Smuttynose Wheat Wine

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Bottle: Pours amber in color with an off-white ring on the top. Sweet, boozy aroma. Has some vanilla hints, candy malt, light sticky ginger bread, and evident alcohol. Sticky body, somewhat cloying. Very sweet flavor. Boozy, with an apple brandy quality. I expected some tartness in the flavor from the wheat malt, but it’s just thick and sweet. Has a sticky calvados character, a late spicy bitterness, followed by residual toffee notes. Too sweet, sticky, and hot, in my humble opinion, although the flavor isn’t altogether bad.

Never had a Wheat WIne before and I was expecting something fancy, but it really was just like a regular BW. A good one though. The wheat provided a great look to the beer, swirling it thick with sediment and hazy orangeness. Beautiful to look at.

Bomber (from 2006). Pretty enormous malty aroma, strong oranges and sweaty caramel with wheat and alcohol. Slightly ambery dusky copper pour, with a lacing soapy beige head. Tastes strongly of rye rather than wheat. Bitter, very dry caramel reminiscent of Arrogant Bastard (and a lot of things grouped under ’American Stong Ale’). Strong, aggressive heat, harsh alcohol. Prickly orange rind with slightly resiny hops. Slight astringency. A raw disappointment, and a shame that such a pretty label is so spoiled.

Bottled. A hazy amber beer with thin orange head. The aroma is sweet hoppy, grassy, and fruity - especially oranges, as well as a light note of wheaty. The flavor has strong notes of over ripe fruits, wheat, and alcohol, leading to a slightly bitter finish. The alcohol leaves a slight burn on the palate.

Clear orange, amber colour with a white head. Malty, sweet aroma with notes of fruit, alcohol and vanilla. Malty, caramel and vanilla sweet favor with a light light dry, hoppy and vague alcohol sweet finish.

(Bottle) Pours a clear deep amber body with a creamy beige head. Aroma of caramel, cherry, and hint of cocoa. Flavor of toasted/caramel malts, nuts, citric hops, golden raisins, and cherry with a somewhat dry, bitter finish.

A hazy amber ale with a thin off white head. Aroma is more restrained than the BarleyWine, sweet and vinous, with light caramel notes. In mouth, a very hoppy barley wine, with light astringence and strong alcohol. A rich and warming experience.

I was a little drunk by the time I drank this one but I remember liking it. Fruity and wheaty with too much alcohol acidity in the flavor. Strong flavor. Drinkable and pleasant in slow sips.