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AleSmith Old Numbskull

AleSmith Old Numbskull

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 Percentile 
99
overall
A Barley Wine brewed by
AleSmith Brewing Company

San Diego, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
6474.05/5.04.04/5.010%97Snifter P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Bottle conditioned.
Old Numbskull is AleSmith’s first barley wine offering. You may find the name "Old Numbskull" curious. Barley wine has its origins in England and tradition is to begin the name with "Old": Old Nick, Old Sampson, Old Jock, etc. Tongue-in-cheek is often the spirit in naming a barley wine. After drinking a glass or two, you may agree that Old Numbskull feels like a fitting description. It also reminds us of the Three Stooges, one of the greatest comedy teams of all time, so it's meant to bring a smile even before the first taste. Exotic fruit aromas, along with clean ethanol, caramel, honey and toasty notes are present in the nose. At five months of age, the Numbskull flavor begins malty and the hops become more evident from the middle to the finish and linger nicely in the aftertaste. The aroma notes also show themselves in the flavor.

1999 - waxed cap
2000 - dated as such. Pictured at left
2002 - Silver foil with electric blue design and NO filling in the anvil spaces
2003 - Silver foil with electric blue design and blue filling in the anvil spaces
2004 - same as 2003 but with "Alesmith" below the logo in white lettering.

 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 LinusStick (1596), Moon Township, Pennsylvania, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/102/516/20

Jun 8, 2007  
Aroma of malt and caramel. Pour was a dark brown with a nice 1 finger off white head. Tastes of alcohol, malt and molasses. Mouthfeel is a little thinner than most barley wines I’ve had but that’s a good thing. This has been aging about a year so there are some stronger malt notes present and the hops are coming through in the aftertaste. Most barley wines are too strong and alcoholic fresh. I’m glad that I cellared this for a bit

 doubleo (966), San Diego, California, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/104/517/20
Nov 27, 2008  
750ml bottle. Pours slightly hazy amber with a big, fluffy, offwhite head, spider web lace. Smells big and dark hoppy, citrus with a good dose of caramel malt and alcohol. Tastes very malty, sweet and caramel with a hint of cardboard and then the hops kick. Spicy and biting and then they fade to sweet with a tinge of bitter in the back of the throat. Full body, good carbonation.


 Taverner (517), San Ramon, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/104/516/20
Nov 20, 2008  
2007 Vintage: Very hoppy BW. And this bottle was cellared (but for only a year). Lots of dried fruit notes: apricot, prune and raisin as well as honey. Also a slight hint of soy. Has almost an ’Olde Ale’ flavor to it. Pours brown-amber with minimal head.


 Hophead22 (359), Redlands, California, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/518/20
Nov 17, 2008  
750ml bottle. Very dark brown pour with a little red tinge to it, very small tan head. Nice carmel aroma, dark, fruity and sweet. Nice flavor, of dark fruits. Some sweetness as well. Smooth and easy to drink, very good.


 AllAboutStout (595), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/514/20
Oct 31, 2008  
Pours a very dark burgundy in color. A very short lived head forms on the pour and is gone quickly. Smell is malty and alcohol. But to my chagrin, a large amount of hops as well. The hops are too prominent in the flavor. I was hoping for a low hopped ’’English’’ barleywine, which I prefer. The hops are just too much to get past to focus on the rest of the beer. My least favorite beer from an otherwise standout brewery.


 nbutler11 (275), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/517/20
Oct 29, 2008  
Pours a warm caramel color from the bomber with a creamy off-white head that leaves plenty of lacing. Loaded with sweet malts, orange rind, salt, and yeast. A bit too filtered for the style and my taste, but a definite treat.



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