Cambridge Brewing Arquebus

Aroma: “Whiskey barrel with apple, vanilla, oak, and a touch of earthy wet leaves is up front. Underlying beer is caramel and toffee with a hint of chocolate, squash blossom, and floral hops.” Flavor: “Rich malt with caramel, toasted coconut, and toffee comes out more in the flavor. Vanilla from the barrel sits behind the malt. Fairly sweet but not over the top. Really interesting spicy notes of chili and cinnamon emerge. The wood character is most prominent in the middle and lingers into the end, where it finishes dry. As it warms the sweetness comes out as well as the honey.” Overall: “This is a pretty textbook barrel-aged barleywine. It balances the barrel character and complex malt in a deft way. Overall, just very well executed.”

Aroma: “Moderate oak and vanilla up front with bit of peach hiding in the background. A touch of bready malt sweetness. Rich spicy phenols: clove, pepper, fenugreek (maple).” Flavor: “The flavor is bigger than the aroma with more vanilla. It comes together like a peach pie. Moderate sweetness that fades into a finish where there’s a bit of spice from the oak tannins and alcohol. A light Brett characteristic in the middle is super interesting and has a touch of horse blanket.” Overall: “Well-made beer where the barrel and the beer itself enhance each other. This beer was fun. The barrel notes of oak and vanilla blended well with the honey and fruit character of the Belgian golden ale.” Flavor: “Nice light sweetness. Notes of vanilla, slight oak, and bourbon hit up front. Sweetness is added with honey and caramel. A little chocolate. Plum, prune, and raisin follow. Finishes sweet with some alcohol heat.” Overall: “Thank you for a big decadent beer. It’s 90°F outside, but I want to have a glass of this at my fireplace. Share this one.”

__Aroma:__ “Assertive phenolics of smoke, clove, Band-Aid, and rubber, with some woodsy *Brett* and barnyard notes. These work to cut the sweetness of the dark fruit and berry notes, which come across as blueberry and grape. A touch of herbal character comes through, as well as some bready malt.” __Flavor:__ “Blueberries come through up front, with some juiciness that adds sweetness. A blend of funk and tart hit after. Interesting complexity—smoke or electrical fire phenolics, but in the best possible way. An herbal-tea like finish. Dry. Mild lactic with some nice *Brett* qualities.” __Overall:__ “A nice blend of not-too-tart lactic tartness with some of the nice Brett funk qualities in this beer. It’s very phenolic with clove, smoke, and Band-Aid overpowering the fruit a bit. Some people may be put off by the smoky phenolics, but others will find it interesting without going into objectionable intensity. The fruit adds a wonderful color.”