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AleSmith Old Numbskull

Percentile
100
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
7624.04/5.04.03/5.010%98Snifter
Commercial Description:
Bottle conditioned.
Old Numbskull is AleSmith’s first barley wine offering. You may find the name "Old Numbskull" curious. Barley wine has its origins in England and tradition is to begin the name with "Old": Old Nick, Old Sampson, Old Jock, etc. Tongue-in-cheek is often the spirit in naming a barley wine. After drinking a glass or two, you may agree that Old Numbskull feels like a fitting description. It also reminds us of the Three Stooges, one of the greatest comedy teams of all time, so it's meant to bring a smile even before the first taste. Exotic fruit aromas, along with clean ethanol, caramel, honey and toasty notes are present in the nose. At five months of age, the Numbskull flavor begins malty and the hops become more evident from the middle to the finish and linger nicely in the aftertaste. The aroma notes also show themselves in the flavor.

1999 - waxed cap
2000 - dated as such. Pictured at left
2002 - Silver foil with electric blue design and NO filling in the anvil spaces
2003 - Silver foil with electric blue design and blue filling in the anvil spaces
2004 - same as 2003 but with "Alesmith" below the logo in white lettering.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 dunkpigen (328), Kolding, Denmark
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 13, 2009  
Pours beautyful amber with a big creamy beige head with lacings. Fruity aroma, plum, raisins, peach some hops, caramel and viniousity. Very hoppy flavour with great fruityness, again plum, raisins,peach and again some soft caramel and viniousity. Thick palate with a very nice hoppy finish.


 thewolf (5739), Kolding, Denmark
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/515/20
Feb 13, 2009  
Bottle, bought @ Havnens Vin og Tobak, Vejle.
Pours a wonderful, clear red-orange. Fine, staying, creamy, beige head. Some bigger bubbles near the glass. Amaxing aroma. Lots of fat caramel, strawberries, toffee, viniousness, hops, lots of malts. Medium carbonation, wonderful creaminess. Flavour has lots of fat maltiness, good sweetness. Lots of lingering viniousness with wonderful bitterness in the long, lingering finish. Lovely.


 BuckeyeBoy (1659), Boise, Idaho, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Feb 11, 2009  
Bottle 2004 vintage. Pours out a amber topped with a small head. Aroma of nice citrus hops and rich malts. Tast was of sweet caramell and rich thick malts. This was a very tast BW. I can’t believe I saved it this long.


 malrubius (987), Valley Stream, New York, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/518/20
Feb 8, 2009  
Bottle in pint glass. Clear amber with lasting head ad lace. Orangy cakelike aroma. Caramel honey orange carrotcake flavors, mildly syrupy, with lingering bitter finish. Full body and medium carbo. Very well-hidden alcohol flavors with only a touch of warmth. Very drinkable strong and pleasant.


 changeup45 (788), Orlando, Florida, USA
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/105/519/20
Feb 8, 2009  
I ordered this from Hi-Time a few months ago but it feels like I’ve had it a year. Time to drink it on a chilly Friday night. Pours a reddish-brown color with a surprisingly thick head considering the style and abv. Some nice retention and frothy lacing, great looking beer. Aroma consists of some candy sugars, plums, caramel, piney hops and a bit of alcohol. That all melds nicely in the flavors. Flavors start off with sweet caramel/toffee, then mellows a bit, plums, and some hops in the finish which really rounds this off nicely. There is a little alcohol burn but it’s mostly in the way of a sherry or bourbon flavor which is nice. To me, this is what a barleywine should taste like. Nice sherry/bourbon alcohol notes, a little sweet, some other flavors such as caramel and dark fruits and some hops but not too hoppy I think I’m drinking an IIPA. Excellent!


 ditmier (1074), Boise, Idaho, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/516/20
Feb 5, 2009  
2004 Bottle - Thanks BuckeyeBoy - Pours lt red with very little head...aroma is citrus hoppy, caramel malt...flavour is similar, and the hops definitly lead as the malt follows, not sweet at all...devoid of any carbonation...very fun BW...


 aplusbreaks (330), , Colorado, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/515/20
Jan 31, 2009  
750 thanks to doubleo. Pours a reddish amber with a nice off white head. Aromas of caramel, malts, molasses and a touch of citrus hops. Flavors are the same caramel, molasses and dark fruits, a bit of coffee too. Palate is smooth and sweet. Tasted side by side with the BA Old numbskull, not surprisingly the BA won.


 jkwalking05 (1483), Arlington, Texas, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Jan 31, 2009  
Cloudy amber in color with a good head. Strong sweet smell and taste with full thick body. Strong in alcohol, sharp aftertaste. Great beer.



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