Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale

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

Pour deep mahogany amber with thin dense khaki head...smell is quite hoppy with some sweet caramel notes...taste was richly hoppy and very piney...bittersweet alcoholic finish...

needs to mellow some,(it has) fig/date/prune flavor up front. I would have guessed the alchol was closer to 10 than 7 and it could have been better hidden. (still there but aging has helped) rerate from 12-15

Pours a deep copper color with a thin head.Sweet fruit aroma.The alcohol was present here but not overwhelming.The dark fruits appeared to balance it out.A small alcohol burn at the end, but overall a good brew.

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.

22-oz bottle received via trade with beastiefan2k. Pours hazy tawny with an average, fizzy and frothy, off-white head, mostly lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (bread, cookie), heavy hops (flowers, grass, citrus), heavy yeast (earth, dough) with notes of pineapple, peach, pear, and brown sugar. Medium bodied, sticky texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Average duration, moderate sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.

Bomber from my cellar. Pours brown with a tan head. Nose is sweet with big notes of dried fruit. Taste is sweet and malty and caramelly. Over all a bit more cloying than I’d expect.

Pours a hazy copper color. Caramel, grapefruit alcohol aroma. Taste is sweet and syrupy and strongly hopped. Zesty, but lacking in complexity

05’ Keg.Tap at Blind Tiger. Poured a light mahogany with a thin head. I found this to be very smooth with the alcohol well hidden, I am sure the aging had much to do with that.Sweet and rich flavor, with hints of raisins and dark berries. This is of the more cognac/wine like barley wines, as opposed to the hoppy types.