Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale

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

Bottle. Copper pour, no head. Aroma is rich fruity malt, some peppery alcohol and citrusy hops. The flavor is the same, fruity malt, with alcohol and bittering hops in the finish. Decent beer.

Unfiltered (bottle conditioned) reddish orange apearance. Citrusy aroma with a hint of spice. Initially malty body that was fairly sweet but turned bitter and finished very hoppy. Stretches the traditional definition of a barleywine but still genuinely enjoyable.

Slightly bigger hop flavor than what I’m used to. Cloudy dark orange color. Fruity plum aroma. Slightly hot alcohol flavor. Full bodied with a slightly chalky texture and finish.

From a 22oz Bottle. Pours a rich, transparent ruddy amber color with a thin layer of beige head. Aromas of cherry gumdrops and some christmas bready malts. Over-ripe strawberries and other random juicy red fruits saturate the aroma. A bit boozy in the nose, but I soon find out this carries over to the palate as well. Medium bodied, effervescent mouthfeel thats strangely light for a barleywine. A touch of sweet brown sugar coats the tongue at first, but this is quickly devastated completely by a dominating wave of bittering hops. I’m also noticing a bit of bubble gummy sherry notes, but the hops are completely destroying my ability to taste any other aspects this beer may present. Hot finish. Perhaps this one may be a bit better with some age, but for now the hop bitterness is too out of balance. Still, the unique east coast treat is highly appreciated. Thanks, Sammy!

nice big sweet candied caramel brew. Biscuit fruit and hops, nice combo. One of the nicest east coast barleys yet.

Bottle, snifter. Large, creamy, frothy, off-white head is well lasting and leaves good lacing. Body is a dark red bordering on a ruby hue. Cookie, caramel, toffee, and nutty malt (H); herb and pine hops (M); light alcohol, raisin, plum, red apple skins, maraschino cherries, and cola aromas. Quite a treat to smell. Heavily sweet, lightly acidic flavor becomes a moderately sweet, moderately bitter, lightly acidic finish. Aftertaste introduces butterscotch, honey and brown sugar notes. Unfortunately the flavor doesn’t live up to the aroma. Medium body, oily texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. The bottom line is: aroma is very unbarleywine like (not bad though), but the flavor doesn’t hold up it’s end of the deal and it comes off feeling a bit thin.

Love the label, love the aroma(nice piney aroma), appearance is reddish amber, like many a great Barley's. Now to the bad stuff. Twig type flavor, sweet, but not that dominate. Where did the pine aroma go? I don't know, wasn't that crazy about the flavor or the finish(which was also absent).

22oz bomber closet aged for 2+ years. Thick, murky, orange-brown color with some patchy white lace for a head. Alcohol-laced caramel aroma. The flavor is sugary sweet and buttery, shows some aging. The low almost flat lost carbonation hurts the beer a little, taking away the drinkable balance it had fresh. Not one to age out for extended periods. Woody, piny hops, syrupy sweetness. Good stuff, but way better fresh.