Seasonal Beer on Tap
The following beers are currently available. Also check out our always-available House Beers and Tuesday's Cask Special.
Aces High
Belgian amber ale with Sorachi Ace hops
The latest from your friendly neighborhood brewers, Aces High makes use of an unusual hop, Sorachi Ace. Originally grown in the Sorachi prefecture in Japan for the Sapporo Brewery, they are known for their unique aroma and flavor which features notes of lemony citrus and hints of dill.
We first used them in a collaborative brew in San Diego, with our friends from Stone Brewing Co. and Brewdog, when we brewed an imperial black pilsner called Juxtaposition in 2009. Dying to get our hands on some ever since, this time we loaded them into an amber ale with a base of Munich malt, and fermented with our house Belgian ale yeast for additional complexity of palate.
Its aroma is of complex citrus, herbs, and grass, with a clean maltiness. On the palate the interplay between rich maltiness, herbal hops, and spicy yeast character contribute a full body and nicely dry finish with lingering, I.P.A.-like bitterness.
The name? Well, we were planning on calling it The Ace of Spades, but Lemmy and Motorhead have already been covered by many a craft brewery. Instead, the nod went to Eddie and the boys from Iron Maiden, with their classic song of wartime drama and flying aces. Cheers!
Ascending and turning our spitfires to face them,
Heading straight for them I press down my guns.
Live to fly, fly to live.
Do or die, Aces high!
OG: 1.063/15.75*P FG: 1.012/3.0*P ABV: 6.75%
Arquebus
Summer Barleywine
GOLD MEDAL – EXPERIMENTAL BEERS
GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL 2008
An arquebus was a primitive firearm which came into use in the 15th Century, and was a predecessor to the musket and rifle. A smoothbore with a flared muzzle, similar but more refined and accurate than its predecessor the Blunderbuss (ah, there’s the thematic association, Blunderbuss being our winter barleywine…) it was capable of piercing the strong, full-plate armor worn into battle.
So, you must continue to wonder, what is a “Summer Barleywine?” Well, in our continuing quest to change the way people think about enjoying and understanding beer and beer styles, we have created a barleymalt-based interpretation of a dessert wine, meant to be sipped on those sultry summer evenings on our patio. It is also brewed with local Cambridge honey gathered from hives within five miles of our brewery by apiarist Mike Graney (http://www.eatlocalhoney.com), plus white wine grapes of the Semillon variety.
Our 2010 release is at once light and drinkable yet it boasts plenty of body, and is smooth despite its heroic 14%abv. Arquebus’ deep golden mien contains complex notes of peach and apricot fruit, wildflower honey, toast and coconut oakiness, and soft, tannin-hinted, white grape notes. Malolactic fermentation in the barrel adds a hint of acidity to balance the sweetness of this beer’s finish. It is served still, meaning without carbonation, to further showcase its winelike character.
Aged for one year in French oak chardonnay barrels acquired from the Silverado and Chateau Boswell wineries in Napa, the residual flavors contributed by the wood offer a mellowness of character not provided by stainless steel fermentation, as controlled oxidation deepens its color, enhances its rich texture, and concentrated notes of fruit.
Enjoy!
Will Meyers
Brewmaster
OG: 1.130/32.5*P FG: 1.016/4.0*P ABV: 14.0%%
Bitchin’ Bitter
Drink great beer and support former CBC Brewer Darryl Goss and ALS-TDI
Drink great beer and support former CBC Head Brewer Darryl Goss and ALS-TDI
Darryl Goss, CBC Head Brewer from 1990 thru 1996, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in February 2006.
From July 23rdh thru July 25th Team Darryl will make the 270 mile bicycle ride from Boston to New York known as the Tri-State Trek, to cure ALS and support the ALS Therapy Development Institute,
right here in Kendall Square, Cambridge. For every pint of CBC’s Bitchin’ Bitter, first created by Darryl in 1991, CBC will donate 50 cents towards Darryl and his team of riders as they participate in this year’s Tri-State Trek.
Bitchin’ Bitter has a warm, toasty maltiness reminiscent of English biscuits with a subtle note of sweet but dry dark caramel. Hopped throughout with English Fuggles, and further dryhopped with Fuggles and Cascades, its pleasant flavor of cut grass and florals, assists the finish of this ale with a firm, balanced dryness. Our house ale yeast, during its warm fermentation process, was coaxed into producing some very complex fuity esters which round out this authentic British-style session beer. Pale amber in color and served unfiltered and unfined, carbonation is also slightly lower than our other house beers in keeping with tradition. Overall this seemingly mild beer is quite complex despite its delicate character. This is an excellent session beer, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
For more information on ALS-TDI:
http://www.als.net/
For more information on the Tri-State Trek:
http://www.tristatetrek.com/
To donate to Team Darryl:
http://www.als.net/TST/Portal.aspx?teamId=76
Thanks for your support!
OG: 1.039 FG: 1.009 ABV: 4.0%
CaCow!
Chocolate Milk Stout
Chocolate milk, just like your momma used to make you. Or probably made for herself, when you had tantrums about everything from eating your vegetables to cleaning your room. This grownup version of a favorite childhood drink is likely to find a spot in your repertoire of adult comfort foods.
Sweet stouts comprise only a small percentage of the many stouts commercially available. To make these sweet stouts, grains such as oats and flaked barley are added which provide a soft and full mouthfeel as well as residual sweetness. Additionally, CaCow! is brewed with lactose, an unfermentable milk sugar (with apologies to our vegan and lactose-intolerant friends!), in the tradition of ‘milk stout.’ In the late 19th and earlier 20th centuries, doctors often (erroneously) prescribed Milk Stouts to pregnant and lactating women to aid in the production of milk for breast feeding their babies (or perhaps just to sooth their frazzled nerves). This beer was further aged with cacao nibs direct from our friends at Taza Chocolate in Somerville. Cacao nibs are not inherently sweet, they are cocoa beans that have been roasted in a manner similar to coffee beans. Instead of a sweet chocolaty flavor, they contribute a rich roasted finish. House-made vanilla extract was also used as a complement to the richness of the nibs and to balance the roast with a little extra sweetness. First formulated by CBC’s Lead Brewster, Megan Parisi. This indulgent stout won’t last long, so you’d better get some, Quick!
OG: 1.060 FG: 1.016 ABV: 5.75%
Hefe Weizen
Bavarian-style Weizenbier mit hefe
Q: What’s cloudy, spicy, fruity but dry, with a spritzy effervessence?
A: CBC’s HefeWeizen! For the uninitiated in this intriguing seasonal offering, here’s the lowdown :
Hefe Weizen (pronounced heffeh-vite-zen) is a traditional wheat beer from Southern Germany. It’s history may extend as far back as the 8th century AD, as the Weihenstephen Brewery claims brewing took place on its site in the small town of Freising, just Northeast of Munich. It was originally a Benedictine settlement in 725, and there has certainly been brewing there since 1040. Weizenbier has a truly royal heritage, as for several hundred years there existed an ordinance reserving wheat beer for the sole consumption of the royal family.
It is above all an excellent summer drink, as its refreshing, crisp palate and high carbonation are exceptional on a hot, sunny day. It is brewed with as much as 50% or more malted wheat, in addition to the usual barley malt, and has a very low hopping rate. A unique, top-fermenting German ale yeast lends a fruity acidity and clove-like spiciness to the aroma and flavor, and the yeast itself, which is not filtered out before serving, contributes to its traditionally cloudy appearance. By the way, Weisse (white) and Weizen (wheat) are two interchangeable terms in regards to naming this style, and the words mit hefe (with yeast) indicate that this is an unfiltered beer.
A Note On Lemons: Lemon, or no lemon, that is the question. Brewers being brewers, we feel that our beers stand on their own, and the addition of citrus flavoring would impede our very sensitive palates’ appreciation of this superb brew. Therefore, we would rather not, personally, see wedges of lemon afloat in our glasses of weizenbier. However, many people feel that a touch of lemon complements the refreshing character of this summertime beer, so go ahead and order your Weizen mit-lemon if you like.
We won’t hate you for it.
Much 
We intend to brew our HefeWeizen frequently enough to keep it available all summer long, through Labor Day, since we’re just slaves to popular demand.
OG: 1052 FG: 1008 ABV: 5.75%
The Colonel
Barrel-Aged “Wild” Porter
Release Date: Tuesday, June 08, 2010
This wild, slightly sour porter has been aged over eighteen months in American oak barrels from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. These barrels are home to various strains of Brettanomyces from previous batches - wild yeasts often found in aged beer. The “brett” contributes notes of fruitiness (dried cherries, cranberries), farmhouse funk, and acidity. This aged-and-blended strong porter pays homage to Colonel Albert Blanton, distillery founder, and is our modern interpretation of the ‘entire’ original porter-style beers of the eighteenth/nineteenth century. While the contribution of bourbon flavors is very slight, the wood itself has contributed smoothness with subtle notes of vanilla and charred oak rounding out the beer’s complex flavors of berry, roast, and caramel.
Its well-attenuated body and acidity remind you that this beer is not trying to fit in with modern times.
Cheers!
OG: 1.060 FG: 1.010 ABV: 6.5% %