AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull

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

Pour is a murky brown with no head whatsoever. Aroma is bourbon, oak, coconut and some other sweet fruit. Flavor is very smooth. Sweet coconut, oak, cherry and slight bourbon...not much hops left. Some roasty malt present as well. Body wice nice and texture is creamy. easy drinking.

2005 vintage, #194/223. I wanna say something right off the bat to the selfish people who wouldn’t dare trade a bottle of this rare brew if their lives depended on it, be more like WeeHeavySD. Here’s a man who wants to spread the wealth. Anyway, murky brown in color with no head or carbonation. Aroma of caramel, wood, light vanilla,brown sugar,and bourbon. Taste just like the smell. Complex brew. Smooth on the palate. Leaves that warming alcohol feelin’ in your chest, that’s always a plus. Powerful beer, took me 2 nights to finish the bottle. Again, thanks goes to Jon for this rare treat.

I can’t thank Sprinkle enough for this!! 2002 Vintage, #68/225. Poured a beautiful deep garnet with plum highlights and a well-retained medium beige head. The aroma had remarkably well-integrated barrel aspects (light oak, sweet bourbon, and vanilla) along with mature caramels, toffee, and vinous-skewed darker fruits.. not much hop presence was left, but some herbal notes were still in there.

The flavor had sweet bourbon and caramel on the syrupy fore with lightly-smoked, great caramelization across the middle.. plenty of lightly sour toasted oak worked well in there, and the very long caramel and bourbon finish was exquisite! Warm, full, and complex on the palate.. wish I had more!

2002 bottle #76/225, with a HUGE THANKS to OFortuna for this beauty! Pours a slightly cloudy amber with a lively moderate off-white head that maintains a thin covering throughout, spotty lacing. Aroma is beautiful, with bourbon, oak, sweet malts, caramel and some vanilla. Flavor is delicious, with a near perfect blend that follows the aroma, works VERY well together with the bourbon and oak complimenting rather than taking over. Palate is smooth and creamy, with a full mouthfeel, minor carbonation. This is one stellar barleywine; mellow and warming while maintaining an incredible complexity and uniqueness.

Thanks to Padrefan98 for bringing this to DenverLogans tasting. By far the best I had that night. Burbon maltiness and caramel aroma. Taste like a milder version on the regular Numbskull with an awesome burbon finish.

Rating # 300 , I donated the bottle to Logans tasting party at the old abandoned church for the 2007 GABF, and forgot to right down the bottle number. Amazing beer. I loved the flavors of the barrel aging in this one.

Bottle shared by Odeed 2005 #209/223 Nose is Figgy fruit, caramel, oak, a a muskiness; Very slightly hazed cherry amber with just a ring of bubbles around the glass edge; Flavor is vanilla, raisin poe and light alcohol Interesting BW!

Bottle 154/240 from CKSchubert. Interesting, it says 2004 Batch 1, even though the picture says 2002. Huh? Anyway, aroma is very harsh, sesame and molasses, a touch of caramel. Definite alcohol bite shrivels my nose. Slightly roasty, nutty taste, only a touch of oak. Really doesn’t exhibit oak characteristics, nor does it display the best Old Numbskull. Really, it is tough to get into this. I have a bottle of the 2006 batch, we’ll see how that goes. As it is, this is rough, unbalanced, tough to appreciate.