Smuttynose Wheat Wine

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

FIRST TRIAL: On tap at the Landmark 1850. This was an unobjectionable brew. I’ve only had a few other wheat wines, but this was the closest to many of the barleywine’s I’ve had, however, it was quite a bit less extreme in terms of flavor. The beer was a nice copper with a quickly diminishing head. There was very little aroma though (similar to the flavor). There was a slightly sweet/fruity malt taste, and a little bit of hop bitterness, with a reasonably smooth finish that didn’t taste very alcohol-y (maybe the wheat?). This beer wasn’t bad, there just didn’t seem to be that much to it. I enjoy a few Smuttynose products, but don’t know if I’d order this one again.

Thanks to tronraner for sharing this bottle with us at the Tennessee Spring(ish) Tasting! Poured amber in color with an off-white head that leaves light lacing. The aroma found cinnamon spices, curry and light smoke. Unlike Suttree’s notes, mine clearly reads gunpowder for the aroma. Who knows? It was late. Maybe there was a shooting out front that we missed. The flavor had citrus with hints of malts and smoke. Full body and a creamy texture. Different and not what I was expecting but decent!

Tasting notes from the Tennessee Spring(ish) Tasting in Knoxville, TN on 3/10/2007: Bottle shared by tronraner. Smuttynose Wheat Wine pours a hazy, bright copper color. Interesting aroma with curry (believe it or not) being the most noticeable attribute. The flavor was lightly fruity (white raisons?) with some wheat and yeasty undertones. This beer was balanced between a mild bitterness and mild sweetness. There was some warming alchol in the finish, but other than that the 11% ABV was pretty well disguised. Very interesting and different due to the definite curry presence.

Bottle at the Knoxville Spring(ish) tasting. Pours hazy bronze with a small whitish head. The aroma is grainy with some melon notes and a light smokiness. The flavor is kind of like a kabob, pork and pineapple especially. There is some tingly bitterness and a few bready malt notes, maybe a touch of orange zest. Spicy finish. Slight alcohol and fruit in the aftertaste. Warm, fuzzy mouthfeel. Interesting, especially with the meaty notes. Pretty tasty, really.

At this point, I pretty much have to trust my notes. They say coppery orange, which seems reasonable. The aroma is described as "nunpowder", which I assume I meant to say "gunpowder", which doen’t make much sense, either. At any rate, some nutty flavors, and touches of banana and clove, and uh, curry? That’s what it says in my notes, so I’m gonna take my word for ti.

Bottle - 2006, thanks to Secret Santa! Pours a copper color with a off-white head on top. Aroma is fruit, wheat, citrus, caramel, and alcohol. Flavor is citrus, vanilla, pears, and caramel. The palate starts out quite sweet and syrupy and end dry with a little bit of oxidation, not too bad though. The alcohol is not quite hidden with it showing up strong toward the end. I don’t think this could actually age very well even with the bottle conditioning, oxidation is sneeking in too early. In conclusion this beer is definitely a very longer sipper, the alcohol doesn’t make it unenjoyable but the slight oxidation takes away from the flavor.

Bottle from jah noth. Blood orange body, nary a head (a few white bubbles persist around the edges of the glass). Bready, fruity aroma, sweet and musty, and abundant alcohol. Lord have mercy, this is a boozy beer, with hot alcohol coating the throat and warming the chest. Otherwise the body is rather dry for a wheat wine, although the breads, sticky fermented fruit and brown sugar characteristics are here. I wouldn’t hesitate to drink this from a shot glass.

Hazy copper color with no head. Dry wheat aroma with a little bit of citrus hoppiness. More citrus hop in the taste and some dry malt. The wheat seemed to disappear. Not bad, but not really great.