AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull

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

An unclear amber beer with no head. The aroma is of alcohol, bourbon, and oranges. The flavor is very sweet with alcohol burning the throat and bourbon, that lingers on the tongue. This is not my beerstyle, and the regular Old Numbskull is not really me, but this was one good beer.

(Bottle 75 cl) Hazy amber golden with a handsome, creamy head. Sweetish, vinous aromas. Extremely full-bodied, sweet with tons of malt and honeyish notes. Touches of wood surrounding a base of dried fruit - raisins for sure. Very, very complex and delicate. A grand beer indeed. 120805 and 061006

Bottled, thanks to BierKönig for sharing. Nut brown, clear. Rich aroma of wood, vanilla and asparagus. Very sweet and full bodied with pleasant soft mouthfeel. Very bitter finish. An enormous beer with lots of bourbon character. The sweetness however overloads my senses and the expected sensations does not take place.

From bottle, blind #10, courtesy of thewolf. Pours dark brown, hazy, and with a small off-white head. Dense wineous, wooden and light cheesy aroma. Solid nutty note too. Solid dark caramelish, wineous and walnut wooden. Overripe fruit, light nutty and bitter finish - light acidic touch too.

Bottle. 75cl [Thanks to ygtbsm94] @ Zythos Bier Festival 2008, Sint Niklaas, Belgium. Light unclear amber color with a small, virtually none appearance, virtually none lacing, fully diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, cacao, dark fruiy, port, sherry, oak, vintage, alcohol. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is creamy - syrupy, carbonation is soft - flat. Very very nice BW ... ;o)) (010308)

Bottle. Cloudy orange coloured with an off white head. Aroma of malts, caramel, hops, grape fruits and bourbon. Flavour of malts, caramel, hops, grape fruits and vanilla.

Date: June 18, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
Aroma: lightly sweet malt aroma balanced with earthy hops
Body: velvet body
Flavor: touch of alcohol, great vanilla character

Date: April 20, 2006
Vintage: 2004
Words: #161/240
Aroma: earthy hop aroma with light vanilla and a touch of oak, very creamy, hot
Flavor: big woody flavor, touch of sweetness, good earthy hops to balance

Date: October 10, 2007
Vintage: 2005
Words: #142/233
picking up a good balance between the bourbon and dark caramel, still lots of sweetness, touch of alcohol fades in and out,

Date: February 20, 2009
Vintage: 2007
Aroma: sweet caramel and vanilla aroma with a nice bourbon presence
Flavor: sticky sweet caramel and vanilla flavor, touch of alcohol, light oak

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***4

’02 vintage, tasted ’08

Slightly hazy, fiery amber. The aroma is sweet, with vanilla, caramel and light toffee. May be a bit too rounded at this point - it’s nice on the palate but the nose is getting delicate. Deep mapley character, light alcohol. Beautiful flavour, yeah. 7 4 9 4 17 = 4.1

’04 vintage, tasted ’08

Hazy fiery-amber. It’s a bit boozier than I’d like. The mapley notes are still present but seem more restrained than in the classic ’02 vintage. Big alcohol character. Not supremely hot but hot enough. This one could actually do with a bit more age as there’s some edge that I’d like taken off. 7 3 8 4 14 = 3.6