Smuttynose Wheat Wine

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

Bottle. Sampling right now, New Years Eve, 2006. Beer rating #800. Pours a coppery amber into my favorite tulip glass. Small frothing of an off-white head. Holding it up to the light, looks like it may be slightly cloudy. Aromas: honey, spices, copper, grape, and malt. Light going in, light going down, a huge aftertaste of roasted chocolates and coffee, with some fruity sweetness and a lingering spice (with hints of pepper). The more I sample, the more alcohol I can taste.

Hugely satisfying barleywine. Alcohol and hints of wheat on the nose, beautifully bitter taste with a bit of fire. Hops are evident, but the increased wheat addition allows this barleywine to be refreshing without a hops infusion. Classy stuff.

Sameple with Beerdrenched. Pours copper / orange with an off-white head. The aroma is very faint, but what is detectable has grapes, floral aspects, quite smooth with some sweetness. Medium / full body that is smooth and slick with light carbonation. The taste starts with some sweetness (but not overdone), smoothness of wheat and some alcohol definitely creeping through. The finish gets a lot fruitier and hot with alcohol. I wish I would have picked up another to see how this is same time next year, but this was sadly the only bottle I picked up.

Bottled at the YeHA! thanks to John! Poured a near-clear light-medium golden with a dusting of white head. Nose was sweet and intriguing with caramel, pear, tart wheat, and lemon.. rather heavy. Flavor was of sweet toffee and wheat-laced caramel notes (which was good).. and some odd sour stuff (not so good).. didn’t finish well. Got heavier as it made its way across the palate.. again odd tart and sour notes.

bottle-thanks to vyvvy for the sample. pours deep orange with a very small white head. nose is floral, alcoholic with lots of fruity notes. big flavors-alcohol bite, light piney hops. pale is slick with mild carbonation. really is a decent brew, but needs more age. the alcohol is all over this puppy. This could emerge into something cool in 2 years. Lacks balance and complexity as it is fresh.

Sampled at the Falls Tasting: Malty nose, clear dark blonde color. Sustained lacey head. Flavor of malt bitterness. Residual sweetness. Slight alcohol warming in the back of the mouth. This has all the componenets but I just don’t care for how it comes together.

Thanks John. The beer pours to a lightly hazy glowing copper body with a creamy white head. The aroma is grapefruit hops, some sweet caramel malts. The flavor is buttery sweet and wheaty. Caramel galore. The palate is overly buttery. Good, but not my style of barleywine.

Thanks to John for sharing. pours a copper like color w/ a tiny whispy white head. Well hopped aroma a good amount of grass some nice carmels hints of grapefruit. Palate is full smooth and well coated. Flavor is great. Very nice sweet carmels covered by a light bitter grass and citrus some light raisen comes through. Quite nice.