Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale (2008 and earlier)

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Old Ale
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Source:22 oz bottle from a tasting in Nashville.
Glass:Fullers snifter.
Appearance:Clear amber pour with a one finger beige head.
Aroma:Caramel, toffee and vanilla.
Flavor:Caramel, toffee and vanilla present, with a subdued fruitiness.
Palate:Medium/full body with mild carbonation.
Overall:The only thing this one lacked was a bit of body. Very good beer.

2008 bottle. Pours lighter than expected with brief head. Aroma of caramel, toffee, vanilla. Flavor is smooth, caramelly vanilla. Almost tastes like there’s some barrel aging though I dont think there was any. Fruity finish. This is pretty interesting. Surprisingly light for an old ale.

Thanks kiefdog for the share. Pours brown with a soapy/ foamy head. Nose is caramel, raisin, booze, brown sugar, and a slight bitterness. Flavor is malt, raisin, bitterness, vanilla, and some fruit character. Medium-bodied and lingering with sugary sweetness closely followed by bitterness. Pretty good old ale.

THOUGHTS: Wow. Very intense, yet drinkable at first. It soon became a bit cloying. Maybe aging will take care of that. Nice, but it could be way better. So much fruit. Way more fruit in the flavor than in the aroma. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark brownish red that was sort of mahogany. It was bright red in the light with an average to large creamy, khaki head that mostly diminished and left good lacing at first, but soon it was only fair. The aroma was heavy caramel. molasses and tobacco, light to moderate hops, red wine, maple syrup, brown sugar, alcohol, candy, candy sugar, dark fruits, light fruit, lots of fruit, caramel and candy coated fruit, and a light touch of that barley wine-like aroma. The initial flavor was rather sweet and a little acidic; while the finish was very sweet, a little sour and bitter with a long duration. There was caramel, molasses, syrup, dark fruits, slight chocolate, tobacco, port wine, that barley wine taste, some sour fruit, candy sugar, some earthy hops, lots of different fruit, a laundry list of fruit including coconut. Just a smorgasbord of fruit. The medium to full body was quite syrupy with fizzy carbonation and a metallic, lightly astringent, lightly alcoholic and dry finish.

Pours a nice dark chocolate brown color with a thin, foamy beige head. Roasted malty aroma with cocoa/chocolate, sugar and dark fruit notes. Nice choclate malty flavor that is kind of similar to a tootsie roll. Strong chocolate presence along with hints of fig, dark fruit and alcohol. Slightly sweet with a spicy dry finish.

A red brown pour with creamy off white head and lace. Rich sweet roasted malt aroma and earthy hops. Sweet malt a hint of abv with a light/medium bitter. Medium bodied and just slightly over carbonated for me but still real good.

22 oz. bottle of the 2008 vintage. Pours a deep amber with a small, very light tan head. Big boozy fruit nose with lots of tree fruit, a little yeast, and earth. Powerful nose. I am really surprised this one is only 7%. Medium-high carbonation with a medium-rich mouthfeel. Lots of sweet boozy fruit, wood notes, caramel, nuts, and a pretty powerful bitterness on the palate. Medium, boozy finish. I would be interested to see if some of alcohol dies down with further aging. Not bad, but there are better old ales out there.

22 oz bottle, 2007 Vintage, via Cletus. Pours a clear dark amber body with a one finger fizzy beige head that fell top a thin film. Heavy toffee and caramel malt nose with maybe a touch of oxidation creeping in. Some light cocoa notes as well. It almost tastes like a bit of a thinner version of Thomas Hardys. Lots of toffee maltiness, some dark fruits, with just a little bitterness on the back end. Light oxidation in the flavor as well. Seems like there’s a bit more alcohol than 7% here. Finishes a little short due to the thinner body. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good bit of fizzy spritzy carbonation. I’d like this a bit more ith there were a bit more heft and thickness to the body. Overall it was pretty decent though.