Zinneke (Big Beer Series)
Smuttynose Brewing Company

Zinneke (Big Beer Series)Zinneke (Big Beer Series)
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From:
Smuttynose Brewing Company
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
8.4%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.81 | pDev: 11.29%
Reviews:
115
Ratings:
413
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 19, 2020
Added:
Oct 26, 2012
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  36
Belgian-style stout, partially aged in bourbon barrels.

8.4% abv 50 IBU
Malts: North American 2-Row, Carawheat, Munich 10L, C-120, Chocolate,
Roasted Barley, Brown Malt
Hops: Magnum, Glacier
Mojo: Dark #2 Belgian Candi Syrup
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by chanokokoro:
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Reviewed by chanokokoro from Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a "The Smuttynose Big Beer Series" branded snifter

Pours a dark espresso brown with a two finger beige sea foam-like head that is reminiscent of heads found capping Belgian dubbels and quadrupels. Fades fairly quickly. Big fruity Belgian yeast, vanilla, cocoa power, hints of oak and bourbon booziness. Dark chocolate covered plums, fig, caramel maltiness, vanilla, and toasted oak. Very light bourbon accents appear midpalate. Finishes pleasantly dry with dates and black cherry and some continued chocolate accents. Medium, very drinkable body. Slick, with lively carbonation. Consider me impressed as this brew delivered a level of complexity that wasn't expected. Very drinkable, complex, and extremely unique. Not to mention, at $5.99 a bomber the value for the quality this brew delivers is fantastic. Highly recommended.
Feb 14, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Apr 19, 2020
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Reviewed by BlackBeerPirate from Illinois

3.66/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Taste: stone fruit, black currents, Belgian yeast tangy tart notes, dark toasted malts. Same with the nose. Reddish Mahogany hue, semi clear, tan head not much lace. Medium body. 46 IBUs
Apr 28, 2019
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Smuttynose Brewing Co. "Zinneke"
"1 Pint 6 fl. ozs." brown glass bottle. "Bottle-conditioned in 2012"
$7.99 @ DeCicco & Sons, Brewster, NY

Notes via stream of consciousness: Wow I didn't realize this was so old. In fact, my concern was to drink it and write a review just in case Smuttynose goes under. The cap came of with just a light hiss, perhaps it's lost some gas over the years, and I could see as I was pouring it that it's absolutely clear. I don't know how clear it was to begin with but I imagine that when I get to the last pour I'll find the yeast tightly sedimented. It's black beneath a short head of creamy tan foam. When held to the light there's just a slight glimmer of mahogany coming through at the base of the glass. Unfortunately the head has already dropped to just a collar, something that I certainly wasn't expecting. Maybe my glass isn't quite "beer clean". Moving on, the aroma expresses roastiness, dark chocolate, Bourbon, caramel, light oak, some minor dark fruit, and a hint of clove. That probably sounds big and bright but it's actually not, and the first three notes basically make up the brunt of it. On to the flavor... you can usually expect a beer to taste the way it smells - not always but usually - and this is no exception. The flavor is of course fuller but I'm not finding anything new in it except for some additional golden caramel and a bit of candyish sweetness. It's not as roasty as the aroma suggested it would be but there is a light bit in the finish. The oak is a little fuller though and that helps to balance it in the end with just a light touch of alcohol as well. It's not that bitter, it doesn't seem to have the 50 IBUs it once had, but there's enough to keep the sweetness in check along with those other things I just mentioned. Overall I'll say it's impressively balanced. How much of that has to do with age I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it's a fair amount. Of course you can't go back in time and taste a fresh bottle so I'm just going on memory in saying that. In the mouth it's medium bodied with a bit of a dextrinous edge, and very smooth with a limited carbonation - that's got to be due to gas lost over time. It's not bad but it's not what it once was. I've now poured the remainder of the bottle and there's clearly some heavy sediment in the bottom. I'm not generally one to support cellaring beers, at least not for this long, but in this case it seems to have worked.
Review# 6,250
Sep 24, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by Odysseyalien from New Jersey

Dec 24, 2017
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Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Service: Bottle
Bottled: 2017


A:
Pours thick pitch black with a couple quickly-gone fingers of tiny-bubbled khaki head that ends up a ring/film. Okay retention; little lacing. (4)

S:
Greasy, fatty roasted nuts, some bourbon barrel, light spice, a little oxidation. (4)

T:
Follows the nose. Rich roast and dark fruit elements intermingled, with some black pepper, wood and subtle alcohol warmth. (4)

M:
Full bodied, warming feel with light carbonation, well-hidden alcohol. (4)

O:
This is a good beer that (I assume) has aged very well. Thanks a ton, KC!
It pours nice, especially considering its age. The aroma and flavor are both a nice blend of roasty stout flavors and Quad-like fruity yeast flavors. There is a really familiar nutty smell that is not quite candied nuts, but definitely caramelized and fatty. I can't put my finger on it, but I like it. It is definitely well-made and has some nice complementary elements.
I think that the barrel probably is a little better and more present fresh, but at the same time the yeast got pretty interesting with age. The oxidation comes through a touch more as it warms, but all in all its a nice beer made even nicer by having it on the first wintery night. (3.75)
Nov 11, 2017
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Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes, this one was poured into a tulip and a snifter there weren’t any significant changes between the two. The appearance was a nice dark brown close to black color with a decent one and a half finger white foamy head that dissipated at a decent pace. The lacing left in the wake was sticky and somewhat thick. The smell had Belgian spices up front with a decent fruitiness running underneath. It seemed to have leaned towards a light plum and raisins with some light apricots even thrown in there. After a bit of warming, a sweet booziness starts to appear (bourbon - I guess) along with some light chocolate, caramel and vanilla. The taste took all of those flavors and combined them to add a decent woodiness about it. On the palate, this one sat about a medium in body with a fairly decent sessionable aspect about it. The carbonation seemed right on for a big Belgian stout. Overall, this was a pretty good Belgian stout to me.
Aug 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.93 by GregSemenza from Connecticut

May 01, 2017
Photo of papposilenus
Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
From a 22oz bottle, the 2012 bottling, served in a tulip.

Pours a nearly impenetrable molasses-black with inexplicable yellowish-green highlights and a finger-and-a-half of rough, bubbly, mocha foam. The head holds for a couple minutes before settling back to a thick ring with some dense islets. Due to a weird trick of the lighting, it looks like it might actually be pulsating but I think we're just going to go ahead and ignore that.

Nose is old, wet, punky wood and cinnamon, basement floor, damp, mouldering carpet and gingerbread. So, anyway, wow, that's different. We may sometimes say that a beer smells of 'barrel' but this bad boy actually smells like the barrel itself, an old, discarded barrel that's been out in the woods partially covered with leaves for a few years and, when you roll it over, there's bugs and stuff under it. Just saying.

Taste starts out largely following the nose but leads into some warm, rich, yeasty fruits, figs, bourbon-soaked raisins, blackberries and cherries, red wine, vanilla, dusty, unsweetened-chocolate-roasted-malt, with licorice and pipe tobacco. The sodden, earthy oak character persists throughout, finishing with a slightly sour, acerbic pucker.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, medium-plus bodied and brightly carbonated for the style. The alcohol is well hidden but it's still a sipper.

Overall, well, I was initially put-off by the sensation of drinking drip-water that had collected in a tarp under the wood pile but, as the beer warmed up, I warmed up to the beer. This is from Smutty's 'Big Beer' portfolio and 'big' in this instance refers more, I think, to complexity and character than to abv. I honestly don't know whether this is a very good beer or not - I can't help thinking it spent too much time in the wrong barrel? But, hey, I don't know how to make beer; I only know how to drink it. And drink it I did.
Mar 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by BoomKentucky from Kentucky

Feb 26, 2017
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Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire

4.55/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
My local Go-to Beer store "Brewtopia" in Keene, NH surprised me today. A collection of "cellard" or aged brews from the Smuttynose Big Beer series, one of my all time favorite line of local craft beers. I've been enjoying the Big Beer series since 1998. The Zinneke is a 2012 vintage.This review is from 1/27/2017 So, 4.5 years old!

Pitch black liquid, totally opaque. A fizzy, dark tan foam cap appears and spreads out quick. Major fizzy activity remains in the middle of the glass, bubbling up like a gyser from the Belgian yeast bottle conditioning.

Massive bourbon cask aroma, heady chocolate and dark fruits with sweet Belgian candy under that. Awesome, robust nose. Coffee and cream pop out a bit later. As the liquid warms to room tempratutre or slightly less, caramel and sweet milk chocolate aroma's kick in, becomes sweeter with blueberries and black berries making an impact on the already impressive nose.

The feel is still very zippy still, with a nice crisp bite. Zesty effect with a long, oily feel from the heady malt and aged bourbon barrel enhancement. The alcohol, bourbon cask and large, earthy hop effect gives it a very dry finish.

The flavor has big time complexity. The malt itself comes in with bitter bakers chocolate, cream, coffee and nuts. Belgian yeast provides a funky, dark fruity edge, the heat is pretty high which blends with the rather up-front bourbon cask infusion. A zesty, dry-earth hop thing makes for a very excellent balance. The hops have mellowed into their own but still remain very bold. Toasted oak wood and chared chocolate seems to hold it all down. There are many factors that contribute to this brews big complexity. Yet, balance of all flavor's seems right on for the style. The Belgian yeast is not super impressive, giving a fruity, earthy taste, but it seems just about right to harmonize with the rest of what is essentially an American Double Stout.

Long, sweet notes of dark fruits and chocolatey malt blend perfectly from more bitter, earthy and dry hops as time goes on. With 22 oz's of this beast, it's very important to have a long session with some slow sipping !

I have personally aged many of the Smuttynose Big Beer series offerings in the past; including the Imperial Stout and Baltic Porter with great success. It's always a pleasure to pop open a great beer that has been layed down for an extensive amount of time, and be able to compare how the aging affects the overall experience from the fresh versions. I could see this one being excellent with even longer aging.
Jan 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by AnitaBrewski from Massachusetts

Jan 21, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by ArkyVaughan from New Jersey

Oct 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by archero from Texas

Sep 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4.34 by khoff5 from Connecticut

Jun 16, 2016
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Reviewed by Atlas1 from Texas

4.21/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I love every Smuttynose beer I've ever had. No reason to think this will be any different. Also, really happy to see Smutty in Texas these days. I enjoyed it plenty when I lived in DC, and missed it sorely upon moving back to TX in 2008, but it's great to see it on the shelves here now.

Pours a mellow brown color. Appears kind of thin. No head or lace. The nose is pleasant, delivering notes of sweet malt, fig, prune and other dark fruits. Some vanilla, and a faint coffee scent as well. Taste is delicious, again with sweet chocolate malt flavors, dark cherry and vanilla. A slight bitterness in the finish provides a nice touch. Mouthfeel is smooth and balanced.

Another fine beer from Smuttynose. It's almost past stout season here in TX (this is listed as a Beglian Strong Ale by BA, but the brewery calls is a Belgian stout), as the heat begins to settle in for the summer, but I'm glad I grabbed this today. Tasty stuff. Cheers.
Jun 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

May 10, 2016
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Reviewed by KTCamm from New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4/6...pours dark black, no foam, very still. Soft chocolate malt, some figs and raisins. Light licorice too. Cherry fruit taste, backed by a sweet chocolate milk flavor. Slick mouthfeel. Dark fruit, raisin plum in the background. Barely any carbonation. Quite interesting.
May 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.83 by Boone757 from Virginia

Apr 17, 2016
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Reviewed by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

3.72/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2012 Bottle. Very smooth. Nice chocolate and vanilla flavor. Maybe a bit too carbonated if that is a thing. Short finish. Not bad, but not great either. Middle of the road bourbon barrel Belgian stout.
Apr 15, 2016
Zinneke (Big Beer Series) from Smuttynose Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 413 ratings