Smuttynose Oak-Aged Barleywine

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

Poured a hazy, dark red color with a thin off white head that left very light lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, bourbon, citrus, dried fruits, caramel malts, and a bit of oxidized sherry. Taste was more vanilla, with caramel, bourbon, dried fruits, smoke, green apple, and light alcohol. One of my favorites from STS yesterday.

Tap at Mugs for STS 07. Pours a nice medium clear amber with a thin film of a head with some lacing. Aroma is rich in sweet caramel malts, lots of oak, nuts, vanilla, very light on the bourbon which was nice, and slight ester profile. More candied dark fruits in the flavor complimenting the sweet but restrained malts, more oak and vanilla, light bourbon increases as it warms and has a nice smooth lasting finish.

Date: 02/10/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Extreme Beer

hazy amber, wispy beige head, nice sweet aroma with lots of oak and traces of vanilla in addition to the dark caramel malts and earthy hops followed by an abundanceof ripe dark fruit, rich dark malt flavor, sweet fruit, nice earthy hops, lasting bitter finish, only half the character found in the wonderful aroma but over a full pint the results would probably be much better,

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Tap at Blind Tiger. Poured dark amber with slight off-white head. When warmed up a bit, the aroma was very much barrel influenced; bourbon and vanilla; along with dark fruits and malt. Taste-wise, the bourbon was well-tamed and melded very well with the other flavors the barleywine had to offer; dark fruit, caramel, slight citrusy hop presence. Went down real smooth. An excellent brew.

On tap at blind tiger. Nice strange malt oak aroma. Dark and cloudy with no head. Vanilla taste with a malt finish. Creamy palate in the beginning.

2004 Vintage on tap at the Barley Pub. Reddish brown pour. last beer of the keg. Nose was vanilla and woody sweet malt. Some bourbon but not overpowering. Mouthfeel is overwhelmingly awesome. Creamy and smooth, the aging has done this beer good. Rich sweet flavor with some definite woodiness and great vanilla. Whiskey booziness rounds this out. Warming and delicious.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Deep amber-brown beer. Thin white head. Aroma is quite nice. Sweet rich caramelly malts, vanilla and toffee with lots of soft oakiness. It’s got a nice balance of rich sweet malts, sweet bourbon. Chewy and toffeeish with good integration of the oak and the beer itself. Nice PNW hops that are a bit faded but still make their presence known. Very tasty.

Tap at Blind Tiger for VSK night. Flat brown pour, with a big roasty bourbon aroma and much chocolate. Smooth and balanced bourbon BW flavor. A bit of vanilla in the flavors rounds this out. Very hot, but still goes down easy.