AleSmith Old Numbskull 4.03 766

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
766	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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Crockett (904), Steelback County, Ontario, Canada

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Aug 11, 2008
Tastings of 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004 with Mr Kimchee. As well as a separate barrel aged version. The 1999 held up very well and was very lively. Pours a ruddy thick liquid with a short tan head. Decent amount of floaters coloured from whiteish to dark brown. Big old malted barley nose with lots of brown sugar, toast, hot alcohol, ripe fruit and citrus notes. Very sweet, some hops wander in but seem to do very little in rounding the beer (in varying degrees/vintages). The 1999 had melded in to one big flavour whereas the ’00 and 02 where still working on it. The youngest in the vertical was very sweet and probably had a little too early. Lots of toffee, butterscotch, and peaty flavours throughout. Hops come out and finish with a good dose of booze. I had some of this at RBSG ’05 and it did benefit from the increased aging, although there was a little bit of oxidization. It’s a lovely big beer and to be honest it was hard to be in the mood for it mid-August. Thanks Jesse!

EricE (467), Fairfax, Virginia, USA

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	7/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	14/20

Dec 21, 2009

Bottle of indeterminate age obtained on clearance in Boston. Pours a clear red-brown with almost no carbonation. Astringent malty aroma. Nutty caramel malt flavor. Bitter and completely flat. Perhaps a newer bottle would be better.

Pipper (261), Ohio, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	9/10	3/5	8/10	3/5	16/20

Dec 7, 2009

Pours a tawny, slightly cloudy brown with very little head. Aroma -- very sweet, almost syrupy with a bit of the tartness you’d expect in a cider left too long in the jug. Flavor is about the same, smooth and malty.

Lyncham (67), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

4.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.3	7/10	5/5	8/10	4/5	19/20

Dec 6, 2009 Updated: Dec 18, 2009

Nice carmel and roastd maltinss, give a sweet but not overly sweet flavors. The hops are bitter on the backside of the beer with floral notes. The color is flawless (very nice golden brown). The strong alcohol content is balanced well.

tastybeer (127), Washington DC, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Dec 2, 2009

Tried in Portland, OR. Probably one of the best Barleywines I’ve tried, pours brown with a solid head. Strong caramel/honey flavor with a very alcoholic aftertaste. Would drink again if I could get my hands on it.

mar (1940), Dallas, Texas, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Nov 25, 2009

bottle thanks to ericandersnavy. deep amber with a cream head. nose is toffee, caramel, dried fruits and light alcohol. nice on the palate with a flavor of dried fruits, caramel, bitter hops and a toffee finish.

madmitch76 (645), , Essex, England

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	15/20

Nov 21, 2009

3rd September 2008. Cloudy brown beer. Full on Barleywine. Malty salty start followed by a breif sweet note and then a hoppy finish. Also has an accompanying bready tone. Complex and moorish.

Vas19 (299), Maryland, USA

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	18/20

Nov 15, 2009

Pours ruby red with a huge off-white head. Aroma is huge caramel and citrus hops. Flavor is thick malts with caramel, red fruit, and a touch of hops. Excellent balance and mouthfeel. Powerful but controlled. Great beer.

Sigmund (2299), Hafrsfjord, Norway

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Nov 15, 2009

Bottle, ABV 11%, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Orange to amber coloured beer, moderate off-white head. Aroma of oak, fortified wine, American caramel malts and American hops. The flavour has strong notes of bitter American hops throughout, also oak and alcohol.

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