Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Bottle from Garrett (rayg1) Thanks. Pours out a dark red color - no head. Smell is grassy and fresh hopped, some sweetness. Taste is smooth and rich, bitter, and interesting. Bottle recommends some cheese - and with that, Garrett and I reached for the bleu and vermont cheddar, and this greatly enhanced the beer. Very good stuff, after the cheese factor. Probably a 3.5 before the cheese, 3.9 after. Good stuff from a never disappointing brewery. Original rating: 8 / 4 / 8 / 5 / 14 : 3.9 Updated: Cellar pick: 2003 bottle, 50 degrees. I thought I hadnt drank this before, but apparently I have. Oh well, I will still update my rating. Pours a niec reddish color with a thick yellowish head on it. Smell is great, full of some hop flavors and virtual no alcohol. Taste is sweet and smooth and actually pretty hoppy still. The boozy effect is long gone, leaving an incredible barley wine. People rating this fresh should have their head examined - this stuff is best after 5 years. Awesome beer.

Bottle shared with a bunch of folks at DougShoemaker’s Decemberfest 2006 - courtesy of DougShoemaker. Ruby-orange with a small head. Big aroma, sweet and hoppy, just as expected. Flavour is big and warm, with notes of licorice, orange and lots of hops. Finish is drying, with a bit too much alcohol coming through - aside from that, it’s wonderful stuff.

Bottle. Pours an orange-brown body with a small white head. Aroma of hops, oranges, sugar, toasty caramel, and some dark malts. Thick alcoholic palate- resinous and generally hops flavour for the most part. Moderately balanced but it’s also quite alcoholic.

Pours an orangey amber with minimal tan head. Has a simple aroma. Caramelish malt, and a touch of mint. Definitly alcohol too. The flavor is harsh IMO. It’s mainly alcohol burn. There’s also a sweet caramel character. Some woody-dry notes. Some vanilla sweetness with a late dryness. Followed by more alcohol which burns the throat. The flavor isn’t bad, but there’s too much alcohol in the flavor.

Bottle. Nice and malty, bonbon, pepper aroma. Hazy red/brown colour. Small white head. The flavour has a good alcohol bite, but it is nicely balanced by the sweetness and some of the same notes as in aroma.

Bottle.
Bright amber, smallish bubbly top
Aroma: Strong, potent hoppy nose. Quiet rich malty accents. Good clean alcohol below.(7+)
Potent kick of alcohol and hops. Green leaf , light citric hops . Sweet malt and alcohol at finish. Palate killer. This is big and certainly not shy. .

650ml Bottle @ Decemberfest 2006: Poured cloudy and copper, zero head. Aroma of floral hops, caramel, malts, and fruit. Lots of alcohol in the flavour, covered by caramel and malts, and a good hoppy back end. Good all around, surprising hoppiness.

(Bottle 65 cl) Slightly hazy reddish amber with a small, off-white head. Fat aroma of caramel and aroma hops. Solid and full-bodied with a lot of sweet caramel. Very distinct hoppiness. Interesting but fairly hoppy Barley Wine. 011206