Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale (2008 and earlier)

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

Pours a lightly hazy brown with tons of ruby red highlights and a medium creamy/bubbly off white head that laced. Aroma of nuts, vanilla, some dark fruits, caramel, toffee, brown sugar and some hints of citrus. Flavors of mixed nuts, toffee, toasted malts, hints of chocolate, some hints of smoke, vanilla and caramel. Reminds me more of a big brown ale than it does an Old Ale.

On tap at Ginger Man. Big malty and hop aroma, bitter with strong caramel and chocolate. Odd herbs come across, including fresh mint, parsley. Big big big in the mouth, this beer hides nothing. Alcohol and stature are readily apparent, and the chocolate caramel is really a punch in the face for every sip. There is no ABV listed here now but I’d guess at least 10%. Truely a monster, but really the bigness is not worth it IMO. It doesn’t do it well.

I should mention that this is hardly an old ale at all. Not even close. Big malty american caramel and hops... sorry, no. Much closer to a BW, or if anything, an ASA.

July 2007 - Caramel brown pour with smallish head no lacing. Musty caramel flavor with dark raisin and roast. Leathery mouthfeel. Lots of hop bitterness from a grassy pilsner like hop. Sort of defies style characterization. Very unique beer...worth a try.

2007 Bottle shared by decaturstevo. Poured brown with an off-white head that left good lace. A little iced tea aroma at first but settles out to milk chocolate, nut, and a slight hop background. The flavor has caramel, brown sugar, and a hint of fruits. Medium body. Enjoyable!

22oz, Bottle Conditioned in 2007 thanks to . . . . puzzl, perhaps? I don’t recall--I think I’ve been holding on to this for around a year. Clear orange brown with a 1 1/2 finger yellow beige head, pretty good retention. Aroma of toasted and caramel malts (low to moderate sweetness), some raisins and tobacco. Flavor was a bit roastier with some added sweet cereal grain notes, and some nuts--pecans? Still plenty raisiny with some light tobacco. Semi-dry roasty finish with bitterness peaking around a 3. No alcohol present, but then again, it’s only 7%. Light to moderate carbonation with a medium body. For whatever reason, I thought Old Ale (love the style) and Smuttynose (great brewery) would have made this beer totally rockin’! It wasn’t, but it was good, so only a slight disappointment.

Dark brown pour, spicy malt aromas, slight offwhite head. Very rich, sweet caramel malt mellow flavor. Better than I thought it would be, very enjoyable, i will be buying more of this

Transparent bright copper bronze with a pretty-nicely lacing light tan head. Aroma of slightly earthy caramel malty sweet with a touch of tartness and grain. Body starts fairly full and earthy with nice bittersweet malty and slightly citrusy hoppy balance. A decently authentic and drinkable brew.

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.