AleSmith Old Numbskull

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

Pours a warm caramel color from the bomber with a creamy off-white head that leaves plenty of lacing. Loaded with sweet malts, orange rind, salt, and yeast. A bit too filtered for the style and my taste, but a definite treat.

Bottle at GABF 2008. Clear golden coloured with a meidum sized off white head. Sweet and fruity aroma of caramel, cookies and dried fruits. Sweet and fruity flavour of caramel, dried fruits, cookies, hops and pine needles with notes of alcohol. Hoppy and warming alcoholic finish.

Btl by Beer_Hawk. A hazy brown pour with tan head and lace. Aroma of light hops caramel and mild chocolate? Semi sweet maltiness with a medium bitter and light caramel. A surprising light/medium body with medium carbonation. Side by side with the BA lets you know that you are drinking a special beer. thanks steve

bottle, muddy golden orange with a slight head that disappears rapidly, nose is hoppy and pine, flavor is IIPA at the start of pine, honey and citrus and mellows into caramel, butterscotch and melon, some citric flavors also, finish is long lasting and well rounded, excellent

Bottle. Deep dark brown color. Vinous, raisinny aroma with plums. Flowery and earthy hops. Porto flavor with raisin, alcohol, a firm flowery and earthy hoppiness, tannines and blackcurrant. Firm earthy hopbitter aftertaste, with pepper. All that and more in a beer oozing with flavors and aromas. Nice one!

750 ml. (silver foil... I am assuming it is 07’ or 08’) into snifter. Pours a great woody brown color with a reddish hue - clear with a medium sized creamy off-white head that holds). Complex aroma that has a superb hop character (sweet and bitter citrus grapefruit) that works in perfect balance with the doughy rich malt background, which has notes of butterscotch, oak, vanilla, and bourbon - some nice warming complex booze in the aroma too. The flavor does not seem as complex and interesting. It is way less hoppy and heavy. I can’t even really put my finger on it. It is sweet but not overly sweet - it is not doughy and chewy like the aroma. I am noticing a bit of citrus hops on the finish now, but still not nearly as much character as in the aroma. Though the flavor is a bit neutral and hard to explain, it is balanced and highly drinkable (for 11%). The booze is hidden well. Medium to full body on the palate with soft lush carbonation. Overall: definitely a great brew, but a bit confusing as far as the flavor. P.S. RB says this is 10% and I just noticed my bottle says 11%. There is also some weird black striation pattern on the inner circle of the cap... I don;t know what this means, but it doesn’t look intentional.

Bottle. Poured a cloudy brown color with a thin brownish head. Aroma of fruit and hops with caramel malt. Flavor had chocolate hints, with honey and a hoppy finish. Full body with mild carbonation.

2005 Bottle shared by illinismitty. Poured a hazy brown with an off-white head that left a thin layer lasting and light lacing. Nice hoppy and fruit aroma with a caramel malt backing. Chocolate flavor at first but slides to a hoppier flavor as warms. Medium to full body, slightly chalky, starts sweet but ends bitter. Very good!