Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale (2008 and earlier)

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

Aroma malty, complex, somewhat reminiscent of apple cider. Flavour? Incredibly rich and complex...a very rich, warm, full malt flavour...very grainy and dark tasting. I am puzzled by the other reviewer’s comment that this beer is "simple". In my opinion, this is an extraordinarily rich and complex beer...very enjoyable. It is sweet but not too sweet for the richness, and it lacks unpleasant sourness. This is one of the best beers I’ve had in quite some time. The high alcohol content is very well-masked.

Cloudy dark copper body topped by a creamy medium tan head. Rather yeasty with lots of cake malts create a pleasant creamy body. That’s an Old Ale that could pass as a Belgian Ale. Very round in mouth. Flavours are of the earthy nature. Shy fruity notes and even shyer hops profile. My overall impression is a nice creamy body but a bit simple and not very flavourful. Like drinking a basic brown cake. It is a well brewed beer but it was energetic and exciting as, well, a really old brown dog.

draft- boozy, with some sweetness due to a serious malt presence. Not my favorite style, and I prefer the regular version.

Batch 1 bomber drunk on 5/26/07
A large, fluffy, beige head rises up and is retained quite well. Below this, a hickory-tinged mahogany body lies, with medium to medium-high clarity, though quite dark. Moderate lacing.
Very sweet and sticky in the nose, though some dry, nearly earthy, breadiness comes on late to somewhat mitigate this. But it’s chock full of toffee no matter how you look at it and with a fair bit of sticky caramel as well. Alcohol warmth is evident, and while this serves to aid in the balance, somewhat, it also cuts the aroma short a bit prematurely, leaving only some light phenol and sweet vanilla lingering.
Gooey, cakey-rich toffee and caramel unabashedly take over the flavor profile, while some dark chocolate-covered cherry notes and a light liqueur-like dryness add some complexity. A good amount of bitterness and some phenol-like astringency sit on the finish, with a moderate amount of overt alcohol. Even some coffee-liqueur and banana-like notes make their way in to the flavor, while the mouthfeel is soft and almost syrupy. Carbonation is moderate, not altogether tight, but ample enough to keep it somewhat drinkable.
I could do without the hop bitterness and alcohol, though, that’s for sure, and despite enjoying the well-extracted maltiness, it’s a bit forceful/blunt. I really don’t see this style as particularly enjoyable unless you are going to go the unfiltered, blended, polycultured yeast route with perhaps, some barrel aging. Otherwise it’s just too much like an amped up brown ale.

Pours a transparent nut brown color with amber hues and a foamy, lacing slightly off white head. Smells of fruit, candy and wood. Flavor is malty, sugary like candy, with a toffee and citrus balance. The finish is oily, slightly bitter and implies heavier alcohol that the label indicates. One tip, let this thing warm up to about 60degrees, it mellows the harsher tones in the flavor.

Bomber. Hazy orange/copper with a large head. Fair lacing. Good head retention. Aroma is nutty with grassy hops and some grain sourness to it. Taste is caramel with the sourness and a bit of bitterness from the hops. Medium to light body. It’s alright, but I won’t be buying a bomber again anytime soon.

Bottle. Year 2007
Appearance :Ruby red , brown amber . Tanned head reduced to very small fizz floating above
Aroma: Quiet bitter. Smooth and clan. Quiet pleasant nose .
Flavour/Palate: Medium full bodied .Sweet brown malts as background, hint of roast. Neatly balanced , smooth textures. Alcohol in friendly way warms up senses.

Clear amber with small, off-white head. The aroma is vinous, caramel and citrus. The flavor is grapefruit, caramel, cotton candy and plums. Medium/full body is round with soft carbonation.