Smuttynose Winter Ale

This beer pours a clear, dark copper colour. A small thin tan head, with a firm mouthfeel. It has hints of smoke and black licorice. Aromas of caramel, toffee, oak and cinnamon. Fairly smooth, but a little weak in its style representation.

Tap at Blind Tiger: Perhaps it was because it was oxidized, or I drank this stuff on a 90 degree day, but I wasn’t feeling it at all. Deep amber pour with no head. Sweet estery aroma. Maple, lots of raisin sweetness and a hint of clove-spice. Fizzy body. Sweet flavor with a harsh clove-like presence and tons of sweet raisiny flavors, followed by more ashy-clove in the oddly-spicy finish. Has an odd/dirty flavor which left an bad taste in my mouth.

Pours a dark brown with a thin tan head. Tastes sweet and with some spice. Pleasant warming. Medium mouthfeel with mild carbonation. Much better than corsendonk and almost reminds me of a cocoa porter.

bottle from 2005... flavors of alcohol with malt and straw. candied fruits and sweetness and this beer has some body. pineapple and apricot is quite mild and the sweetness a bit intense. toffee and light hoppiness as licorice in character does work to a degree. good representation i suppose as it is not a favorite. nice dark color and carbonation is slightly below moderate. hidden and forgotten bottle found at moe’s 9th ave nyc AGED BOTTLE has aged very well. rum in the alcohol and bubble gum flavor that is mild sweet and satisfying.

5-19-08 bottle
Thick dark muddy brown with a thin watery beige head. Smell is barley with a hint of grain alcohol. Flavor is not very bold but is strictly malt and alcohol. Palate works nicely to distract from the light off flavor. Drinkable but nothing great.