Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale

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

Garnet-brown, aroma like raisins plumping in a glass of brandy, flavor like subdued hops and orchard fruits all simmered in syrup.

22 oz. bottle from 2006. A slightly hazy, cherry pour with a medium-sized British khaki head. Lots of hops and red apples in the aroma. Piney resin, grapefruit and some caramel in there too. Medium body. Much more balance than I expected from the aroma. Starts with some red apples and caramel and proceeds to some toastiness with vanilla extract. The finish is only slightly bitter and dry. It lingers though. Some burnt tastes at the end. Oakiness pervades throughout. The alcohol is nicely hidden and only pokes its head out at the end.

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.

Pours a translucent copper with a smaller creamy/bubbly off white head. Aroma of dark fruits, toffee, caramel, butterscotch and some hints of vanilla. Flavor of dark fruits, butterscotch, vanilla, nuts, light hop...not sure of the year for this bottle...my guess is a 2006 since it has seemed to mellow a bit.

2006 vintage - 22oz bottle via trade with porterhouse! - Thanks Kevin! - Pours copper with a short tan head that fades quickly to a ring and laces a little from there. Aroma is a nice sweet caramel with definite grapefruit and other fruity hops. Flavor is big and caramel sweet as well with a big grapefruit hop presence as well. Some pine there too. Couldn’t find the alcohol as I drank this bottle smooth in the mouth but also big and sweet but not cloyingly so. Pretty nice BW. I’m guessing it will age well if you can wait!

22 oz. bottle. Pours a hazy reddish brown with a moderate tan head that lasted through the first third of the glass and left a patchy coating of foam with each sip. Very pleasant aroma of caramel, oranges, and a bit of alcohol, particularly as the beer warms. The flavor is rich caramel malt and oranges with a bit of brown sugar. The finish is a bit brash with some heat from the alcohol, again especially as the beer warms. A very solid barley wine.

Very similar to the wheat wine actually. Cherry and strawberry open up right on the tip of the tongue and move across it. Into the back of the mouth comes the bitterness, but it is soft and balanced nicely with the malt. Hops stand tall, but not overwhelming. The malt is not a dark dried fruit flavor as in an english style, but lighter, brighter fruits connecting with the hops. Alcohol is subdued, but there’s a bit of a cardboardy flavor here. I’m not sure what that is but I feel like I’ve found it in other barleywines. It could be oxidation, but this bottle is pretty fresh. Very good beer, but not exceptional in any way.

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