AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Diego, California USA

Thanks cbkschubert for the trade. Finally got around to rating this. This is one of the few barley wines that I like. It’s in your face like an American barley wine, but not too over the top with the malt and hotness. Aroma was nice. Deep dark fruit with heavy dark malt. Pour was a murky sewer water dark brown with no head or movement. Taste was very tasty and sweet. Sticky dark malt and plum with raisin in the front. Strong hop bite with alcohol burn in the back. Not as oily as some barley wines and enough carbonation to keep me happy. Nicely done!

Thanks to Tyler for sharing this one. It is good enough, but not as complicated as I expected. The bourbon is mild, perhaps from aging, and that is the way I like it. The flavor is on the sweet side, with malt and sugar, some oak flavor and a little more bourbon, but not enough to ruin the beer.

[Bottle, thanks Tytoanderso!] Pours hazy brown with a small off-white head. Aroma is mainly bourbon, but definitely some malt, and a hint of something I could not place. Taste is quite sweet with a lot of bourbon, a little vanilla and some caramel malt. Decent mouthfeel with a good finish. An alright beer, but I definitely found it to be a disappointment and didn’t think the bourbon worked well with it.

Sampled at MN Ratebeer Winter Gathering in Maplewood, MN and supplied by tyleranderso. From a 2005 vintage, 22-oz bomber (bottle 170 out of 223) pours a semi-hazy caramel brew with a thin-off-white head that quickly dissipates to a fine film. Aroma of sweetened caramel malt, lots of vanilla, a touch of bourbon, coconut, and a touch of raisin. Taste is medium to full bodied, along with flavors of bourbon, caramel, raisins, and some dark pitted fruits. Finish has a warm alcohol sensation, semi-sweet, with a bourbon and fruit aftertaste that really made this quite enjoyable.

MN Winter RB Gathering. Big thanks to tytoanderson for sharing. Nice sweet caramel, vanilla, sweet malt and almost like a brown sugary sweet alcohol like SoCo, but better. Nice powerful mouthfeel with a good dose of bourbon coming through, as well as some smoky toffee. Very nice!

2005 vintage. #170/223. Sampled with the MN crew at the Winter gathering. Bottle via trade from cbkschubert. aroma of sweet malt, toffee, huge wood influence, alcohol, vanilla and loads of bourbon spice. Pours thick amber with minimal carbonation or head. Boatloads of vanilla, charred wood and bourbon on the palate. Spice. Sweet charred caramel. Toffee. Creme brulee. Holy thickness! Chewy. Rich thick and oily. Thanks Craig!

bottle (34/223)....evening w/ pantanap #2.....pours a reddish caramel brown with a very thin swirly wispy off-white head....nose of sweet caramel malt, vanilla notes, and sweet sugary bourbon barrel qualities.....flavors of sweet caramel, slightly hopped, and maintained somewhat of a boozy bite to it. body was somewhat thin and carbonation level was a little low......i almost like the standard ON more.

Had this at the MN Winter gathering. A cloudy amber color with no head. Bourbon right away on the nose with some sweet notes of caramel. Sweet dark fruits and bourbon in taste.