Seasonal Beers On Tap Now
CBC’s Barrel-aged Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout is a variety of British stout brewed considerably richer and stronger than the norm. Originally crafted for export to czarist Russia, Catherine the Great, among others, was a known enthusiast. It is rich, roasty, strong, smooth, and dark, dark, dark. This expression of YouEnjoyMyStout was brewed in March 2008, and has since whiled away the days in a quintet of American bourbon barrels. The complexities added by tannins, oxidation, and oak character complement the malt notes of caramel, bitter chocolate, and espresso-roast, finishing with a long, alcohol-tinged palate.
OG:1.096 FG:1.016 ABV:10.5%
This isn’t the beer you are looking for.
The brewers at CBC have not created a new beer called
Jedi Mind Trick.
It is not a hoppy expression of Belgian tripel.
Nor is it a Belgian strong golden with plenty of American hops.
It does not have a balanced, clean malty palate,
floral-spicy hop aroma, subtle fruitiness
from their proprietary yeast strain.
No crisp carbonation or creamy head.
This isn’t the beer you’re looking for.
There is nothing to see here.
You can go about your business.
Move along.
OG: 1.067 FG: 1.010 ABV: 7.5%
When we brewed Benevolence the first time, nearly ten years ago, we were treading some seriously untrodden ground with an altogether new and unique beer, and we caused quite a stir. Since then the craft beer-loving public has become more familiar with barrel-aged beers, blended beers, sour beers, etc., and we’ve dramatically expanded our barrel cellar and our production of, shall we say, challenging beers to greater acclaim.
Of course, when we burned all production notes for this beer in a fit of artistic pique, we failed to foresee years of requests for us to do it again. Nor did we imagine how appropriate it would be to attempt to reproduce it in honor of our 20th Anniversary. With more than a little bit of nostalgia, I’ve included the original production and tasting notes for your enjoyment. Cheers! ~Will
This is certainly a strange one…
An altogether new and unique creation in the world of beer, Benevolence combines the age-old traditions of Belgian lambic blending, Flanders sour ales, wild fermentations, and barrel-aged English strong ales with new American ingenuity and a penchant for the bizarre.
A very strong wort made with 8 different malts, aged hops, Belgian candi sugar, and organic black raisins was fermented with multiple yeast strains in stainless steel, then racked into used bourbon casks. Barrel fermentation was sparked by the addition of dates, fresh sour cherries, and raw local honey, which left a dry, puckering tartness in the finish. After three years aging silently in the wood, this intentionally soured beer was blended with a young strong ale, and Benevolence was born.
Deep raisiny brown, the nose exhibits fresh dates, brown bread, oak, and subtle sherry-like oxidation. On the palate, soft carbonation, sweet raisin/fig/dates, a touch of herbal honey, oak, vanilla, and the slightest hint of maple lead to a rich but slightly tart finish with the characterof well-aged madeira wine.
OG: 1.114 FG: 1.018 ABV: 12.6%
Q: What’s cloudy, spicy, fruity but dry, with a spritzy effervessence?
A: CBC’s HefeWeizen! For the uninitiated in this intriguing
summertime seasonal offering, here’s the lowdown :
Hefe Weizen (pronounced heffeh-vite-zen) is a traditional wheat beer from Southern Germany. Its 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.
HefeWeizen 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:1.050 FG:1.008 ABV:5.5%
Two questions may have already arisen as you begin this reading; first, what is an Arquebus and second, what is a “summer barleywine?”
Well, this’ll be easier than you thought, and completely painless, I promise.
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.
Ok then. What, you continue to wonder, 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 apiarists Mike Graney and Dan Geere, plus white wine grapes of the varieties Viognier and Gewurtztraminer.
Our 2009 release is at once light and drinkable yet it boasts significant body, and it is almost syrupy smooth in texture without being cloying. Arquebus’ deep golden mien contains beautiful, 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.
Aged for eighteen months 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 concentrates notes of fruit.
OG: 1.100/25.0*P FG: 1.016/4.0*P ABV:11.0%
Once again a beer appears which firmly expresses your iconoclastic brewers’ commitment to fly in the face of tradition,
and boldly mess up the mainstream.
Cerise Cassée is a complex beer in both process and palate.
It begins with a unique, 3-day long sour mash of 100% of the malted barley. This very tart wort is barrel-fermented and aged
along with 300 pounds of sour cherries when sent downstairs
to the infamous CBC barrel cellar,
where it ages for several years in French oak wine barrels.
Throughout this mysterious process a long, slow fermentation takes place with microflora such as Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. Don’t let those things scare you, though,
because these barrels and wild beasties of beer contribute a smooth acidity and significant complexity which could otherwise not be attained by “traditional” modern brewing methods.
In the U.S. craft brewing world’s first true Solera-style fermenting and aging program, a portion of each of the Solera barrels (the oldest barrels, which contain a blend of between one and six year old beer) is blended for service annually. Beer from the Criadera (literal trans. – the nursery -barrels containing one year old beer) is blended into the Solera, and the year’s fresh production of new wort and cherries are sent down into the Criadera to begin the process anew.
The resulting tart, effervescent amber-red ale
combines aromas and flavors of sour cherries, malt,
vanilla and oak tannin, with a finish that defies description
in its funky-yet-balanced uniqueness.
Bonne chance! A la votre!
~Will Meyers, Brewmaster
OG:1.075 FG:1.010 ABV:8.5%