Sgt. Pepper - Cambridge Brewing Company

Brad007

Vermont

4.81/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Love the artwork!

Pours a beautiful golden blonde with about a 85/15 ratio. Thin head in my glass. The thought of peppercorn in a beer is enticing.

Spicy yeast meets peppercorn. Very intense aroma that draws the nose in.

It tingles the taste buds with a spicy kick enhanced by the use of peppercorn. It's literally like pouring ground black pepper into a beer. I do not mean that as a slight because it's unique.

Lingering citrus, spice and peppercorn notes. Can't forget the citrus. Oddly thirst-quenching too, which is a traditional hallmark of the style.

Highly recommended if you want something that will literally tingle the taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 19:21:01 | More by Brad007

rsgcwhite

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours light yellow with a small head. The aroma was naturally peppercorns, but also citrus notes in typical Saison fashion.

Tasting this was like biting into a heavily peppered beef jerky (fortunately, I love peppered beef jerky). Pepper dominates in a way that compliments this beer - it is, after all, a Saison, and despite the domination of the pepper flavor the quality of the beer is as unique as it is an interesting take on this style.

The spicy aftertaste lingered on a creamy mouthfeel, with very good drinkability and a dryness that is overpowered by the peppery oomph.

This is a great beer to have with anything meaty; I only wish it were bottled and widely distributed. I thought about this beer a lot; namely, I couldn't get it out of mind days after I drank my first pint. Every time I consumed pepper I was reminded this beer - in that sense, it was so unique, so surprising, that drinking this was one of my fondest beer memories.

And no, this is not a beer for everyone, but this deserves accolades to be such a damn interesting interpretation of the Saisons. Pepper Chili Lime Jerky Saisons, anyone?

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2010 19:36:01 | More by rsgcwhite

YouSkeete

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a lightly cloudy orange-hued copper with a very short white head that recedes quickly. Floral, earthy aroma with peppercorns, hops and lemon zest. The first sip begin with pale malts and pale yeast with some ground pepper in the background. Rolls into a spicy, yeasty body while soft tones of sugared fruit and honey make their way to the forefront. Medium sized body with moderate carbonation. Spicy, peppery finish, This brew is amazingly unique, especially in it's finish. Loving the spiciness.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 03:20:49 | More by YouSkeete

IBUnit63

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the CBC yesterday during the Sox' Opening Day rainout. Now that's as good a Plan B as you can hope for. Serve it up, Meat...in a tulip.

Pours a straw-golden honey color...quite a nice dry white head up top...about a finger. Mild chill haze with a fair amount of carbonation. Retention is solid and lacing is decent.

DAMN! We read that there are several varieties of peppercorns in this batch. Well, they're all firing on the same high-functioning cylinders. This is so nice and dry that the peppercorns...even the pink ones, come off as so fresh and spicy it isn't funny. Dry-hopped peppercorns? Dry rub? Only beef is that I don't get much more nose than the PCs...maybe faint wheat and light malt with a touch of yeast electricity and some Styrian Goldings straw-pine, but it's not called Sgt. Hop...

This stays true to form from the nose throughout. Fresh, raw peppercorns are the spicy star here. Core ingredients provide unobtrusive supporting cast, remaining quite clean.

Carbonations works in tandem with peppercorns to provide even spicier touch to the palate. No trace of booze or sweetness...the yeast strain cleaned it all up. Finish is crisp to say the least.

I enjoy this change-up for my favorite style. It's one filthy screwball in baseball terms yet it's not for everyone. The utterly crisp, dry and lively character of this upstart burns just a tad from the pepperiness but it's an enjoyable pain. I forget what CBC said about timing of peppercorn additions (20 and 5 with dry "hop" maybe), but they hit it perfectly. Maybe a touch out of style without the yeast electricity but this is exceptionally well-crafted and brutally enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2009 09:38:16 | More by IBUnit63

Immortale25

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter. Bottleneck says Bottled On 1/31/13.

A- Pours a medium amber color with a 1/2 inch white head that doesn't retain very long before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and random light wisps of surface foam. Lacing is non-resilient.

S- Whoa, you can really smell those peppercorns. Very peppery with some other spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Very lovely if you're a fan of these.

T- The spices hold up just as well in the flavor as I was hoping. Very unique blend of pepper, clove and nutmeg that actually creates an almost soil-like taste. A considerable capsaicin burn comes from the peppercorns. I don't get much saison characteristic out of the beer. Once again, very earthy.

M- Very sharp and tingly from the spices with medium-low carbonation and a medium body.

O- More like just a straight up herbed/spiced beer than a saison since the yeast and carbonation aren't where it should be for that style. Still, this is very tasty for people who are fans of pepper and heat. It's almost a bit too much for me since I'm a bit sensitive to capsaicin but I respect it very much for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 21:55:14 | More by Immortale25

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a brassy golden-orange color with a mild haze. The rocky white head stands at a solid three fingers and doesn't budge. Thick collars of lacing remain on the glass.

S: Incredible nose: doughy malt with a touch of chopped almonds, chalky yeast, bit of clove-like phenol, some tropical fruits (pineapple), floral/spicy hops, soft spices, potpourri, and black peppercorns.

T: Doughy malt tastes open. The Belgian yeast is chalky, vaguely spicy, and a touch fruity. Hops come through with mildly citrusy and spicy tastes of their own. Peppercorns and crushed black pepper show up on the mid-palate and build in intensity. The peppery, prickling heat reaches impressive levels. Finishes with a big peppery burn, mild floral hop tastes, and a receding chalky and fruity yeast taste.

M: Light in body. Full and fluffy in the mouth. Creamy and smooth. Great mouthfeel.

O: CBC has outdone themselves this time. This is not a gimmick. The base beer would be an excellent saison in its own right. While the pepper is the main focus of the beer, it plays off of the saison beneath quite nicely. I hope they turn this into a year-round release. It's one hell of a food beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 22:32:14 | More by ryan1788a5

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

on tap at CBC

A - a nice hazy yellow color with a good half inch creamy head

S - peppercorn, citrus, spice quite an inviting smell on this.

T - delicious peppercorn mixes well with citrus other various spices and wheat.

M - good carbonation

O - wasn't sure what to expect with this but this beer was quite tasty and definitely be having another one while its on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 02:10:55 | More by celticfutblclub

bpk59

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a bomber into a Duvel tulip.

Beer is a golden yellow color. A 1-finger head quickly dissipated into a foamy halo. There was no lacing to speak of.

Aroma consists of belgian spices and light citrus balanced against some sweet malts. I expected more pepper on the nose...

But the taste more than makes up for the lack of pepper in the nose. Great complexity here. Starts off with the light citrus, then a little spice, and finish with huge peppercorn taste. There's almost a subtle heat to it too after a few mouthfuls.

Mouthfeel is solid for a saison - perfect carbonation, light bodied and crisp. Super easy drinking.

Overall, what a pleasant surprise this beer was. When a beer mentions that it's brewed with something as the predominant spice, that had better be the predominant spice. Here, the black pepper is big and bold. It makes a great play against the taste of the light, crisp saison.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 00:52:46 | More by bpk59

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

First batch, bottled Feb 2012.1

Pours a descent fizzy 1/2 finger head that fades semi quickly, crystal clear golden almost nectar orange color.

Nose has lots of belgian malts, golden malts with some sweetness, hints of Belgian yeast esters, and plenty of pepper aromas, touches of bright fruit.

Taste brings plenty of pepper right off, peppercorns, a bit of green pepper and quite spicy peppercorn, Belgian golden malts, juicy malts with a bit of bright fruit and touch of esters both from the yeast. Hint of yeast spices and a light farmhouse like yeast flavors. Finish is a bit drier, quite spicy from the peppercorns, hint of malts.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb.

Overall interesting and tasty, nice Belgian malts, spices fruits and hint if esters from the yeast, and a nice dose of pepper.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:34:16 | More by jlindros

pburland23

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch no. 1. Bottled February 2012.

Picked this up while in Boston over Easter. Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into my CBS snifter.

Appearance: Beer pours a slightly hazed dark golden amber. Carbonation releases a thin wispy layer of slightly off white head.

Smell: The beer is brewed with five different types of pepper and they dominate the nose. The pepper is complimented nicely by the Belgian yeast. No real hops or malt smell.

Taste: Wow. What a great tasting beer. At the beginning it's all Saison...earthy, fruity and slightly tart. Then at the end, the peppercorns subtly bring warmth to the tongue. It's not overpowering but the taste of pepper is unmistakable. It's an delightfully tasty Saison.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of medium bodied. Lightly carbonated and pretty refreshing. You wouldn't think something with peppercorns would be refreshing, but it is. And at 6%, it's pretty drinkable.

Overall: An interesting take on the style. I wasn't sure what to expect from the taste but I was very pleasantly surprised. Well done, CBC.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 11:09:25 | More by pburland23

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a thin white head that fades quickly. The nose is a super, fresh peppe with some sweetness and yeast. This beer screams peppercorn more than any pepper beer I've had (Beatrice, white magic). The aftertaste has a slightly peppery bite and it almost triggers my sinuses for a sneeze, but not quite. Very tasty beer that drinks like a spicy Saison and has potent notes of peppercorn as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 23:28:13 | More by ThePorterSorter

JTWILDOATS

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The bartender enticed me to give this a try, and I'm so glad I did.

Turned out to be a great saison brew--away from the typical citruc/corriander theme of your average saison...this beer focused on PEPPER!!

As described and tasted later on, different peppers could be detected throughout. Cracked black pepper was present in smell and taste--the type of pepper we would crush on a steak to make a nice rub/marinade. After the initial taste, you could also make out a sort of crushed red pepper feel. None of this was too overpowering--as this brew still maintained the traditional Belgian base that we all crave.

The after effect was incredible. A slow and lingering and growing burn ensued--not a burn of alcohol, but rather of pepper and spice. Enjoyed with a basket of fries or alone, a must try.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2009 05:11:27 | More by JTWILDOATS

Wowcoolman

California

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Real interesting take on a Farmhouse Ale here. Notes of pepper is often a distinguishing character of the style, here CBC one-ups things by adding whole peppercorns (Black, Green, White, and Pink) to the boil. The CBC website attributes different flavoring characteristics to each type of peppercorn, though most people associate pepper taste with ground black. The pepper is most noticeable on the finish, this is very much a spice beer similar to a chili beer. There are for sure other characteristics, Belgian yeast is used and pleasant barnyard funk is present, but all gets overwhelmed by pepper in the end. Unbalanced? Sure, but this beer goes surprisingly well with food (anything you might grind pepper over) and is refreshingly crisp. A unique beer with a cool hand-drawn psychedelic design. Seek out if you enjoy fresh ground pepper taste. Batch 01 reviewed.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 23:27:18 | More by Wowcoolman

u2carew

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A) Very transparent. Bronze in color. Poured with a thin head. Nice lacing along the edge of the glass and all the way around.
S) Robust pepper aroma mixed with an earthy musk - similar to patchouli.
T) Peppery (go figure) and earthy. Spicy pepper "hotness" in the aftertaste. For He-man action figure fans - tastes similar to how the Skunkor action figure smelled.
M) Creamy. Smooth. Medium body. Slightly dry.
D) Very good. I think the peppercorns would get redundant after a while.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2009 22:13:44 | More by u2carew

Dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A hazy medium orange pour with a large fizzy slightly off-white head. Just a touch of lacing.

S: Certainly peppery. Lots of nice belgian yeast with cloves, as well as grass and oranges.

T: Lots of orange, grass and yeasty bread with some rye and pepper up front. Aftertaste turns into a BUNCH of black pepper. Not overpowering but not exactly subtle. Almost get a little lingering sting from the pepper - it lasts a long time! Pepper gets even stronger as it warms. A must-have for spicy saison lovers.

M: Medium bodied, smooth, and a little spicy.

O: A nice smooth, drinkable saison with a unique black pepper kick on the back end. I like it, very interesting, tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 05:07:56 | More by Dope

TWStandley

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at CBC in a tulip...

Poured a hazy orange/gold color with a big thick billowing white head.

Smelled like typical Belgian yeast, a bit of spiciness. Cracked pepper smell became more apparent as the beer warmed to room temp.

Taste like a standard saison...at first. Some definite lemony/herbal/banana/orange/citrus upon first sip. As the sip finishes, much like the smell, the cracked pepper tastes emerge. Relatively strong tasting, slightly spicy.

Mouth-feel is light, with some serious warmth in the throat from all of the pepper.

Overall this was a tasty saison with a meal. Definitely unique, and quite delicious. Starts off refreshing, finishes spicy.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 23:56:38 | More by TWStandley

rinhaak

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is brewed with five different varieties of pepper, and it shows from the very beginning. There is fire in this nose: lots of pepper aroma, almost reminiscent of Szechuan pepper corns. The fire doesn't end with the smell, either. With every swallow, there is a slight burning in the back of the throat from the pepper.

This beer really goes nicely with food (I had it with Mexican), as it cuts through the spice. But if the food is too spicy, this beer won't help, as it leaves your tongue dancing!

Overall, though the pepper is lovely, it is almost too strong in that it covers up the Saison characteristics. I would have wanted a little more balance. That said, this is a mighty fine beer definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 20:46:03 | More by rinhaak

merc7186

New York

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Hazy Orangish/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Mild lacing

S: Peppercorn, Yeast

T: Yeast, Peppercorn, Mild Citrus

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Spicey

Overall, a really nice spicey saison with a great different taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 23:53:26 | More by merc7186

stakem

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into a snifter, the brew appears a clear color of golden yellow with a big white frothy head. The sudsy white topping fades leaving fingers of patchy lace sticking to the glass. A light swirl revives.

The aroma is solid with the advertised pepper. Freshly crushed array of peppercorns but not harsh like the normal black. Taking a guess that white, pink or green were used in a more mellow to almost fruity zesty sense. A touch of saison yeast fruity quality with a bit of earthen aspect is also felt through the nose.

The taste includes a solid array of pepper and fruit. Lots of peppery quality comes off subtle from perhaps the yeast and then gets augmented by the addition of what seems like freshly cracked peppercorns. It is yeasty and spicy with a warming feel. A bit floral and a hint of green bell pepper. The warming sensation across the back of the tongue is reminescent of black pepper.

This is a medium bodied brew with an effervescent level of carbonation. Quite a pleasant warming spice of alcohol accented by pepper. This at times flirts with te heat of crushed red pepper, but not that extreme. If you have never experienced peppery flavor in a saison before, this is the one to really drive that character home. However, it might be off-putting to some. I liked it.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 15:40:39 | More by stakem

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.96/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into tulip. Pours a golden color with slight rim of white lacing. Looks nice but not outstanding. Smell is great...lots and lots of peppercorn mixed with saison yeast. Awesome caramel malt mixed with saison yeast and hops...and lots of pepperco. It works so well...really nice. Its a bit spicy but good. Overall its not the best saison but its exactly what it says it is...and it works so well. Nice unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 22:54:53 | More by DrinkSlurm

rebelthrower

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 1, bottled in February 2012.

A - Orange/golden yellow color a little bit of a haze. Big white head. Took a long time to go down. Very little to no lacing.

S - A bit of the peppercorn. And a bit herbaly and Belgian yeast.

T - A little citrus. Peppercorn comes through at the end.

M - Smooth, medium to light carbonation. Tingling in the throat from the peppercorn.

D - I really like the peppery. To me it was very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 08:01:36 | More by rebelthrower

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.94/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottled 13th Jan 2013, I paid $9 or so for this. I initially balked, but my time at CBC several years back was great, and so, I had to get this.

A clear honey gold with a dense, white head with decent retention and lacing, this looks solid. The nose shows why this is named so. Peppercorns - black, green and Sichuan (especially the Sichuan) lend a bright spicy and piquant note to the nose. Now, the CBC website tells me they only used white, black, green and pink peppercorns, but the combination of the green and pink pepper with the rye really brings to mind the aromatics in mapo doufu. Honey and rye are present, along with a moderate yeast character that's not particularly saison-like, but will do. It's closer to a fruity/ estery yeast profile rather than a more traditional spicy/rustic yeast character. Quite excellent.

The palate opens with a blend of mild sweetness (honey, cantaloupe), a moderate pepper flavor and a mild heat. The peppercorn flavor is quite excellently expressed here, and pairs well with the honey sweetness that's initially present. The rye is noticeable on the mid-palate. As the beer lingers on the palate, the heat grows and lingers on into the finish, with a fruity pink peppercorn heat. The flavors in this beer are great, but the only disappointment is the palate - it's just too damn watery. Drying, spritzy and peppery on the finish, this has quite a bit of fruity and estery yeast flavors here. Very nice stuff here.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 04:13:01 | More by DefenCorps

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, bottled in February of 2012. It was poured into my Duvel tulip.

Sgt. Pepper pours a color that bounces between orange and tangerine, depending on the strength of the backlighting. Clarity is pretty good and the beer ends up crowned by almost three fingers of just off white foam. Head retention is very good, and some spotty lacing is left behind. The nose is fairly aromatic, but perfume-y, spicy peppercorns are pretty much the only thing to come through. There's a brief swirl of pale fruits at the beginning of each sip, lots of granny smith apple and just a bit of pears. From there the peppercorns come in and close out the beer. There's a little bit of heat, but also a good amount of flavor coming through. The body, while dry, is not as bone dry as you'll find in some saisons. The carbonation is fairly active, probably helping highlight the peppercorns similarly to the way it does hops. Sgt. Pepper is a good, fun twist on a saison, and another above average offering from Cambridge Brewing Company.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 03:57:22 | More by axeman9182

HopHead84

California

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Consumed on tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad on 11/1/2009 in a 10oz glass. The beer is transparent gold with no head (ugly bar pour).

This isn't too surprising, but the nose has a lot of peppercorn. I detect white pepper, lemon, and orange. It's phenolic with grassy notes. It's a nice balance of spicy peppercorn and fruity esters.

The taste is very spicy, with peppercorn and white pepper. The white pepper attacks from the back of my tongue and up into my nasal cavity. Citrus flavors are of lemon and subtle orange. The finish is very spicy with grassy notes and lingering citrus. An interesting take on the style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2009 05:17:16 | More by HopHead84

PEBKAC

New York

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Batch 1 bottle from the CBC fridge & into an Ommegang chalice. Almost 8 bucks!

Clear, honey/orange body. Second pour had a fair amount of sediment despite settling in the fridge for a while. An inch of off-white soda suds fizz out before it completely settles.

Smells of dusty lemon pepper seasoning, yeast, & crackers. Some cider-ish notions as well.

Curious bittersweet fruit notes up front. Middle is toasty malt, chalky/uninspired yeast, & lettuce-y bitterness. A subtle heat lingers & grows well past the finish. Black pepper really stands out. Flavors popped better when cold then cool I found.

Tired carbonation & boring yeast kept it from being really refreshing. Price is an issue. Better then I remember it being on tap.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 06:45:37 | More by PEBKAC