AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull

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

Had at DLD.This was a a very rich and syrupy beer with lots of bourbon tones,not bad but to much bourbon flavor to it.CHEERS!

Cloudy Dark Orange/Brown Color. Alot of Bourbon Notes on the Nose. Rich Syrupy Body, Heavy Mouthfeel...Dry Hop and Bourbon Mixture... Nice Warming..Crazy But Great...IF You Enjoy Alot of Bourbon Flavor...Purists Will Enjoy the Regular Numbskull Best.

Very hot nose of Bourbon and what is that..... oh yeah bourbon. Very distillate forward with little of the original brew left, oaky toasted charcoal and booze notes with some caramel and toffee. Much prefer the non oaked version.

2002, bottle 160 of 225. Opened for celebratory purposes (161 is still in the fridge, next to a 2001 BA Speedway). Tiny white ring head, translucent but not cloudy, red/amber color. Beautiful when held up to a light. Aroma is unreal, so full of bourbon and oak. Very intense- just comes pouring out at you. Some vanilla and toffee as well, maybe some faint hops. Citrusy. Quite a bit of bourbon in the flavor, still a good deal of alcohol but not a bad amount- quite typical for Numbskull in general. I get more toffee here than caramel, along with some fruityness. Not at all bitter. Very full and coating mouth feel, and as would be expected, low carbonation. Something truly wonderful, for its uniqueness and the grace with which it has aged. I’m glad I have two.

25 oz bottle, via WeeHeavySD, 2004 vintage. Pours a clear orangish copper under a creamy and slightly foamy one finger beige head. Lots of heavy lacing left as it receded to a thin covering. The nose is just wonderful. The perfect amount of bourbon with a light oak and vanilla accent to the base beer. The caramel and toffee of the regular version is still there, with a touch of alcohol and some light yeast. The flavor is a little heavier than I expected with the bourbon, especially after the nose, and maybe a little too heavy. Alot of bourbon and oak up front, covering up much of the caramel and toffee that I love about Old Numbskull. Finishes with lots of oak tannins and a big alcohol burn that made my gumline tingle. The warmer it got the more the toffee came out on the finish, but much less than the regular version. Mouthfeel is very full bodied but doesn’t seem as sticky and thick as the regular version. Still quite mouthcoating on the finish even though the alcohol seems to thin it out some. Moderate fizzy carbonation also keeps the stickiness in check. Pretty good all around, but I think it’s maybe a little too heavy on the bourbon. Given the choice between this and the regular version I’d lean towards the regular because of it’s much higher drinkability. In and of itself this is pretty damn great, however I can’t help but rate it in comparison to the regular version.

Provided @ Death Metal Beer Tasting Spring Edition 2007. Fkn delicious. Everything I had expected and more. Pisses me off that I traded the other ones I had away because I don’t think anyone who didn’t stand in line for it should have it. Not saying that I really care, but I wish I had 2 more bottles of this stuff to drink.. RIGHT NOW. I’m done trading specialty releases because this was so good.

Bottle. #196 of 225. Pours a murky mahogany body with a foamy white head. Hops are still evident in the aroma along with dark bread malt, vinous oak, and alcohol. Pleasant musky oak-pine flavour accompanied by thick, raisiny dark fruits. A bit sugary at moments but never syrupy or cloying. It’s also quite warming, which is to be expected, but I actually found it to be hot more often than not. The hop profile was quite interesting though considering it’s age, still plenty of citrus and pineyness. Solid.

Photo of the bottle and glass:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdstich/424309374

2002 version. For being over 5 years old, this beer has held up extremely well. I was surprised by the hops on this one. They are still pretty noticeable. The barrel aging on this one is tremendous. Alesmith has perfected the art of barrel aging. Props to Lee Chase for bringing this to our tasting.