AleSmith Old Numbskull

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

Serve in Snifter

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2002 Vintage - Big 750ml dark green bottle with a silver foil top- pours out to a magnificent deep russet brown color; great color, very leathery and deep with a thick light tannish head thats fluffy and lays down to a skim always present, mostly lasting through consumption and fades some to a thin ring, lace in thin sheets at first but then becoming spots later. Smell is all heft! Lots of thick malts, rich, caramel-tastic, darkly sweet and deep, some fruitly darkenedness with a heft of hops as well with piney resin thats highly floral and sweet. Nice alcoholic warmth much like a brandy over the top in the aroma as well. Yum! Aroma-rific! Taste is mellowing smooth and warm with a good amount of deep and thick malts, a bit chewy and lightly roasty sweet, good caramel and fainted earthyness, some darker fruits show through with plum and fig, some mango, all showing the true front of a barleywine; malty! Hops then come in with a super fine and resiny bitterness thats quite easy to handle and has some light pineyness and deep floral notes. Seemed to lose some complexity as it warmed, it really mellowed out. The mellowness made it much more easy to drink, but the enjoyment level dropped some though as far as the flavor punch. Solid soothing medium body feel with a smooth creamy lingering chewy finish with some warmth hidden well but acceptable in its presense of what is traceable amounts mostly coming through the nose. A nice mellow BW, some longer lasting body and flavor and this would stay year round in my fridge, not that it wouldn't now, I can't really get it here in MN, otherwise if it was I would.

(Bottle, 0.75 l, at Gallows Bird, 20120523) The beer poured mahogany coloured and clear. Its head was small and white. Aroma had malts, hops and sweetness. Palate was full bodied and warming with medium carbonation. Flavours were malts, fruitiness, tangerine, hops, mild sweetness and medium bitterness. Aftertaste was malty, hoppy and bitter. Low sweetness was really nice as were the fruity hops. Bit harsh.

75 cl bottle thanks to Rasmusott. The last beer at the tasting on 5/5/12, and I’m transcribing directly, and take notice of the regularity of the word "stuff". Hazy amber red pour, nice consistent off white head. Aroma has buckets of American hops, citrusy and piney - but aged! Nice caramel and raisins, lovely malt profile, sherry, tiramisu, a hint of ripe pineapple. The taste is just what an American barley wine should be - love malt profile - caramel, raisins, lovely malty stuff and a good deal of hoppiness - citrusy and piney (centennial and stuff) - lovely stuff!

Shared 750 ml bottle @ Cosmic Comic Cafe. Pours a a deep, dark, reddish amber with a medium, yellowish-brown head that leaves quite a nice lacing. Aroma is quite sweet with caramel, resin, molasses, some pith and pine, a hint of ethanol and dried fruit as well. Taste begins stingy pith and caramel with caramel and resin taking more space in the middle, grapefruit on the finish with some dried, dark fruits as well. Quite sweet though not too much. Palate is full, quite oily, a bit sticky.

Pours clear deep red with a beige head. Aroma is nice fruity hops, peach, plums, pine, darker malts, caramel, thick orange, weak resin and overall pretty american barley winish. Taste is ripe fruits, hops, pine, reish dryish bitterness, syrup, caramel, peach, thick orange and an overall fresh feeling to it! Drinkability is top notch!

Bottle from secret santa, pours a deep ruby/brown with a large khaki head. Aroma is doughy, figs, caramel, honey. Taste similar to aroma but sharp, with toffee and bitter hops on the finish. Very nice!

Pours cloudy golden brown color with an off-white head. Caramel and hoppy aroma. Flavor is smooth and dense hoppy and medium sweet caramel malty flavour. Fruity hops and mild spiced finish. Good stuff!

Reddish brown appearance with a big, tan head. Very nice, floral hoppy, toasty toffee, fairly sweet caramel malty aroma. Somewhat floral hoppy bitter, sweet, toffee, dark sweet flavor. Balanced and very nice.

Pours a reddish brown color with a tan head. Aroma apples, grapefruit and caramel malts. Taste is sweet with dark fruits and caramel/toffee. Very low carbonation and smooth. Medium to full mouthfeel.

Poured from the bottle. Poured light, with a nice white head, and thick lacing. Aroma is dark fruit, some ethanol. Flavor also has the dark fruity flavors, some heat with the alcohol. The beer is thick and oily.. Doesn’t finish as dry as I would expect, leaves some sweetness. But it is good. I do notice some bitterness from the hops. I am thinking citrusy hops.

Bottle @ home. Aroma is very rich malt, big hops and caramel. Flavour is sweet and malty, caramel, hops, spice. Awesome. Lazy rate great beer.