Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale

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

Incredibly boring in the glass, although the head and lacing are considerable the color is lifeless and bland. The nose is barnyard funk but nothing else, and the flavor offers little but that funky quality and a lot of spicy pepper. I wanted to like this beer; I really love saisons, Smuttynose is a quality brewer, but ultimately I couldn’t support this too much.

22oz bomber. Pours a hazy gold with fairly persistent head an chunky lacing. Nose is pure brett funk, with a peppery hop character. Tart and dry on the rich fluffy palate, lemon peel, ginger, finishing with medicinal hops and sour alcohol. Not too over the top, quite balanced.

Bottle courtesy of Beerlando. Nose is light bready maltiness, some tart green apple and a little white pepper. Taste is the nose, with the green apple going a little sour/funky in the middle and a nice hoppy bite. Touch of heat tot he finish, but well-integrated. Nice saison where the yeasts provide the spicy/fruity flavors without cranking up the coriander, etc. Right up my alley, thanks Bryan.

Pours a slightly hazy golden with a tall sticky airy foamy mountainous froth. Odd, acedaldahyde, funky, just tons of tart grainy smith green apple, some hop spiciness, lightly doughy, sharp and tart. Flavor follows, seems like it would be nice without all the green apple, just so sharpely sweet and tart, hint of dough, nice spiciness, some funky hops, pretty nice if it didn’t taste like a granny smith. Medium light bodied, kinda chalky and sharp, seemingly acidic, fluffy crisp carbonation.

Thanks 17thfloor! Pours a lightly hazy glowing orange with a thick rocky turned creamy white head. Aroma is lemony, citric, some grassy, sort of sweet and sour candy. A bit yeasty and dry. Flavor starts with a mellow sweet sugary character but quickly bites through with a tart lemon zest and bitter herb earthiness. The spices really kick in to the finish and the throat with a slight booziness. Medium body and a soft carbonation. A little sharper and spicier than other saison’s I’ve had but I can dig it in its own way, just can’t love it.

Mushroomy on the nose is a true Belgian manner. Burnished and rich in the mouth. I think this is an excellent example of a Belgian-style US beer.

Cask (gravity) @ GBBF 09, Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England.
Unclear medium yellow - amber orange color with a average, frothy - fizzy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, moderate hoppy, citrus, light to moderate yeasty, barnyard. Flavor is moderate sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat. [20090805]

Bomber into a tulip. Pours pure orange with a big old white head. The flavor is sour with lots of spice and a bit of funk. A solid brew.