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Smuttynose Big Beer Series: Homunculus

Smuttynose Brewing Company
Hampton, New Hampshire
Beer style: Belgian Ale - Strong Pale
Ref: ratebeer.com May2024

Common descriptors are
Beer and human life have a lot in common. For centuries, no one knew quite how either really worked. Beer fermentations were believed to begin when a “magic stick” was dipped into a fresh batch of wort. Without microscopes, no one knew that a tiny, sugar-eating fungus turned all that sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Biologists faced similar mysteries about human life. One widely-accepted belief was that teeny, tiny people, called homunculi, would grow into full size babies inside of a woman (that’s where the label comes from!).
Homunculus is a strong, golden Belgian ale with a pronounced hop character. We’re not talking bitterness, but hop flavor and aroma. The Belgian-style yeast strain contributes significant fruity esters that mix with the hop profile to create a taste that’s more than the sum of its parts.