Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale (2008 and earlier)

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

Bottle: Amber brown pour with a smaller beige head. Caramel and vinous fruits in the aroma. Tastes sweet with caramel and toffee, still plenty of dark fruits. Rum butter and toasted almonds. Nice creamy palate. Thanks to my secret santa for sending this!

Bomber. Pours hazy light brown- mostly deep amber with a fine lively carbonation and a nice lasting fluffy head. Aroma is sweet caramel and toffee malts- dry cobwebby nuttiness and light herbal hops. Flavor is intensely caramelly sweet, sharp molasses, toffee, toasted almond, light roasted malts and some burnt chocolate with a dry acrid finish that mixes with the sharp dark crystal malt sweetness.

2007 bottle; poured a copper brown with a light brown, slightly creamy head. The aroma was, as expected, very malty. Caramel, nuts and fruit. Very low carbonation making it nice and soft on the palate. The flavor was just a bit off; had some nice components. It had some nutty, chocolate and caramel tones. Very little hop presence, although there was some astringency that almost acted as a hop finish. Flavor just didn’t come together as well as I would have liked.

When I think of an American brown ale I think of hops and malts, huge intensity of both. My favorite would be something like a Stone XIth, which is clearly very different from this beer. This is an old brown, much thinner, much less hoppy, more sour than bitter. Not a bad old brown, just not an American brown. Some dried fruits in the nose, some moderate malt and coffee in the taste/ Actually quite pleasant, if not especially exciting. // Came back to this after it had warmed considerably. Much more interesting. Taste of unsweetened chocolate milk, bitter espresso, and dark malts.

I don’t pick up to much on the aroma. The appearance is a nice brown/amber color. Has a great mellow caramel flavor to it. Would definately recomend.

Bonus from sweet Lou18. Pours mahogany with small head. Nose is dried fruit, malt. Flavor is a bit smokey and malty, with a little sugary sweetness to it. Very smooth beer. Dry finish, with a smokey aftertaste. Quite nice.

22 oz. bottle, 2007 vintage. Pours a clear caramel colored brown, cola like in appearance, with a small white head. Sweet aromas of caramel and brown sugar are strong on the nose. Mouthfeel is medium with low carbonation. This is a fairly sweet brew, much like a doppelbock or scotch ale. Flavors are much the same as the nose with caramel, brown sugar, roasted malts and nuts dominating . Alcohol was well hidden, not overwhelming at all. I enjoyed this brew.

Bottle. Light orange-brown color with thin caramel colored head. Lots of caramel malt in the aroma, some chocolate, figs, and some roastiness. The mouthfeel and flavor have some creaminess; a little like a porter. Otherwise, the flavor is mostly roasted caramel malt, a little smokiness, and some bitter malt. Would probably be better in a few years.