Pleased to see this beer make it to Hop City, Atlanta, GA. 22 oz bomber. Obviously I was thinking that this would be an Imperial Brown Ale, but apparently it is categorized as an Old Ale here. Pour is a murky brow, Dubbel like color. Not especially attractive and I would love to have a beer that showed a really beautiful, reddish brown clarity. Head was fine, but it disappears quickly. It's a shame that beers with higher ABV's cannot produce better heads. The nose gives up a LOT of chocolate....
Notes on beers brewed by
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Smuttynose Big A IPA (Big Beer Series)
I've been waiting to try this for many years, and after the initial influx of Smuttynose to Georgia this finally came into the seasonal rotation a few days ago. $4.99 for the bomber from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. This beer essentially "does what it says on the can". The pour is a classic, American DIPA orange body with good clarity and plenty of thick, high, white, fluffy head. Lacing is extremely good considering the ABV. Nose and tastes give that oily, sinus clearing, hop-resin...
Smuttynose Imperial Stout (Big Beer Series)
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2009 bottling from earlier this year. Been holding on to this for a few months, tonight was the night to crack it open. Into the Terrapin snifter in a number of pours. Simple stuff on the pour; black as night, mocha head, medium in size. Simple and as expected. Nose at first gives a bready like aroma but this soon gives way to a quite aggressive, medicinal hop base against a background of a touch of solvent alcohol. This beer drinks very harshly...
Smuttynose Star Island Single
Having spent a large part of my beer drinking youth in Belgium, and visiting literally scores of times over the years, AND have the privilege of hanging out with some natives, I grew to really appreciate and enjoy the art of the simple Belgian Pale Ale, AKA the "Single". A style that is not easy to catch up with in the USA with its obsession with huge ABV beers, but the kind of thing that one could expect to buy in a gas station in BE. Enough reminiscing and back to THIS beer; 12 oz bottle as...
Smuttynose Gravitation (Big Beer Series)
Bought this 22 oz bottle a couple of months ago at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. I've been holding on to it for a little while waiting for the moment that I felt like drinking a bomber full of a Quad - last night was that time. Beer poured with a lovely, reddish hue with some real deep brown highlights. The head was decent on the aggressive pour and the foam left behind was creamy and made of fine bubbles giving a really smooth experience. Nose revealed virtually no alcohol but there were plenty...
Smuttynose Baltic Porter (Big Beer Series)
22 oz bottle, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. $5.49 I think. Pour is non-profoundly jet black with the requisite head. Solid if unspectacular. Nose is very malty but a LOT of alcohol. The alcohol theme is taken into the taste. Alcohol is the main feature with a touch of roastiness and some light charcoal. Alcohol makes repeated appearances but the whole package ultimately smooths out to be drinkable. It drinks every bit of its' 8.7%. Bitterness drops a number in the finish too. Light alcohol burn...
Smuttynose Maibock (Big Beer Series)
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA a couple of weeks ago. Bottle conditioned in 2009; notched on the label. Pour is a quite distinct yellow, golden affair with some big, frothy head. Not a huge amount of lace but this is probably at least a small function of the ABV. It looks great in the Tucher Weizen, 500 mL glass - then again most beers do! Nose and tastes are surprisingly sweet with a hoppy back-end. I get some pineapple and other tropical fruits and this reminds me a little of a...
Smuttynose Winter Ale
12 oz single from The Charleston Beer Exchange, Charleston, SC, USA. Solid garnet pour with a standard (typical) Dubbel cloudiness but a little more red color than the traditional dirty brown. Thin foam and some sticky lace. I must admit I wasn't expecting a "Dubbel" or any Belgian influence on the Smutty Winter offering. Very sweet with some sour notes. Pretty interesting. Not a traditional Dubbel by any means, but strangely tasty. A mix of grapefruit and candy sugar. Very nice. Moreish, this...
Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale (Big Beer Series)
2007 vintage (I think). 22oz bottle as part of a trade with BA... Thanks. Shared with a few of the usual suspects at The Brick Store. Nice, clouded ornage pour with a smallish, bubbly, light head. Not much head to speak of but it does leave a very nice sticky lace on the glass. Considering the ABV it's a pretty good looking effort. Nice combo of sweet sugars, alcohol and hops in the nose. As expected. Alcohol is not really HUGELY upfront but it still seems a little hot. To be honest I think...
Smuttynose Robust Porter
12 oz bottle from a trade some time ago! This one has been sitting in the DBF for a long time, but I am happy to report, that (as expected), this has aged beautifully. Notche (approx.) best before April 08. Jet black pour and a huge, mocha head, this basically looks like a BIG RIS. (It lacks the depth of mouthfeel of a RIS, but outside of that it resembles one in many other ways). Head is beautifully maintained, creamy and produces some great lace. Lots of roasted chocolate notes in the nose...
Smuttynose Wheat Wine (Big Beer Series)
This came from State Line Liquors. $4.99 for the 22oz bottle. Like most, I have very little experience with Wheatwines, and the only one I recall from the reccent past being Harpoon/The Bros. Triticus - this seemed very different. A very still, viscous orange body with no head or lace but some nice alcohol legs in the wine tradition. Big solvent alcohol in the nose. The taste smooths out a little, but not a great deal. Has the alcohol edge that you might expect from an American Barleywine, but...
Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale (Big Beer Series)
=== Updated Review 08/09 === 22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. $5.99 (I think) for the bottle. Poured into an oversize wine glass that I picked up in Raleigh, NC a couple of weeks ago. Pour is a vivid mustard, clouded body that sits underneath a really high, rocky head. Lace is excellent. Good looking. Nose reveals very little other than a sweet, alcohol laden honey note. This is still a really hot beer, especially when you consider the style. It continues to drink every inch of...
Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale
12oz bottle as a single in a recent trade - apologies I can't remember who, but thanks. Light amber, solid head and thinnish sticky lace. Slight chill haze and cloudy nature. Simple balance, sweetish malts, easy drinking and well put together. Mild tang (citrus hops) in the finish, but fairly small and light. Soft mouthfeel. Very little to report here other than a well made, simple APA that turns no heads but is still a nice example. Everyday drinking and close to sessionable.
Smuttynose Hanami Ale
12oz bottle as part of a recent trade (Bleedingshrimp? Sorry I forgot). Dirty, rust colored pour, very murky. No head retention - little lace. Not attractive at all. Mild sour notes. Not much aroma to speak of. No distinct cherry flavor, but a slight sour fruit based note. Finishes bitter and tart. Not very interesting, not my cup of tea.
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale
12oz bottle, thanks to a recent trader - apologies, I forget who. Slightly murky pour, this lacks the absolute clarity that I usually look for in my Brown Ales. Some chill haze. A little lace, but the head fades pretty quickly. A good sweetness, with some alcohol. Good, strong malts as one should be expecting/looking for, and a pretty solid package. Although not a real problem, a little too much alcohol seems to be prominent for my liking. Simple brew, nice job.
Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager
Thanks go out to someone for a recent trade (you know who you are). 12oz bottle. Lively pour with a lot of initial carbonation. Fine bubbles. Very good head and lace and some persistent carbonation. Light honey colored, hazed body. Creamy mouth feel from the fine carbonation. Some biiterness sits against the substantial malt backbone. Not a sharp bitterness, rather a linger dull bitter profile. A little metallic in the finish, certainly lacks much of a sweet touch. Drinkable, but more like an...
Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale
Thanks to Silentsabre for thinking of me on this one. Chill-hazed, bright orange pour with what seems to be an unfiltered look about this beer. Head goes quickly but there is some sticky lacing. Mild spice in the aromas and fairly mild in the taste too. The finish is really very citrus peel bitter - almost soap like. I was a little taken aback by the sharp bitterness in the end. Lingers a little. Not unpleasant, just more than I was expecting. Nice mouthfeel and drinkable and refreshing. A...
Smuttynose S’muttonator (Big Beer Series)
Super, slightly viscous red/brown pour with a small head and some sticky lacing. A threatening toffee alcohol nose that sets the table for the tastes. Big and bold up front, with caramel, toffee and sugary sweetness dominating. However, there is a modicum of "extra" experience in there with alcohol being prominent (but still under control - just) and some spice character. I get some ginger too. Finishes sweet, long and strong. Lovely example of the style, slightly atypical with the spice...
Smuttynose IPA “Finest Kind”
Light colored with an orange base, pretty clear with an excellent head and some lovely, layered lacing. Very fresh hops, green and young on the nose and on the palate. This drinks very citrusy, with a serious grapefruit taste. It is really quite bitter with a dry, puckering finish. Fairly clean and refreshing, but the acute bitterness could get rather grating after a while I feel. The bitterness makes this very "non-sessionable".