AleSmith Old Numbskull

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

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

I thought the ’old foghorn’ was one of the best barley wines I had until I had this one. Sweety finish slightly fruity with a nice malty touch to it! Try it!

Very aromatic with glorious hop richness. Copper red with large tan head and good lacing. Flavor was smooth and balanced. This has to be the best barley wine I have ever tried! Exceptional in every way.

Old Numbskull is the best I’ve found! A big barley wine with a big hop head. The intensity and complexities of this strong ale are so well balanced... there is not much that can be said other than you gotta try this beer. I’m lucky enough to live close to AleSmith here in San Diego and I’ve just started the growler program. These guys have many fine award winning beers...but I keep my fill of ’the skull’ on hand. May the well never run dry!

Picked up while I was in california. I can find absolutely nothing objectionable about this barlewine, it would seem to be the most perfect barleywine I have ever tasted-intense in every way. Even the taste lingers in your mouth forever-beautiful. I only wish I could get this in Las Vegas..

UPDATED: AUG 21, 2007 Pours like liquid caramel w/ a full, creamy spattered froth hat just sits there. Suerb head retention never really reducing but leaves a thick and creamy downy canopy. Nice! Aromas of strict, crunchy hops dominate. Full nectar w/ relaxed 501 effers that create a soft cottony texture. This brew is bold yet refined w/ a defined sweetness. A huge hoppy character (Robo Hop)climbs from a deep subterranian chamber and fights it’s way through the malty sludge w/ battle axes whaling. Chopping, slicing, cutting yet in the end losing the battle but leaving it’s mark on the tabel of history. A very generous brew giving and giving again. Citrus rind sweetness w/ nuances of cherry, caramel, peach, leather. The finish is very long and sweet and has a mild bittering w/ a lingering asprin tingle that once was Robo Hop. Highly recommended.

2002 bottle. I received it as a wedding gift from my brother. Pours a nice ruby red with a bright white head which quickly fades from the top. Strong notes of malt and carmel, as well as rasin skins. Sweet attack which fades to a warm and sweet, mellow, malty finish. A wonderful, wonderful brew.

UPDATED: JAN 7, 2004 2000 Edition: Complex aroma that has bits of maple syrup and citrus fruits. Its hazy orange/brown color looks just as good as the gold painted bottle. The head is made of the smallest bubbles that I've seen in a while and they make some of the best lacing that I've ever seen. The palate deserves a 6, due to a unique creaminess that it has. The taste is restrained, perfectly balanced, and is capable of making you want to drink this gem too fast. Gusler, you are The Man and a million thanks to you!

Barley wines are usually 7-12% abv with some examples going even higher. Old Numbskull clocks in at a mighty 10% abv, and you might indeed be feeling like a numbskull, if you don’t be careful with this one. Know your limitations, and know when to say when with a beer this potent. Old Numbskull is a very traditional British inspired barley wine, and it pays tribute to the British classics, but with American/West Coast flare, is bolder in hop character and alcohol content than most British examples. This beer is brewed with imported Marris Otter and Crystal malts from the UK. It is then hopped with imported British Fuggles, then dry hopped with Mt. Hood and Centennial hops. Old Numbskull Barley Wine Ale pours to a beautiful, ruby red color, with virtually no head, and a soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is very inviting, with fragrant herbal and citrus hop aromas ,paired with aromas of plummy estery fruit, sweet malt, hints of pipe tobacco, and peppery alcohol. The palate is lush and full on the tongue with a multitude of complex flavors. Sweet malt, caramel, toffee, and butter scotch, marry with flavors of plum and peppery alcohol. Old Numbskull finishes with more complex malty and estery fruit flavors, then ends with some citrus hop bite, and a warming alcohol burn that lingers. This is a wonderful, relaxing, sipping brew, perfect as as a cocktail after work, an after dinner drink, or a nice beer to sip and relax with a good book or movie. It would work well with a number of rich deserts as well. Retailing for $10 a bottle, it is a very good value, and as stated, this beer can, and will improve with age.

UPDATED: JUN 20, 2003 Re-rate 6-20-2003. This review is for the 1999 vintage of Numbskull. This beeer is damn near perfection. Easily drinkable full of cherry and vanilla notes. Good hopping still after all these years. The beer is perfect the only thing holding me back from a 5 is the freaking cork breaking off and crumbling in one of the bottles.2000 edtion, poured a copper color with a medium sized tan head. Aroma is a very mellow malty/ caramel. I have to admit that I'm not a barleywine lover, but this is extraordinary! Sweet malty taste that is smooth and creamy. This is one of the best beers I have ever had. I tried Old Foghorn years ago and was determined not to try this style again but AleSmith is something I cant pass up. I'm gonna have to go and try some more barleywines now and see if I've been missing something.

Stay away if you don't want to get kicked in the ass. Beer pours light brown with huge head that sits ther and refusses to go away. Aroma is massive hops and malt. This is NOT a beer for the masses. Massive initial hop assault with significant malt sweetness. HUGE BEER. AWESOME.