AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Diego, California USA

Bottle at BCTC 2009: 2007 version. Muddy murky pour with a wispy tan head. Big sweet nose- buttery oak, toasted coconut, plum, darm thick caramel. Slick and warming body. Plummy and big with vanilla notes, buttery oak and still some hop character to offer resins in the finish. Pretty solid- drinkable despite it’s gravity.

Bottle shared by Dennis the awesome Stone rep (who would even later bust out a BA Speedway!) at BCTC. Pours a murky and milky brown. Bourbon and vanilla all over the nose, but not the isopropyl mess that the last BA beer I had from Alesmith was. Plum and prune notes throughout, and a little bit boozy.

Rating 200! Bottle, thanks to an exceedingly generous soul at liquid sunshine. Nose is simply gorgeous; bourbon, tar, caramel, toffee. More of the same on the palate, plus stewed fruit and heaps of tar. Surprisingly not boozy at all; just wonderful. One of the very finest beers I have had to date!

750ml Bottle thanks to Daknole. Pours a hazy brown with a small tan head. Nose is lots of brown sugar and caramel malt and a big old helping of bourbon. Very smooth balanced flavor with well hidden alcohol. Somewhat thick heavy body. Perfect layering of flavors and carbonation level. Fruit with heavy caramel and figs. Lots of bourbon but just right on that count. Hops are pretty much gone. Much much better than regular Numbskull since the hops are largely gone.

2002 Edition. Bottle 8/225. Pours a murky brown with some good tan foam on top - more carbonation than expected - that settles to a light film. Aroma is of dark fruit, candy sugar, a little vague. Flavor is very round: Very fruity, not too sweet, and the alcohol is very light. Less complex than expected. Mouthfeel was just average. I really enjoyed the regular Old Numbskull better. Overall, good.

2004 Bottle #129/227 shared with and thanks to drewbeerme! Pours a dark but clear reddish brown with basically no head and light carbonation. Huge oak aroma, coconut, ambrosia, big alcohol, massive barrel. Wow, is this one a sipper. Flavor is huge bourbon, alcohol, mellow in flavor but big in punch, lots of oak, coconut, some cotton-candy, great sweet candied barley taste, not much traces of Numbskull left, just a fantastic bourbon like sipper in its place with very subtle nuances 8.5. Thinner body, flat, no carbonation, perfect for the flavors though, smooth. Wish I had this one again!

Bottle sample courtesy of Dennis from Stone at BCTC 2009. deep maroon chestnut pour. Sweet malt, boozy, bourbony aroma. Taste was big time sweeter malts, bourbon barrel oakiness with light booze burn on the palate. Great beer. Come to NY Alesmith

750ml bottle, 2004 vintage, numbered 159 of 240. Sweet, malty nose, some trace of the bourbon remains but certainly not much, some rich toffee and pleasantly oxidized sherry notes, faint butterscotch, caramel, light fruit and faint oak. Semi-cloudy rosy amber color, very slight, settling head. Flavor profile is likewise very malty and sweet, lots of complexity, with earthiness, sweet toffee, cocoa, faint roast, wood, peppery alcohol, faintly herbal hop and rather minimal bitterness lurking in the background. Smooth, very low in effervescence after this much time, feel is coating but not overly so, shows some warmth. Body is hugely full. Some faint cherry late. Wow! Thanks a ton to herbjones for this.