Smuttynose Big Beer Series: Barleywine Style Ale

Barleywines are a tricky bunch when it comes to my taste buds. As you may have been able to tell up to this point, I am a big dark, strong beer fan. Beers with more fruity tasting notes are typically not my thing and I have had some bad experiences with barley wines. That being said, as a skeptic I dive into a barleywine by what is admittedly one of my favorite breweries; Smuttynose. I take this big boy out of the fridge for a good 10-15 minutes to let it settle to a decently cool, yet still room temperature. Enough to give it some more life.

Initial pour: The beer is a deep mahogany, with hints of rich red and orange. Once the head forms, it is a rich, blinding white that disappears completely near finishing. This beer is curious as it has many different personalities even on first sight. Once it settles the bottom layer remains a brilliant, dark orange. Then right above a deep brownish red forms and this menage e' trois is polished off by a light to medium bourbon style brown. The mahogany comes once the beer has been sipped and is allowed to mix correctly. There is a fine sediment of yeast at the bottom of the pour that gives the style a much more earthy, natural look. 

Aroma: Confusing. Well no really but in a good way. As a beer reviewer I guess this issue creates a problem in that I have a hard time figuring out what arena it lies more in. The fruity or the boozy? Don't take that term the wrong way. I am whiskey and scotch drinker so that aroma never deters me but I am legitimately confused. There are orange, spice, banana, peach and alcohol. It is almost whiskey like in that the alcohol present in the brew gives it that sweet almost smokey presence. The warmer the beer gets the more it takes on hints of toffee and caramel. Towards the end it becomes a straight sweet, bright, fruity alcohol smell.

Taste: As the name implies, many barelywines have a typical wine like flavor as far as the alcohol goes. This one is more booze like than what I have read, which I like as a skeptic. It is citrusy like a fine orange cognac and mellow like a brown ale. It rushes nice across the palate with a smooth finish and has a raisin like sweetness to the end. 

All around an enjoyable beer. At roughly 11-11.5% ABV this is best enjoyed with a friend as I am most certainly a bit fuzzy at the end of this bottle. Beers such as this are the reason wine people are beginning to take notice of the scene as there is no need to continue drinking once done a barleywine and Smuttynose's offering stands no different. My only complaint with this beer would have to be my biggest compliment as well in that the aroma is hard to develop. It means the beer has taken on it's own identity and does not focus on just one flavor or aroma profile. I followed the suggestion of the bottle and paired this beer with a sharp cheddar cheese and roasted tomato cracker which added a mellow and sweet complexity to the beer when sipped afterwards. 

Out of 10 points, 1 being about as tasty as a Bud Select and a 10 being yet to be determined ;) I'd say the Barleywine from Smuttynose hits about a 7.5-8. I was not disappointed in the least. Thoroughly enjoyed the appearance, aroma and overall taste of the beer, but I guess barleywines are still not my top thing. I enjoy big beers I can drink alone at times and still feel functional, yet at the end of this beer I feel a bit too buzzed to really move around. This is a beer to have with a significant other or friend around a fire, or watching a movie and enjoying conversation. Plan on making a night out of drinking this and only this. Great beer, great execution, much respect and tasty after tones, both physically and mentally.