AleSmith Old Numbskull

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

Deep redish brown with slight phenolic nose almost trappist like with backbone of hops, very rich toffee and malt flavour and hop presence. Excellent Mouthfeel. Great beer

Given the "big" beers I’ve had from Alesmith, this barley wine seemed not very extreme. While not groundbreaking, it is an extremely drinkable and pleasant barley wine. It pours a hazy, dull brown with virtually no head. Aroma is light hops with a significant caramel malt presece. Taste is also a lot of caramel malt, with a good amount winey oakiness. This beer hides its 11% ABV extremely well. Mouthfeel is fairly sophisticated and complex, better than most champaigns I’ve had. This is the most drinkable barley wine I’ve ever had.

Pours a bright reddish orange with a very suttle white head. Sweet malts, light cherries, a prevalant alcohol in the smell. heavy on the hops with a nice blend of malts, chocolate, caramel as well. A little bitterness is detected in the finish which matches nicely. Very well done.

Bottle.Not sure which vintage, silver foil and blue design. Pours with a brown color and a nice light brown head. Aromas of fruit and raisins. The flavor is not as hoppy as claimed, but rather dominated by malts. Again the raisins and plums come through, and of course some alcohol notes. Nice mouthfeel and finish, very smooth.

From a silver foiled wrapped neck and cap, green 750 ml. bottle, mine is the one with electric blue design and the blue filling in the anvil spaces, so 2003 vintage, a blurb and serving instructions on the back of bottle, poured carefully to leave the sediment in bottle, sampled at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. Poured a hazy golden orangey hued bright amber with a tiny off-white head that quickly settled into a fine lacing, very minimal amount of sticking. Aromas of caramel and raisins with figs, lightly tropical fruity as well, floral and ethanol alcohol. Good moderate carbonation and a crisp, dryish alcohol, velvety smooth fullish medium bodied mouthfeel, close to perfect for the English barley wine style. Pleasant sipping ability, delicious and balanced taste, raisin, plum and a light fig fruitiness, a subtle caramel with a honey sweetness, a soft tropical fruity hoppiness emerges towards the middle, a nice, cushy bitterness, the alcohol has an ethanol-like flavor, mild, but warming in the palate, and a dry, sweet malty, fruity alcohol finish. This was a bottle I acquire in late 2005 and forgot about, left to age in my basement, an excellent example of an English-style barley wine, well done.

slightly hazy amber with a nice tan head that leaves a thin film. aroma nicely balanced rich malty dried fruit and piney hops. warm alcohol and dried berries as well. bittersweet spicy flavor. caramel and dried fruit with a nice hop presence. spicy bitter dry finish. warm alcohol. creamy carbonation. fairly thick. very good barley wine.

nose caramel and alcohol. flavor is smooth caramel and bisccuit. quite tasty not hoppy enough though

A fantastic beer. Very mellow and malty to start out with but has a nice bittering finish to the beer. The aroma is sweet and caramely. At this moment I cannot think of a better barleywine that I have had. Although I am sure that I have not found the best quite yet. Very good beer. ---re-rate--- Fresh bottle. Lots of alcohol, sweet caramel, and some pine hops. This beer is still very good. I’ll keep the rating as is. ---re-rate--- Fresh bottle. 8-21-2009 Thanks Dave (Strykezone). Aroma is slightly oxidized, but it works in this. Very ripe caramel and fruity yeast. Caramel, non-aggressive hops- well, balanced. The yeast profile really makes this beer. Yum.