Barleywine Style Ale (Big Beer Series)
Smuttynose Brewing Company

Barleywine Style Ale (Big Beer Series)Barleywine Style Ale (Big Beer Series)
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Smuttynose Brewing Company
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
Ranked #138
ABV:
11.6%
Score:
89
Ranked #12,036
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 10.58%
Reviews:
358
Ratings:
617
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 29, 2023
Added:
Feb 04, 1999
Wants:
  85
Gots:
  61
First brewed in England, these potent, malty monsters were frequently aged before being put into small bottles and sold as strong beers or even medicinal tonics. The American version has been blown up with more alcohol, larger bottles and more hops.

Smuttynose Barleywine straddles these two branches of the barleywine tree. When you taste it, you’ll notice deep, rich caramel malt flavors, balanced with hop bitterness. Fruity hop flavors act as a garnish for its amped-up but classic flavor. For a more refined experience, tuck a few bottles away for a year or two. The alcohol will mellow and the hop aromas will fade into the background, leaving the luscious malt to shine on its own.

65 IBU

2007 - 11.4%
2009 - 11.1%
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by devinoconnor:
Photo of devinoconnor
Reviewed by devinoconnor from New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A very memorable brew. I had this beer over a week ago, and I can still taste it. Calling it a "Big Beer Series" is very deserving.

The smell will immediately hit you. It's sugary, and yeasty, smells like bread that's getting ready to rise. Very complex, and fun.

Taste is sweet, again very sugary, a little sour. Minimal hoppiness. For all the sugar and yeast, it's still very smooth.

Very delicious beer, perfect as an after dinner drink.
Aug 09, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.99 by einman from Minnesota

Jan 29, 2023
Photo of DanO1066
Rated by DanO1066 from Maryland

3.92/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured fm 'my' growler (64oz) filled shortly before at The Brass Tap here in Baltimore into an "American Snifter"
Apr 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.97 by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

Apr 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Apr 12, 2019
 
Rated: 4.4 by liquorpig from Massachusetts

Aug 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.97 by QuentinDishaw from Massachusetts

Feb 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.13 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Feb 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.03 by Tcsox from Massachusetts

Feb 04, 2018
Photo of Brolo75
Reviewed by Brolo75 from California

3.99/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle poured into a snifter, beer was bottled in 2013

Pours a deep mahogany color with no head, no lacing, very little carbonation, it's hazy. Lots of malt on the aroma, caramel and toffee, red licorice, no hop aromas, I didn't expect any after nearly five years in the bottle. Taste follows the nose with lots of malts like caramel and toffee, big red licorice notes that add some sweetness in the finish, alcohol has mellowed out, slight citrus peel like bitterness in the middle, finish is sweet with lingering notes of red licorice and malts. Full bodied with very little carbonation, slightly dry finish, slight sticky mouthfeel.

With five years on it all the hop presence is gone and nothing is left but malt and red licorice. I would like to try a fresh bottle but this is the first time I've seen this in my area and it's nearly five years old. I'm sure this has another layer of flavor with some hop bite.
Jan 19, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by mltobin from Connecticut

Oct 07, 2017
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass. Bottle conditioned 2013. Big time here…

Rich creamy foam, frothing up slow on a good center controlled punching pour out of the bottle. An almost khaki but slightly picking up the orange body color and making a sort of pink to plum like orange hue of sorts. Thick creamy top, leopard like lacing on the glass. Body color is a real nice orange amber, but still has a bit of rusty and dull tone to it. Very impressive looking brew.

Classic chewy and thick rich hop notes on the nose. Tea and sharp grapefruit mixing herbs, with an excellent thick marmalade rich aroma mixing in. Chewy leafy like hop notes, soft toffee an caramel dipped in hop herbs. Real nice.

Palate is a real nice piece of work. Mouthfeel is still a washing and rich quality, but seems to have peaked quite some time ago. Rich tasting hop earth and soft green herbs on the mid palate. Silky light toffee mixing with an almost creamy ash flavor and muted brown sugar. Light tasting, but with large amounts of hop punch even at this stage.

What a fun neat beer. Some things seem to have lost quality while others might have even gained. Either way it's a great tasting barleywine even at this stage of the game.
Sep 09, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.99/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2013 bottle. This was poured into a snifter. The appearance was a rugged burnt dark orange/muddy brown color. A finger’s worth of white foamy head sat atop of the beer for a good minute. Gentle messy lace. The aroma brings forth sweet and bitter grassy and tobacco leafy hops. Bold and up front, oddly enough, I thought those would have died off given the bottle date. Semi-sweet caramel and toffee malts play with the balance. Citrus hops seem to underscore the aroma. The flavor balances nicely between the hops and the malts. Tobacco leafiness still holds quite strong. Grassy to tobacco leafy to smooth caramel malty aftertaste rubbing against the finish nicely. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a nice sipping quality about it. Carbonation felt fine, fairly mild (but it’s an old bottle, so I’m okay with that). Overall, this one aged phenomenally. Only the citrusy hops have died off. Wouldn’t mind trying to get this again to try fresh.
Aug 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by animal69 from Louisiana

May 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by paresis from Massachusetts

May 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Feb 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by desint from Belgium

Jan 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.05 by Mikeluzzjr from Massachusetts

Dec 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by johlac66 from California

Dec 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.2 by Roberto11232 from New York

Oct 29, 2016
Barleywine Style Ale (Big Beer Series) from Smuttynose Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 617 ratings