Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale

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

22 ounce bomber - $5.49 at Hop City in Atlanta, Georgia. Bottle-conditioned in: 2009. A nice "pssst!" upon opening, as if it had a deep, dark secret to tell. Go on, Farmhouse Ale, unburden yourself and spill those beans for me. Appearance: Pours a cloudy, orange-golden body with a large, meringue-like, off-white head despite a relatively gentle pour. Continuous streams of effervescence throughout. Smell: It’s a bold, busy aroma where everything is vying for your attention -- everything from malted barley and wheat, non-frosted cake, fresh-picked orchard fruits, Curaçao liqueur, and plenty of spices. Taste: Tastes like a sweetish mixture of crisp pils and soft wheat malts smoothed over with a touch of candi sugar. Small hint of fresh pound cake in there as well. Initial fruit tastes of apples and tart pears, but soon an orange citrus character joins the fray and eventually overtakes the other fruit flavors. The yeast provides a particularly bold spiciness to the beer, giving an impression of finely-ground cloves and pepper. The hops provide an additional rustic spiciness and a fair amount of sweetness-countering bitterness. The finish provides a taste of cake soaked in spices and fruit liqueurs with some warming, soothing alcohol lingering into the aftertaste. Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Highly carbonated providing for a rather zippy mouthfeel. Drinkability: A bold, warming, bubbly affair, for sure, and, while good, I feel I’d sooner reach for a standard Saison Dupont. Still though, it is worth a try.

Septemberfest. Sample from a bottle thanks to Suttree. Light yellow-orange with a white puffy head. Aroma is spicy, oranges, sweet. Taste is again sweet, fruity oranges, spicy finish.

22 oz bomber - pours an orange color with lots of head and lacing. Aroma of citrus, spices, grass and fruit. Taste is sweet, citrusy, and fruity with some yeast as well. Nice smooth Saison that delivers as I have found most of the Smuttynose brews do. This is a very nice brew that doesn’t break the bank. I could drink this one again (and again).

22oz Bottle. A very well carbonated, pillowy pour of straw gold and crisp fine white head above. Aroma sends off a peach and apricot ester glow over some wheaty malt base and nice snap of yeast-based spice. Good. Flavor is expressive, if a touch hot. A bit of vibrant green peppercorn and tarragon, blended back with a touch of vermouth and some rum barrel. I love the high level of carbonation and the foamy explosiveness. It really gives the beer a fresh feel. Finishes on a brisk, grassy and green pear skin bite. Nice balance. As it warms and opens up more, it gives off a lot of apple tones.

Gold pour with a large white fluffy head. Light clove aroma with a hint of brown sugar. Semi sweet malt with a nice clove flavor. Medium bodied with nice carbonation. Very nice

Weak banana aroma. Milky golden with an enormous light yellow head. Pears, white grape, and spider web flavor, vinous. Dry and bitter finish. Thin body. A bit off balance, but still enjoyable. Pairs pretty well with Gouda fondue.

Bottle from Septemberfest. Cloudy gold with a lasting creamy foam. Nose of banana, white wine and funky farm. Taste is the same with a tad of toasted nut and brown sugar. Light-medium body is smooth and dryish.

Gravicask, one-third pint. Unclear, orange body and a minimal head. Smell of hay and spicy hops. Hoppy-herbal characteristics in flavour with a touch of yeast and a nice lingering bittersweet finish. Good (GBBF, 05.08.2009).