Boughs of Barley 2020: Portuguese Sherry
Cape May Brewing Company
- From:
- Cape May Brewing Company
- New Jersey, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Quadrupel (Quad)
- ABV:
- 12.6%
- Score:
- +8 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.31 | pDev: 0.93%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 2
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 16, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 09, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey
4.27/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
**
08/16/2025
Bottle to snifter.
LOOK: dark mahogany color, medium beige head, very good retention. Beautiful looking beer.
AROMA: black cherry, fig, fruitcake, red wine, touch of cinnamon,
TASTE: cherry, ginger, cola, wood, leather, fig.
FEEL: medium body, very good carbonation, a touch dry,
very good beer, almost 5 years of age is probably appropriate. Great Job, Cape May!
**
Aug 16, 202508/16/2025
Bottle to snifter.
LOOK: dark mahogany color, medium beige head, very good retention. Beautiful looking beer.
AROMA: black cherry, fig, fruitcake, red wine, touch of cinnamon,
TASTE: cherry, ginger, cola, wood, leather, fig.
FEEL: medium body, very good carbonation, a touch dry,
very good beer, almost 5 years of age is probably appropriate. Great Job, Cape May!
**
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania
4.34/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Cape May Brewing Co. "Boughs of Barley Portuguese Sherry Barrel-Aged"
25.4 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, capped and waxed. Simply labeled "WINTER 2020". Sampled on 3 January 2022.
$14.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a very dark brown, almost black body beneath a short head of tan foam that steadily settles. It's opaque, and when held to the light you can see that it's fairly cloudy - I should have probably let this sit in the fridge for a few days longer, although the other version of this beer put in at the same time was mostly clear. The aroma is, not surprisingly, a little Sherry-like. It's sweet and caramelish with some soft, dried dark fruit, a flicker of alcohol, and just a slight bit of wood. The flavor delivers some fresher, clearer fruit (red berries, apple, cherry) upfront before the dark dried fruits take over across the middle. I'm going to go with fig, raisin, and date. The caramel supports the fruitiness, and there's some chocolate to it as well. There's a touch of spiciness to it that includes a little bit of clove. It's not as sweet as I thought it would be given the aroma. It's not that bitter either given the richness of the malt but it's definitely there. It finishes with the malt fading, some lingering fruitiness, and then a spicy, herbal, and earthy dryness once everything has settled. In the mouth it's medium-full in body and gently crisp with a very fine-bubbled carbonation. I can't help but believe that this would be a great quadruple without the Sherry barrel aging (actually, they're called puncheons), but this is really something special. It's quite complex without everything jumping aggresively into your face. This would make a great after-dinner drink or night cap - anytime you want something that's got enough flavor that you can just sip at it and enjoy it over a span of time.
Jan 03, 202225.4 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, capped and waxed. Simply labeled "WINTER 2020". Sampled on 3 January 2022.
$14.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a very dark brown, almost black body beneath a short head of tan foam that steadily settles. It's opaque, and when held to the light you can see that it's fairly cloudy - I should have probably let this sit in the fridge for a few days longer, although the other version of this beer put in at the same time was mostly clear. The aroma is, not surprisingly, a little Sherry-like. It's sweet and caramelish with some soft, dried dark fruit, a flicker of alcohol, and just a slight bit of wood. The flavor delivers some fresher, clearer fruit (red berries, apple, cherry) upfront before the dark dried fruits take over across the middle. I'm going to go with fig, raisin, and date. The caramel supports the fruitiness, and there's some chocolate to it as well. There's a touch of spiciness to it that includes a little bit of clove. It's not as sweet as I thought it would be given the aroma. It's not that bitter either given the richness of the malt but it's definitely there. It finishes with the malt fading, some lingering fruitiness, and then a spicy, herbal, and earthy dryness once everything has settled. In the mouth it's medium-full in body and gently crisp with a very fine-bubbled carbonation. I can't help but believe that this would be a great quadruple without the Sherry barrel aging (actually, they're called puncheons), but this is really something special. It's quite complex without everything jumping aggresively into your face. This would make a great after-dinner drink or night cap - anytime you want something that's got enough flavor that you can just sip at it and enjoy it over a span of time.
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