AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull

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

Thanks to OhioDad for sharing this at the last Columbus tasting. This is one hot brew! The pour is golden brown with a light off-white head. The aroma is very hot with bourbon scents. Full and thick palate which leads to the heavy bourbon taste. Very hot and spicey throughout--this could definitely benefit from aging.

Blind rating, American Beer Tastings at Sk8viking´s. #102/204. Pours a hazy cobber with a tanned had. Smells really nice of malts and bourbon with a hint of ash. Sweet with strong bourbon flavors with some alcohol notes. Full bodied. Has a long bourbon finish.

Bottle shared by the ever-so-generous Ohiodad at CTV3, thanks! Poured a nice amber with a off white head. The aroma was chock full of bourbon notes, vanilla, and a nice chunk of caramel malt. Flavor was a nice shot of boubon as well, vanilla,pine, caramel malt and some dark fruits. Full body, malty with a nice booziness to it without becoming to thin.

Bottle with a big thanks to OhioDad for sharing: Copper color with a nice white head. Aroma, bourbon, pine, and caramel. Flavor, pine, bourbon, oak, caramel, some vanilla, a nice bitterness to it. The barrel was very good to this beer. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to know I have another bottle of something waiting for me.

Alesmith Numbskull is not my favorite barleywine, but Alesmith is my favorite brewery. So I was really looking forward to this. Upon pouring, the BA Numbskull appears slightly darker than the regular. Seems the bourbon soaked oak imparted a dark reddish tinge to the original. Among the added color one can definitely appreciate the loads of bourbon this beer has to offer in both aroma and flavor. The aroma is vanilla, oak, bourbon with some sweet caramel malts barely coming through. Almost no hops in the nose. The palate is medium with subtle carbonation. Bourbon is heavy on the tongue when first sipping. In fact it’s almost overpowering at first, right up to the point you begin to swallow, ahhhh, there is the barleywine I remember. This beer has alot of everything. It’s full of sweet malts, some hop bitterness, and loaded with bourbon. Very nicely done. This makes me want to try BA Speedway even more now. Someday......

Bottled. Reddish brown coloured with a small head. Very powerfull. Malts, dark fruits, oak andsomewhat hoppy. Very powerfull but still very well balanced.

Not a Fan of the Barley wines, Too much alcohol content mixed with dried fruits gives it an initial taste of cough syrup. In my second snifter i found whiskey, fruits (cherries and pineapples) vanilla, spices and caramel malts. A tad too sugary with a strong burn, finishes like a glass of bourbon on the rocks with raisin aftertastes.

Thick aroma of whiskey, spices, vanilla, oak, hops and toasted malt. Flavor was full of smooth bourbon, raisins, citrus, vanilla and spice. All the flavors were condensed into a slightly syrupy, semi sweet brew. Very good, of course.