Smuttynose Julio’s Ry(e)an Ale

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Specialty Grain
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Serve in Shaker, Tumbler

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Bottle at a tasting. Reddish brown pour with some light tan head. Aroma full of spice, bourbon, some sweet caramel and of course rye, alcoholic tones apparent. Flavor has some sweeter tones, vanilla and caramel, bourbon, spice and rye tones.

Malty rye red ale base beer. The beer is a bit overshadowed by the barelling. The main taste is bourbon, vanilla, caramel and its quite nice. Its not overpowering but the base beer is a bit underwhelming. Loved the barrels they used for this but cant say i loved the beer.

Base beer is a sweet malty rye ale. Bourbon aging this type of beer is going to take it over but the bourbon used is awesome, elegant complex vanilla and bourbon all of the palate and nose of this beer. Lightest beer I have enjoyed from smuttynose. They usually can’t make anything that isn’t a porter or stout.

(22oz bomber acquired in a trade). Pours a hazy dark ruby/mahogany colorw ith thin tan head. Some nice, active carbonation. Aroma has some whiskey, green apple, ripe fruits, and some bourbon. Damn! This is a really tasty beer! Taste is sweet from the malts and the barrels. Again, the green apple and fruits and very visible which I didn’t think would be the case. Of course, there is the mix of rye whiskey and bourbon, but I think they work well together. The beer is fairly thin-bodied but the flavors have come together in a great way. This far surpassed my expectations.

Bottle. This one has been in my fridge for far too long, waiting to be drank. Poured into a snifter glass a dark copper clear color with a nice tan head. To me, the barrel is noticeable in the nose but not extreme by any means. I get more caramel and vanilla notes that the bourbon. Medium/heavy mouthfeel. The sweetness upfront is what grabs my attention first upon my first taste. Caramel followed by a warming alcohol and barrel notes. Some vanilla in the back end. Candy like.

bottle at home ... deep brown ... thin tan head ... soft toffee ... light passion fruit ... tropical fruit nose ... sweet toffee vanilla bourbon tones ... soft fruits malts ... light pineapple .. ok but not hing exciting... its not heavy bouron .. but its still too much for me

Bottle picked up at Julio’s courtesy of mixylplik3, thanks for the opportunity Matt. Pours a deep dark brown with deep garnet highlights and a huge off white head that slowly dissipates but never totally falls. Nice nose. Smell is sweet with candy sugar and dark fruit mixed with some vanilla oak and bourbon. Some light caramel/toffee in the aroma but no hint of rye that I could find. Taste is sweet up front, kind of reminds me of an old ale at first. Light caramel, toffee, and sweet cherries lead off the race but are quickly overcome by bourbon and oak. Spicy rye pokes its head up quickly but is shut down by a mild higher alcohol burn. Long lingering sugared dark fruit sweetness in the finish. Medium body and a surprising level of creaminess in the mouthfeel. Light to medium level of carbonation. I love what this beer can become, but I feel that right now the flavors are less than harmonious. The alcohol burn needs to mellow a bit and the flavors need to meld. I enjoyed this beer but I think with a little age this one will become fantastic. I wish I had more of this to age.

22oz Bottle shared at RIFT meeting. Big bourbony nose over some spicy rich grain. God this is good. A solid show of barrel over nice rich, spicy, malty complex grain base. Clean, bright and fresh. I love the barrel character and integration. The barrels and the booze balance the sweetness nicely for a refined, complex sipper. Excellent.

floral, vanilla, woody smell. really nice deep brown color. tastes like rose water though. for me, that’s a turn off. roses and saffron.

A clearish light brown beer, ugly. A light tan head ok retention, but watery lacing...The aroma is tons of bourbon, with rye and touch of spice. Too much bourbon for me, not balanced...The taste is more of the same, generic bourbon that most ok ba beers taste like, woodford reserve anyone? The bourbon dominates and I’m just not into it at all. Way to hot. Not worth trying.