Smuttynose Brett and I

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Ale
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Draught at Bar Great Harry. Poured a cloudy amber with a raggy head. Aroma tart and crisp, like lemons or green apple, with a bit of must. There was a crisp citric bitterness up front (dry hops?), which settles into a lightly sweet caramel malt flavor infused with a palatable sourness. Not all that funky, just a dry finish with some basement cloth character. I’m guessing this is the dry-hopped version, since I was left with the overall impression of drinking an IPA fermented with brett. Though I’m not a brett maven, I liked the overall result for better or worse.

Pale light orange hazy pour. Thick and long lasting head. Very strong fruity aroma, like apple juice and pears. Sweet winy taste with lots of fruit. Dissolves to a grainy cereal like taste with an alcohol finish. Not too much sourness to it.

Draft @ Max’s. Pours a murky, yellowish brown color; off-white head with gorgeous, fine-bubbled lacing, coating the glass. Pleasant aroma: slight lemony tartness, some minimal brett, yeastiness and Belgian sugars; solid, intricate stuff. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: relaxed brett, lemony citrus, breadiness and toasty malts, some Belgian sugar; a bit too heavy overall, this would be better with more time for the brett to settle in; sharp carbonation. Medium finish: lemony citrus, breadiness, and toasty malts; dry.

Tap at Mugs Ale House: Murky/dirty golden pour with some floaties. Yeasty & earthy aroma with some light lemon notes. The flavor has some subtle funk- but isn’t tart nor sour. This seems like it’s the dry-hopped version- due to the evident European peppery hop notes I detected. Light lemon-peel along with a twiggy earthiness and a hint of white pepper. Very light acidity in the finish. Not much going on, nothing really wrong with it, just got excited because of the name of this beer. Seems more like a hoppy Saison.

4/22/2008: Smuttynose Brett and I is cloudy golden in color with a small, off-white head that is mostly lasting. The aroma is fruity with some apple and a bit of spice to it. The flavor is also fruity with some apple, suble spice, and bubblejum. The finish has some bitterness as well as being dry and slightly sour. There is an under current of alcohol that is noticeable throughout. This beer is decent, but I think that it really needs more time so that the Brett can do its thing and allow the beer to fully develop...

Pint (draught) at The Publick House in Brookline, MA. Rating #10 for this beer...

Man this is a deceptive name, if you are going to throw the "Brett" into your name, first make sure there is a strong Brett presence please. This is the dry hopped version, not too familiar with the Saphyre hop though. Pours a hazy copper color. Has a medium head which leads to a surface covering lacing that sticks to the sides of the glass. Aroma is very subdued milky-lactic earthiness. Taste is herbal and well attenuated sweetness. Its pretty easy to drink and its a very decent Belgian. But I had to look very hard to find something resembling my idea of Brett, i would have never guessed otherwise.
Small Chimay goblet @ Downtown Bar & Grill.

Dry hopped version at Downtown Bar and Grill. Very cloudy amber/blonde beer with a creamy white head. Aroma is quite fruity. Sweet apricot and peach notes with a bit of earthiness and a soft herbal brett character. A light cologne brettiness on the back, but it’s kind of dominated by the hops. I think I’d like it better without the dry-hopping, but it’s still pretty tasty.

Draft of dry-hopped version at the Downtown Bar and Grill. Yellow-gold pour with some white head. Aroma is earthy straw malt, odd hops, and a tiny bit of funk. The flavor is the same, the malt is like sweet pale belgian malt, the light funk from the brett is still there, and the hops are slightly grassy in the finish. I think this beer would have been better without the dry-hopping.