Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale (2008 and earlier)

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

If I had my way, future civilizations will remember us chiefly by one image: a dog in a chair on a beach. The beer pours deep russet brown with a smallish off-white head. Malty aroma—raisin, fig, toffee—with a hint of alcohol. Lush flavor, almost like the first moments of a J.W. Lee’s Harvest. It all dies out too quickly, though, and the beer seems content to let us dream of all that might have been. The inappropriate lightness is made more glaring by overcarbonation. Potentially great, kinetically disappointing. Big improvement, however, as it warms and flattens.

Poured brown with off white head. Aroma of sweet malt. Good malt flavor with a tad bit of fruit in the finish. Some hop presence along with chocolate. Nothing overpowering.

Pours dark amber into a tulip. Offwhite head slowly recedes to skim surface. Chocolate and date aromas. Lightly carbonated and thin with tangy dark caramel upfront and a sweet, lasting nutty hop finish.

Amber colour. Very hazy. Nutty, figgy aroma with deep caramel. Big body. Chewy, with heavy caramel notes and accents of nuts, apple skins. Robust earthy bitterness carries this beer.

Saw this in the store the day after I tried it on tap, so I figured I would see what I thought of the bottle. Pours a very slightly clouded dark amber brown. Nose is slightly nutty. Flavor is on the bitter side. That nut edge comes through too, but doesn’t seem to do anything good for it. Feel is thin. Not a lot of carbonation. Drinkable? I guess. Without even checking, I know I appreciated this much more on-tap. Oh well. Experiment over.

Medium sized light tan head, retention is good with decent lacing. Lightly hazy brown with a red glow. Nose is nicely fruity with notes of caramel and maybe somee cocoa. Medium body, coating on the palate, nice carbonation, gentle. Medium sweet malts, caramel a hint of chocolate, bready with a pleasent fruitiness, maybe some citrus notes swimming around also, lightly earthy. Lightly sweet finish, malty and lasting. A swell drink! Bomber acquired a statelineliquors.

Cloudy, chestnut colored appearance with a medium size, off white head and modest lacing. Rich, fruity, caramel malt aroma. Earthy, chewy, malt laden taste with layers of of toffee, molassas, dark fruits and nuts. Full bodied, affably carbonated mouthfeel leading to a lingering, long lasting finish. Drink at room temperature for enhanced flavors.

(22oz bottle, vintage 2007) Lovely medium beige head that leaves nice lacing, atop light hazed copper body with yeast flecks at the glass bottom. Aroma is moderately sweet, toffee/caramel, some wood, sherry, light cherry. Taste is moderately sweet, toffee/caramel, some cognac, wood, bittersweet chocolate, earthy/grapefruit. Soft and very smooth medium-full body. Excellent sipping beer.