AleSmith Old Numbskull

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

Serve in Snifter

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Pours golden orange with a small off white head. Nose is citrus, English toffee, caramel, peaches and wood. The taste is big sweetness with a medium bitterness that gives it amazing balance. The texture is sticky and a bit astringent. The body is heavy and the finish is long. Very good. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Sample at the Blarney Wine tasting on 03/16/2013: Murky reddish-brown color with a medium thick off-white head that diminishes slowly. Patchy lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, piney hops and malt. Full-bodied with flavors of earthy malt, figs, caramel and resiny hops. The finish is sweet with a caramel malt and dark fruit aftertaste. Shocked that it has taken me so long to try this well-executed Barley Wine.

750ml bottle. Pours a clear reddish amber with light tan head and lacing. Aroma is so, so resinous. Buttery caramel underneath but this is all about the hop presence. Lots of grapefruit and berry character. Maltier on the tongue with more buttery caramel. The hops neutralise most of the sweetness which might be preferable for some but I prefer my barley wines to be sweet. It’s nice and balanced but the flavours don’t seem particularly complex, but then maybe I’ve been spoilt by some great barrel aged examples. Apart from these quibbles this is solid and well-made stuff from AleSmith as usual.

Thick foamy head misty dark rich salmon pour soft carbonation aromas apricot peach pine grain caramel hay dryness toffee brandy the flavours floral peach apricot pine sweet grain caramel cognac hay toffee rich citrus medium strong bitter taste good balance flavours outdo the alcohol finish crisp like tastes on palate rich resiny hop mix liger sharp maltiness sweetness grain smooth alcohol very nice

Copper with a large pale beige head that laces well. Aroma of toasty caramel, dried fruit, spices, peach, a little mango. Just syrupy, lowish carbonation. Sweet with fruit and slightly buttery toffee, floral and spicy hops. Bitterness is firm but pretty much balances the sweetness. Alcohol is obvious, but not egregious. Well balanced but clean to a fault. Film pairing: Invasion of the Body Snatchers. [edit] What charmless rubbish.

Stupendously fruity (some from hops, and some from malt, candy sugar mid-palate, and a very nice, long hoppy, dry finish, silky, smooth body.

Wow. Its hard to pick this apart considering it holds all the qualities of the things I love. Malts sweetness and hop aroma. But it isn’t overly "syrupy" or excessively sweet. So right in its balance. Really perfect.

What struck me initially was I thought this tasted similar to the brewdog harcore IPA. It is medium to full bodied, with a hoppy floral aroma and a malty background with honey sweetness. The mouth feel is lovely, very smooth & perfectly carbonated. As it warms is has a whiskey quality to it. Amazing beer.

Bouteille 750ml (2003), courtoisie de Hogtownharry ou Blankboy. De couleur ambrée très foncée et légèrement voilée. Nez fruité (prunes, raisins, pêches, léger de cerises et d’agrumes), malté de caramel toffee sucré, léger d’alcool liquoreux, de malt rôti de et de houblon résineux aux notes citriques avec des notes de sucre brun, de vanille et de pain. Ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen une texture riche, légèrement crémeuse et sirupeuse. Goût assez fruité (raisins rouges vineux, prunes, léger d’agrumes sucrées, notes de pommes, de figues, de pêches et de cerises), avec des notes de vanille lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté de caramel toffee sucré légèrement rôti avec des notes de sucre brun et de pain parallèlement à un goût amer de houblon résineux, légèrement citrique et herbeux. Progressivement un goût d’alcool moyen réchauffant (notes liquoreuses et vineuses) vient se rajouter et accompagné de notes de sucre brun puis en finale, l’amertume de houblon est plus herbeux (notes terreuses). Post-goût long et un peu sec, moyennement amer d’alcool, de houblon résineux et herbeux avec un goût fruité (pelures de prunes , notes de zeste d’agrumes).

Clear reddish brown, great creamy foam, tons of lacing. Risk molasses and nut aroma. Flavor is surprisingly hoppy after sitting in my fridge for almost a year. Cherry, vanilla, nut as well. Somewhat boozy but not too much. Good, maybe not something i would drink a lot of though.