Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale

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

I kept putting off tasting thsi one, but after opening and sampling it, I figure I must have been crazy. Pours ruby red with no discernable head. Only a a few bubbles dot the surface. Smells of port wine, some cherries, molasses, syrup, some bitter peppery splashes. Tastes of dark fruit, lots of tofee, cognac, caramel, some cherry hints, some peppery splashes. The alcohol is present but does not overwhelm this one. I was happy to see a dark English style barleywine when I poured this one.

They should indicate the vintage on the bottle. Here are 2 different experiences of it:

Assertive citrus hop pilgrims settle in an apricot and peach field...Rummy alcohol is distributed a bit too generously and a bitterness epidemic spreads quite fast...Thin caramel tries to save the day but does not succeed well enough...Maybe it needed a few more months...7/3/7/3 14/20

Ripe citrus fruit over earthy biscuits...Candied berries linked with a flavorful and intense orange syrup...Resinous hops complexifies the whole and proves surprisingly cohesive...8/4/8/4 16/20

Deep amber orange beer with a thin lace. Aroma is very sweet and caramelly with an intense fruity character as well. There is a bit of cherry and sweet citrusy hops over the malts as well. Warming intensifies the fruity components as well. The flavour is nice, but not as well integrated as the aroma might suggest. An overly intense bitterness for a brew where the estery component is so strong in the nose. Sweet brown sugar and caramelly malts. A light piney flavour late on the palate.

22oz bottle. Dark plum colored body, lightly opaque. Rich, sticky plum and black cherry malts, heavy hop presence, high bitterness, reminds me of Bigfoot with a few years in the cellar. Sweet maraschino cherries and assertive hops in the nose, very nice smell. Very sweet up front, with pear, plum and fruit cocktail sugars, a little more tempered over the middle, still sweet but not cloying, and finishes sharp and bitter, but very flavorful and rich. Texture is prickly and snappy, with a lingering cherry flavored tobacco flavor. Very good, but a little too sweet.

Bottled. Amber coloured. Uncelar. Light brown head. Sweet and fruity aroma. Alcohol and some vinous notes. Quite dense. Flavour is somewhat spiced. Is quite herbal and full of alcohol. Fruits. Medium to full bodied. Alcoholdense herbal bitterness in end. Long lasting. Thanks to Sammy for this.

I found this to be a respectable blending of barley and sour mash. The aging in a Jack Daniels barrel left this thick, without carbonation, and without a head. But, who cares? The aroma had a soft, sweet caramel leaning, bolstered by chewy fruits, a slight bitterness, and a good whiff of bourbon. Creamy and warm in the mouth, the caramel turns to toffee, the hop bitterness increases, and the alcohol steps forward to say howdy. Nice bitter, alcoholic finish.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve Third Annual Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers, Chicago, IL 11/12/2005<font size=-1>

Copper color, with a hint of garnet. Small, stable beige head. Caramel, grapefruit, orange pumice soap and fortified wine scents. Nearly fizzy in feel. Sweet caramel and grapefruit zest dominate, while in the background, light spice and hints of alcohol wander about. This bomber is going to be a challenge tonight. A few english strong qualities. I taste children’s aspirin as well. Somewhat woody finish and linger is bitter and... yeah, just bitter.

Bottle: Caramel color, nice tan head, light lacing. Nose of vegetal hops, subtle caramel malts and melanoidins. The flavor is full and malty, light alcohol and some hop bitterness. Nice finish, not too sweet. Choice barleywine.