Seasonal Beer on Tap

The following beers are currently available. Also check out our always-available House Beers and Tuesday's Cask Special.

2011 Blunderbuss Barleywine

Barleywine aged in Port and Sherry barrels

Barleywines are generally the strongest style of ale, with an alcohol content to rival most wines. In fact, it is this high alcohol content coupled with extensive aging which contributes to the very complex nature of our Blunderbuss. A beverage such as this is meant to be savored and appreciated much like a fine brandy or cognac, or, in the world of wine, a fortified sherry or vintage port. (But a barleywine is all beer!)

The process of creating this year’s barleywine began last April by cramming our mash tun to overflowing with American and Scottish pale malts. We then extracted only the richest first runnings from the mash and boiled extensively to further concentrate the sugars in the wort. During the boil a touch of honey was added to the kettle, along with six varieties of hops to provide balance for the sweet malt. Fermented in stainless it was then sent to the CBC Barrel Cellar where it aged for 10 months in a quintet of Tawny Port barrels and one seriously big Oloroso Sherry barrel.

The result is well worth this painstaking ordeal. A creamy, pale tan head rests atop this beautiful, hazy golden liquid. Captured within the rim of a snifter, the first aromas to greet the nose are of alcohol’s fruity esters, then rich caramel and sweet malt. As it warms, more distinguishable notes of burnt sugar, toffee, and fruit are detectable. The flavor more than meets the prelude of aromas. Its rich, full body contains notes of sweet caramel, tart flavors of grapes, berries and dried fruit, and a subtle herbal hoppiness. This is finished by warming alcohol and a lingering finish with hints of sherry, toasted nuts, and port. This ultimate after-dinner drink pairs well with many desserts, but is also certainly a dessert in and of itself.

CHEERS!

OG: 1.120   FG: 1.020   ABV: 13.0%

3 LOCO!

Because if it was 4 LOKO, it would be illegal!

Our latest beer release is a barrel-aged, Belgian-influenced strong golden ale, brewed in the Tripel style. It is refermented in sauvignon blanc barrels with naturally occurring Brettanomyces in the famous CBC Barrel Cellar.

The combination of subtle white wine and oak characters compliments the tropical fruitiness and illusive spicy notes contributed by our wild yeast friend.

Belgian pilsner and aromatic malts provide a full body but dry finish. Highly complex but eminently drinkable, and ultimately - legal.

Cheers!

OG: 1.080   FG: 1.008   ABV: 9.5%

Banryu Ichi

Experimental Beer/Sake hybrid

There is an old saying in Japan, “There are ten thousand ways to make sake.” (Sake zukuri banryu or 酒作り万流.)
CBC is very proud to introduce number ten thousand and one. Banryu Ichi (10,001 ways in Japanese) is an experimental brew that straddles the line between beer and sake.

Produced in collaboration with our good friend and local sake brewer Todd Bellomy of BostonSake.com, this has been one of the most interesting and labor-intensive beers ever to come out of CBC.

We began in January by spending many cold, windy days in the alley behind the brewery, steaming rice in small batches to brew what became 100 gallons of pure sake. Sake is produced by multiple parallel fermentation: polished rice is converted from starch to sugar by a fungus called Koji (Aspergillus oryzae) and fermentation is taken care of by sake yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae kyokai). After two weeks of fermentation this batch of sake (the largest batch of sake ever made in New England) was destined to become the starter (called moto) for our beer.

Next we brewed a mere six barrels of the craziest beer wort ever. Pale barley malt and flaked rice went into the mash, and after extracting only the first runnings we added a significant amount of brown rice syrup. This yielded a wort of 31*P/1.124SG, or in other words, some really thick, sticky stuff! The wort was sent to the fermenter and then, with fingers crossed, we pumped over the entire batch of still-fermenting sake including the yeast, Koji, and lots of rice slurry. Fermentation was slow and low at 50*F for six weeks, followed by cold-conditioning until it reached 14%abv!

Incredibly complex aromas and flavors abound, including sweet rice, fresh apples and wine grapes, hints of earth and mushroom from the koji, and as it warms further notes of fennel, herbs, and an almost Belgian-yeast spiciness. Brilliant copper-colored, it is full in body despite its very dry finish. This is one to be sipped, savored, and contemplated, as it is perhaps the most unique fermented beverage in the American craft beer world.

Banryu Ichi is served with intentionally very low carbonation in a 5oz. glass set inside a Masu, a traditional cedar sake cup.

Kampai!

OG: 1.124/31.0*P   FG: 1.003   ABV: 14.0%

Bitchin’ Bitter

Brewed in honor of CBC Brewer Darryl Goss and in support of 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. After an extremely long fight, Darryl passed away on April 24.
For every pint of Bitchin’ Bitter, first created by Darryl in 1991, CBC will donate 50 cents to support the ALS Therapy Development Institute, right here in Kendall Square, Cambridge.

Bitchin’ Bitter has a warm, toasty maltiness reminiscent of English biscuits with a subtle note of sweet but dry dark caramel.  Hopped throughout with Glacier hops, 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. It is deep amber in color and served unfiltered and unfined, 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.

Raise a glass in honor of our brother, Darryl Goss!

Cheers!
Your friendly neighborhood brewers at CBC

For more information on ALS-TDI:
http://www.als.net/

Thanks for your support!

OG: 1.042   FG: 1.009   ABV: 4.3%

Brett Grisette

Saison with Brettanomyces

A complex grist of organic pilsner and wheat malts, organic oats, rye, and raw buckwheat all contributed fresh grainy flavors, balanced by Spalt and Hallertauer hops in what would have been a more tan serviceable saison.

However, after four months of barrel aging it has been reborn from chrysalis to butterfly, refermenting with two unique strains of Brettanomyces. A full 300 gallons of this beer was inoculated with Brettanomyces bruxellensis drei and Brettanomyces custercianus, which lend incredible tropical fruit notes of pineapple, guava, and passionfruit as well as green apple and lemony citrus flavors to this very dry, slightly tart ale.

Amazingly complex, well-carbonated, light and bright and very drinkable, we look forward to more limited-release expressions from these two lovely little yeasts. Thanks to our good friend Chad Yakobson of Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project in Colorado and author of The Brettanomyces Project for sharing these two incredible yeast strains with us!

Cheers!

The CBC Brew Crew

OG: 1.038   FG: 1.004   ABV: 4.0%

Rye and Punishment!

Rye malt I.P.A.

Symbolic of Raskolnikov’s inner struggle with ideological intoxication, eventual surrender, and acceptance of his fate, Rye and Punishment begins with high notes of exceptionally floral and citrusy hops. It then descends into a classic struggle between hop and spicy malt character on the palate. Finally, the Epilogue arrives with an extreme, inescapable lingering bitterness. As Dostoyevsky’s classic deftly balances themes of Greek tragedy and Christian resurrection, so too does Rye and Punishment struggle to exact and balance the forces of malt and hops.

While Rye and Punishment makes no attempt to counteract the nefarious consequences of nihilism, utilitarianism, and rationalism according to the 19th Cen. author, it does provide a beverage to spur some good old fashioned social intercourse and debate.

Na zdorovje!

OG: 1.056   FG: 1.012   ABV: 6.5%

Spring Training I.P.A.

CBC's Spring Seasonal is here!

CBC’s “Spring Training” breezes in like a breath of fresh air, ready to awaken your senses from a long, strange winter. Crafted of New England-grown pale and wheat malts to contribute to the beer’s complex body and hazy straw-golden color.

Ahtanum and Palisades hops, both relative newcomers on the hop varietal scene, were chosen for their essence of wildflowers and freshly-cut grass, evocative of floral springtime breezes. This is in contrast to the piney, earthy and resiny characteristics of most IPAs. But don’t worry that these “pretty” hops won’t deliver a strong punch- in addition to extensive kettle hopping the beer is dry-hopped with even more Ahtanums to satisfy your hop craving.

OG: 1.058   FG: 1.010   ABV: 6.3%%

Weekapaug Gruit

A modern take on a medieval, unhopped, herbal beer.

NOW AVAILABLE IN 22OZ. BOTTLES AT CBC AND THROUGHOUT MASSACHUSETTS!!!!!

Produced for centuries, long before the use of hops, Gruit (pronounced “grew-it” or “groot”) was what beer was throughout the Middle Ages.

Our contemporary interpretation of gruit is brewed with malted barley, wheat, and oats, and fermented with our Belgian yeast. It also incorporates the traditional brewing herbs sweet gale, yarrow, and wild rosemary, along with Labrador tea, licorice root and nettles, all organic and wildcrafted.

This full-bodied, deep amber ale has a pleasant herbal tea-like aroma and flavor balanced by rich malt character, followed by a satisfying, dry finish and a hint of tartness. So whether you’re enjoying it with phriends or with phamily, we’re all sharin’ in the Weekapaug Gruit!

Available in 22oz. bottles at CBC and better beer stores throughout Massachusetts beginning April 10th!

Note: Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consider avoiding consumption of this beer due to the mild medicinal nature of the herbs used in crafting this beer. Please consult Hygieia: A Woman’s Herbal by Jeannine Paravati or Stephen Harrod Buhner’s excellent book, Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers.

OG: 1.052   FG: 1.010   ABV: 5.5%