Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale

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

2007 Bomber shared at the Butters’ 1500 tasting. Pours a clear dark ruby with wispy off white head. Nose is suprisingly grapefruity hop despite the age, and just a twinge of alcohol burn. Flavor is rum soaked fruits, alcohol, and still some resiny hops. Definitely has a good heartburn warming. Great barleywine, good price, not digging the label, but still damn good.

Bomber courtesy of hellbilly. Pours a cloudy dark amber with one finger light tan head and great lacing. Nose is surprisingly hoppy with floral and citrus hops, sweet malt and alcohol. Taste is very much the same – citrus hops, caramel malts, some dark fruits and a bitter resin-like hop finish. Alcohol is pretty noticeable in this one but it’s not overpowering. Medium, semi-creamy mouth feel. Now this is my kind of BW – doesn’t have that cloying - sickly sweet palate - more IPA-like. Is that enough dashes? NO – Fantastic beer - thanks Josh - !!!

2006 Bottle. Good malty aroma and clear brown color and thin head, slight swrill. Good flavor that is slightly hoppy. Hints of cherry/raspberry aftertaste(good but odd). Smooth with a little alcohol burn. Pretty good barley wine.

Bottle. from Oldstylecubsfan. Thanks Todd!! ’04 bottle. Sweet and malty, some rich carmel in the nose. Nice malty nose. MMMMM tasty,

22 oz. bomber bottle, blurb and serving suggestions on the left side of the label, bottled in 2006, sampled in a snifter. L: Tarnished copper with a finger high beige head that slowly settled into a thin bubbly, almost sudsy lacing. Splotchy dots of lace rings the glass. S: Figs and pear fruity esters that meshes with the alcohol, sweet caramel and a light graininess. The hops have a nice pineapple citric aroma. F&T: Creamy full feel in the mouth, sipping smooth with a soft crispiness. Figs, dates and pears, the fruitiness has a tasty sweet tartness. Caramelized sugary malts add a helping sweetness to the citric hops, making them a concoction of candied grapefruit and pineapple. Finishes softly dry, caramel and toasted grain bread, along with a lingering citric hop spiciness. Another well crafted beer from Smuttynose, tasty and smoothly balanced, high enjoyable.

busted out at the BA wednesday night tasting. hazy rich copper color with a thick dense off white head which leads to a ring then film and leaves a decent lace pattern. very floral aroma jam packed with zesty fruit and citrus... sweetened grapefruit, orange skins, tangerines, whole pineapple, mango, caramel and a light spicy alcohol bite. light sweetness on the palate isn’t overbearing... yet. it’s still really hoppy and tart. all of the fruity aromas follow into the flavor along with notes of ashiness, earth and a spicy bite from the alcohol. the finish is dry and tart leading to some ashiness in the aftertaste. medium body without stickiness. the mouth feel is quite vibrant because of the prickly tart and dry hops...

Clear dark amber with a thick beige head. Beautiful aroma of wood, a ton of hops and caramel. Flavor has notes of toasted malt, toffee, wood, caramel, light chocolate and a big dose of hops which works very well in this beer. Pleasantly sweet and as previously stated, plenty of hops to balance it out. Nice warming alcohol presence detected on the back end. Medium/full body with moderate carbonation. Loved it!

Bottle courtesy of ballewblake. Clear orange pour. Fair amount of hops on the nose with woody and fruity scents. Taste is quite a large barleywine flavor. Large fruit and heavy wood taste. This is a good barleywine. Dark fruit smell emerges as it warms. Nice.