Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale

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

Definitely thick. Deep, dark amber/orange body, totally translucent. Medium-sized, but quickly and fully diminishing cream colored head. Lacing resembles the outline of mountain ranges in a photograph. Aroma explodes with big bready and tangy caramel malts. Sour citric hops smell like unripened tree fruits. A stinging nose, with some softening from notes of banana and melon. Flavor is a departure from the whole of the aroma. Heavily toasted grains, fruit-topped poundcake, pineapple, melon and orange rind. Not much pleasure is found in the extreme burned tastes of the toasty and bitter profile. Despite this, it’s quite easy to sip. Finishes dry but with a some balance. Mouthfeel is well rounded anf moderately full. On the good side of average.

2007 Bottle - Thanks phhd! - Pours a reddish amber with a small off white head...aroma is massive, hop flowers grand marnier, burned my nose hair a bit, citrus malt...flavour is similar, malty but dry, pine resin, coats the mouth like a syrup...burn on the back end that screams for just a few more years in the bottle...wish I had more...

Many more thanks to Dorwart for this suprise brew. Poured into a nice warm dark orange hazy with a thin head on top. Aroma of apricot, spice and heavy malt. Flavor is a tastey natural barley wine. Lots of malt that gets in my mouth and really sticks to the palate. Earth notes and some sweeter tones come out over time as the alcohol presence seeps in a bit further. All aroun good stuff, wish I could find this in Ohio during the snowey nights.

rusty amber brown and murky color. big rocky tan head. aroma is dry vermouth, strong hops. resin aroma too. flavor is syrupy malt and very hoppy. I didn’t get the fruits. very bitter in the middle with strong carbonation. salty bourbon finish.

Pours a cloudy copper topped by medium beige head. Aroma is medium sweet, piney, some biscuit, toffee and light caramel. Flavor has a nice strong malt backbone, caramel, dark fruit and grapefruit. Finishes long and sweet with a slight alcohol burn.. Full bodied, resiny texture.

I had the special version at the Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers in Chicago this year.

Very hazy brown orange, small head w/ a mix of large and small bubbles. Big nose--coconut, flowers, oak and vanilla. Even more vanilla and oak in flavor country. A little on the thin side for the style but w/ a nice cusion of carbonation. Very tasty.

22 oz. brown bomber bottle. No freshness date seen. Poured out a ruddy copper color, with excellent clarity. Not much head when poured, or afterward either. Left a very thin lacing on top of the beer, and around the edges of the glass, but that’s about it. Aromas are kind of non-descript, and vague. Nothing in particular stands out, at least to me. Some vanilla in the aromas, along with some caramel. Tastes are of malts, and vanilla, with some caramel notes as well. Slight hops bitterness in the finish. Average mouthfeel, and average tasting. No standout here at all. Not worth going for a second round, but passable for a single trying.

this is a big beer - for sure. they say it’s the big beer series for the bottle size - but this hits hard to boot. Sweet malty smoothness leads to a big alcohol bite. Nice rich, warm, winter brew.