AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull

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

Hazy, ruby caramel color. Simply a beauty to behold. Wondrous aroma fuels the anticipation, revealing red currant, caramel, bing cherries and toffee. Velvety, full-body assertion. So smooth; Old Numbskull with an oaken underlay and every balance characteristic one could ask for. Caramel, toffee and cherry crème truffles serving as flavor accents. Intense maltiness. Some fruity figs and honey soaked prunes. Chewy, graceful mouthfeel and a lingering, loving finish. Thanks so much for sharing, MrFacto!

2002 vintage from Matt A dark mahogony pour w/ a nice light tan head that laces well. A huge malt aroma full of carmel plums and raisens.. w/ a bit of brown sugar alcohol and bourbon. Palate is well carbonated thick and creamy. Flavor is bourbon brown sugar, plums, raisens and a touch of raw alcohol. This stuff is GREAT.

Bottle @ RBESG2005. Huge notes of very woody malts, some alcohol, lots of sweet candy. Hazy brown to amber body, small white head. Strong and quite sweet flavor, loads of dark fruits, ends slight alcoholic.

Bottled @RBESG’05
Nut brown, not much head. Smokey, woody, some cheesy notes. Full-bodied. Licorice, oaky notes, barley. Liquerish palate. Good barley-wine, but why so high-rated, hype?

Bottle RBESG. Tastes like malty, syrup candy. Very flavorfull, very smooth. Holds a lot of different flavors. Some bitterness, some sourness. Spices and lots of sweetness.

Bottle number 37/100 big thanks to MI2CA for the bonus in our trade a while back. Shared with Eyedrinkale on 8/5/2005.
Pours a thick, opaque, dark, dark brownish-black body, with a huge head formation, that is not that long-lasting, though there are bits of lacing down the glass. Smells of rich, green, bitter, mega-hoppiness, thick, salty, bitter roast and dark chocolate. Rich, heavy caramel sweetness. The flavor, personified, is like a thick, hot, humid night with heavy, stifling air and no moonlight. Good lord, this is one of the most powerful, richest, just all out massive beers I’ve ever had. Huge hops bitterness (and a weird dill-like note), salty, thick, rich black malts, massive caramel and bitter baker’s chocolate. The body is awesome, even at 3 years of age, it still shows no signs of aging, while the carbonation is low, with a creamy and sticky consistency (which really saves the palate score, as this stuff demonstrates no balance). Alcohol is hidden as in regular Old Numbskull (seems to be variability on alcohol apparency looking at other ratings). The barrel aging is not overdone, which is another impressive aspect. Just enough to add some character without dominating the beer (though in actuality, it would take a lot to dominate this monster).

What do I think??? I hate it and can’t even drink my half of the bottle, but then, it’s no surprise, as this aint my thing. Do I think it’s all hype?? No, not really hype as much as peoples’ preference for big, rich, hoppy beers. And that’s cool, this is a barleywine after all, as EDA says. I’ll try this one again in about 5 years, I should like it more then, as I really think it’s a well made beer, just ridiculously unbalanced/young at this point.

Courtesy of BBB63, bottle 92/225. Pours dark cloudy amber with nice white head, that fades to film. Aroma is loaded with caramel and mollasses, a little fruit and only faint bourbon/oak. Flavor is once again all sweet malt with lots of residuel sugar, and a huge alcohol kick in the finish. First time I have actually enjoyed the alcohol presence in a beer. Hard to believe this is only 10% though.

Bottle 157/225 courtesy of DYCSoccer17. Murky amber color, thin tan head. Aroma of maple and caramel, also plenty of booze. Flavor bludgeons you with sweetness and alcohol. Palate is thinned out and completely one dimentional with alcohol. The things that make the original Numbskull a stellar beer (the hops, the subtle alcohol, the balance) have been completely erased and replaced by this mostrosity. HYPE!!!!