange than dark expected browns, but a nice touch of copper orange if a bit muddy. Minimal head creation, faint tan possibly, and a small flat top, slightly slick.

Very impressive aroma. Bursts of marmalade and sticky syrup aromas. Jam like touches of citrus and caramel rich toffee. Hints a little bit of herbality to this as well which compliments the marmalade quality so nicely. Flirts with darker fruits such as plum and raisin too, and a bit of possible Amerian hop expresssion?

Oak aging may have not contributed too much in mouthfeel, but it sure seems to hit with dominant flavors. Richly fruit forward and a soft caramel mixed warmth, with a light texture. Simple malt backbone, not too supportive but enough to get by, and doesn't seem to carry much of an oak quality. However, the mid palate is rich in plum, cherry, and orange marmalade qualities, with an excellent sweet not overbearing toffee flavor.

Pretty solid barleywine, flirting and going between American and English flavors too. Fun times!
Apr 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by wshinevar from Massachusetts

Apr 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Mar 31, 2018
Blunderbuss Barleywine from Cambridge Brewing Company
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 151 ratings