Smuttynose Wheat Wine

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

22oz. bomber: 2006 vintage (3 years old). This one pours a clear amber color. There was a small beige head on it that goes away almost immediately. There was no lacing. This one has a big nose to it. A definite sweetness to the aroma. Raisins and brown sugar are there, as well as some grassy hops, some other fruits and a bit of alcohol. The taste is quite good. It isn’t as sweet as the nose, if fact there is a bit of bitterness in the finish. There are lots of subtle tastes: fruits, caramel, maybe even a faint hint of chocolate. This is good!

2005 Bottle. I found this in the back of my cooler, and this stands to reason why aging beer is a total false hood and complete bullshit. I have had this beer before, but I was not in condition to get a rating from it - read, I had been drinking for hours. The one I had a few years back was fresh, and was really good. This one sucked. Old, taste like cardboard, smell had faded almost completely. Carbonation level was still good, but thats about it. The fresh one I had I remember being very good, easy to drink, sweet and hoppy. The only thing the age seemed to do was kill the alcohol bomb that this beer was. It was smooth, for what it was..

2008 bomber. Pour is ruby amber with a fluffy off white head. Aromas of rasins, sweet fruit, candy, and piney hops. Flavor is sweet with caramel, pine resin, candy, and rasins. Another amazing brew from Smuttynose.

22oz bomber courtesy of MrRetardedMonkey poured into a snifter. Pours a dark hazy amber brown with a small tan head that recedes to a collar quickly and leaves no lacing. The aroma is big and sweet. There are tons of caramel malts with some sugary sweetness on top. Some hints of peppery spices and a bit of citrus as well. The taste is just as sweet and has the caramel and toffee backbone that underpins everything else. There is a bit of bananas and clove from the wheat, but the barley takes things over in the end and lend the taste more towards barleywine at the end of the day. The mouthfeel is on the fuller side of things with a sugary sweetness that lingers between sips. It’s a bit prickly from the sugar and a bit of hops. I really enjoyed this beer. It’s one of my favorite Smuttynose beers and a great sipper to end an evening on.

22oz bottle from Capone’s (Norristown, PA). Pours reddish amber with a medium-sized khaki head. Aroma of wheat, grass, citrus, and alcohol. Flavor is citrus, wheat, earth, caramel, and some hops. Alcohol is more prevalent in the aroma than on the palate. Cool style.

Firkin at Blind Tiger. Poured a murky dark orange color with a soapy off white head. The aroma was fruit dominated with plenty of apricot and pear. Full bodied without any significant carbonation. The flavor palate was a wild, strange ride. I noticed pear, mixed spices, apple, and a hint of salty meat. A little odd.

Bottle/22 - Updated 11/14/09 - Pours a cloudy dark amber in color with a small white head that faded quickly, Aroma is maly sweet and quite fruity... apples,citrus... with plenty of spicy hops. Flavor is initially sweet, but then the hops and bitterness kick in forcefully. It is also a bit fruity... citrus hops, apple... with plenty of alcohol bite; perhaps too much. Finishes slightly sweet to start an then medium bitter at the end. Thick palate. I like this one...