Smuttynose Star Island Single

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

Smuttynose Star Island Single is a cloudy golden ale with a small white head that fades to a splotch. The aroma is bready, wheaty and fruity with notes of lemon, banana and allspice. It’s medium bodied and smooth with a crisp finish. It has a lemony twang that made me think this was made with wheat. There are notes of figs, prunes, cherries, cloves and coriander. It’s hard to decide if it’s actually sweet or not. There’s lots of flavor. It’s fruity at first and then it gets spicy. Not bad.

Not one of the better Smuttynose beers I’ve tasted, and certainly not one of the better Belgian-style beers either. The beer poured a dark golden color with virtually no head. Obviously there wasn’t any lacing left around the glass. The nose was dominately malty, with some bready character, along with some grass, light citrus and coriander. The body was very light with a semi-sour overtone. Some of the flavors were of bread, spices, grass, hay and light malt. Definitely not a beer worth sampling again.

bottle. pours a nice unfiltered blonde with a small white head. citrus and spice aromas with a touch of Belgian yeast... medium body with yeast and slight spice notes across the palate... average carbonation... nice finish with a bit of malt notes in addition to some yeast. very drinkable blonde Belgian ale with some good flavors.

Bottle in Brooklyn. Nice amber body with slight head. Sweet and dry nose. Taste quite bitter, with lots of hops. Finish quite dry with plenty of citrus. Nice one.

I think I may have held onto this one a bit too long. Picked it up during a big haul 6 or 7 months ago and forgot I had it. Here goes nothing. Best before September 2009. Pours lightly hazed gold with a thin and quickly dissipating head. Smells of overripe banana, faint spicing, faint grass. The flavor is vegetal with a touch of herbalness to it. The palate is crisp and refreshing. Finishes quite weak. As soon as the beer leaves your tongue so does any flavor. I didn’t really care for it but I will give it a few extra points due to my tardiness in drinking it.

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a hazy golden-amber color with a small white head that faded quickly. The aroma was tangy, sweetish and a touch earthy with faint dry spices. The flavor was tart, bitter and a bit dry with light citrus and a hint of musty spice. Dryish citric and musty finish. Medium body. Struck me as a decent belgian wit. Solid.

12 oz bottle. Poured a muddy orange amber with a smaller white frothy head. Aroma of citrus rind, lemon, uncooked dough, wet bread and slight spice. Flavor is one dimensional focusing on grainy doughy malts with cheap citrus malts towards the end. Pretty lousy attempt from Smuttynose on this one.

Not bad, just not exciting. Kinda thin with only a tint of flavor. I expected better than this.