AleSmith Old Numbskull

	Percentile
	100
	overall

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

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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Ratings	Average	Score	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
762	4.04/5.0	4.03/5.0	10%	98	Snifter

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.

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drewbeerme (2274), Chicago, Illinois, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	7/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Oct 21, 2007

750ml bottle, 2007 vintage, i believe. pours dense auburn with white head that lasts. nose has a big tobacco and plum presence. flavor is charred, dry red and dark fruits, some tobacco, brown sugar, almosty winey, a dry over ripe fruity finish. a bit watery mouth feel but the alcohol is well hidden. as it warms it becomes mostly cotton candy and brown sugary in the nose and flavor. a nice english style barleywine but it needs a few years age to gain the complexity one desires.

toncatcher (228), Santee - SAN DIEGO, California, USA

4.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.3	9/10	3/5	9/10	4/5	18/20

Oct 20, 2007

Amber pour with tan head. Aroma of slight hops and sweet dark fruit. Flavors well balanced of malt and hops. Loved it.

brettpace (179), Northridge, California, USA

4.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.6	10/10	5/5	9/10	4/5	18/20

Oct 17, 2007

This was flat out delicious. Probalby one of the best beers on the market. By far my favorite barley wine, hoppy, malty, strong, perfect blend.

yobdoog (1431), Woodridge NY, New York, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	7/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Oct 3, 2007

So maybe I drank this one too young. Must have again to give a great opinion. Had a small taste before this and thought it was different and smoother. This bottle very strong and some bitterness. Not as sweet ans smooth as expected. Wonderful aroma still but packs a bite punch at the end. A little hot as far as the alcohol.

rayg1 (437), Ft. Mill, South Carolina, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Sep 26, 2007

2006 vintage. This beer poured out a deep ruby red with a small tan head. Aroma that filled the air was heavy hops full of grapefruit and pine. Sweet notes of caramel are present as well. The taste is pretty good, again heavy on the hops deep resin of pine and citrus are present. However, in all this bitterness a sweetness of honey and caramel blend together and form quite nicely with the bitterness of the beer. Alcohol is hidden exceptionally and for such a strong brew I found this to be incredibly smooth. Another nice one from Alesmith, I have only found one beer they produce so far that I have disagreed with.

BigDaddyBlues (39), Columbus, Ohio, USA

4.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.5	8/10	5/5	9/10	5/5	18/20

Sep 23, 2007

Bomber purchased at From the Vine. This is just spectacular stuff. Hoppy and malty on the nose. It is thick looking to me. Cloudy. The first thing I taste is a nice hoppiness. Raisins and carmel follow. This is what a barley wine is supposed to taste like.

GRM (1257), Aylmer, Quebec, Canada

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	7/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	16/20

Sep 19, 2007

Bottle; eye: burnt orange, lightly hazy, tiny white head; nose: alcohol, velvety, hoppy, honey, lacing; mouth: alcohol, velvety, hoppy, honey, pepperiness of the alcohol, full body, not much carbonation, somewhat dry, grainy texture FRANÇAIS Bouteille; oeil : orange brûlé, légèrement voilée, petite mousse blanche, dentelle; nez : alcool, velouté, houblonnée, mielleux; bouche : alcool, velouté, houblonnée, mielleux, piquant de l’alcool, corsé, pas très carbonatée, légèrement sèche, texture granuleuse

Zinister (1199), Houston, Texas, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	7/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Sep 7, 2007 Updated: Mar 15, 2009

Hazy orange amber pour with rich white head and some good lacing. Caramel, honey and fruits on the nose. Flavor of sweet malts, oak, caramel, tasty hops and some nuts. Creamy mouth feel with some nice eff and bitter hop finish. Not the greatest barley wine right now, but a great beer. Can’t wait to try over time. 2000. Thanks to texasjeep for this beer. Golden pour with small tan head. Hops, caramel and grapefruit flavor...very, very nice.

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