Old Numbskull
AleSmith Brewing Company

Old NumbskullOld Numbskull
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From:
AleSmith Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
Ranked #90
ABV:
11%
Score:
92
Ranked #5,351
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 9.47%
Reviews:
539
Ratings:
1,547
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 13, 2023
Added:
Feb 14, 2002
Wants:
  219
Gots:
  365
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Mora2000:
Photo of Mora2000
Reviewed by Mora2000 from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to slasher007 for sharing this bottle and thanks to kaiser81 for sending the bottle to him.

The beer pours a reddish-amber color with a medium-sized white head. The aroma is much hoppier than expected, with citrus hops, brown sugar and sweet malt. The flavor is more of the same. The beer tastes like oranges covered in a brown sugar glaze. The hop flavor is high but the bitterness is pretty low. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Apr 02, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.96 by TheIPAHunter from California

Oct 13, 2023
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4.04/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
750mL (vintage ca. 2012) into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear reddish amber with a nice 1-finger khaki head. Pleasantly surprised to see such an old bottle of beer still looking so great.

Aroma is fruity, sweet, bready malt and floral hops. I can’t compare this to fresh because I’ve never had this beer (and arguably shouldn’t be reviewing it) but it’s right in line with the malt/hop balance of an American barleywine.

Taste is likewise a delicate balance between fruity malt and bitter, floral hops. Both sides hold their own but neither dominates.

Mouthfeel is full bodied but not heavy or syrupy. Hops provide a clean bitter finish. Good carbonation. Super drinkable, even refreshing.

Overall a solid, straightforward American barleywine that clearly was crafted to hold up well over the years.
Jun 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by Gkruszewski from New York

Apr 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by dan_amdg from Illinois

Feb 25, 2023
Photo of CTHomer
Reviewed by CTHomer from Connecticut

4.04/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bottled 12/12/2014; drank 12/11/2022;

A: crystal clear; watered down cola in color; virtually no head; what’s there is big bubbled; no lacing;

S: boozy with sweet malt; some dark fruit as well;

T: follows the nose from start to finish; very little bitterness;

M: medium bodied; light to moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish; alcohol is quite soft;

O: dangerously smooth; a really nice sipper;
Dec 12, 2022
 
Rated: 5 by doctorgary from New York

Sep 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by EMV from Pennsylvania

Jan 13, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by thewimperoo from Illinois

Oct 20, 2021
Photo of micada
Rated by micada from New York

3.75/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Too hoppy for me. Nothing special jumped out.
Aug 17, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by BeerRay from Rhode Island

Apr 10, 2021
Photo of DaveMaciolek21
Reviewed by DaveMaciolek21 from New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brown amber pour with an off-white, minimal head. Beer starts out impressively, with oak and caramel most prominent. and the alcohol content well-blended. As the beer warms, the bitterness and booze creeps in, giving a bit of a caustic edge. Overall a good barley wine, but sip slowly at your peril.
Mar 29, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.81/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle, ABV 11%, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Orange to amber coloured beer, moderate off-white head. Aroma of oak, fortified wine, American caramel malts and American hops. The flavour has strong notes of bitter American hops throughout, also oak and alcohol.
Mar 21, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by Argento from Rhode Island

Mar 20, 2021
 
Rated: 3.9 by DOCRW from Kentucky

Mar 18, 2021
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2013 bottle.

Khaki tan head with lace. Caramel brown color.

Tastes like an American barleywine but the hops are a bit subdued. They still show in the finish with resin and bitterness. Caramel and toffee. Apples, figs, malts. 8 years could be a bit too old, but no off flavors or oxidation.
Mar 13, 2021
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.24/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A beautiful mahogany brown body, clear; lots of lively carbonation rushing to the top; very thick and sculpted head, rocky and bumpy. Strongly sweet malt aroma; dried figs and dates; molasses and brown sugar; hazelnuts. Outstanding flavors accentuating a lot of the aromas; roasted grains; boozy. Heavy body; rich and oily; bold alcohol warmth; some phenolic sharpness and bite; sticky.

I love a huge, malt-forward, high-octane beer, especially one with a deep, rich head despite a high ABV. This is an eye-popping beer, partially due to the alcohol level, and plenty to do with the deep, lustrous malt body. Rich, warm, satisfying...
Oct 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4.17 by DvdP from Netherlands

Sep 22, 2020
Photo of Gatch
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
At the brewery. I’ve been waiting years to try this and somehow missed it, probably since the late 2000s along with Speedway Stout but it was pretty rare back then. A perfect example of the style. Sweet up front, a hoppy backbone, with a properly roasty finish. You really get the malt profile and the hint of hops when you let it warm up and sip. Great stuff.
Jun 07, 2020
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.39/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is been in the cellar for a long time, probably from 2010 or 2011 time frame, but no date on the bottle. It's also 10% abv

It pours a bit like molasses or thick oil, inky looking, but no real head, dark mahogany brown hazy color with nice long legs

Nose definitely smells old, some oxidation with a little cardboard but also winey port notes, past that brings sweet malts, lots of caramel and toffee, candy notes, little toasted grain with butterscotch and layers of caramel, then comes dark fruits with some candied raisin, brandy soaked fig, a bit of nutty toffee

Taste layers the mouth, coating everything in a thick layer, lots of sweet malts out front, candy, molasses, brown sugar, etc, but then waves of caramel and toffee, lots of sweet candy flavors with med-high overall sweetness, toasted malts, a little nutty toffee, almost chewy level of caramel, then more dark fruits, brandy soaked raisin fig, candied prune, mild waxy oxidized port wine but no cardboard, that nice soft aged malt character as well, no alcohol presence, but a touch of bitter spicy hop late, mild sticky finish, a bit more bitterness lingering and more oxidation notes

Mouth is lush, fuller bod, thick and chewy, viscous, etc, with almost no carbonation but also no real alcohol either, just a hint of warming alcohol

Overall this aged pretty well, def has that nice aged barleywine characters that I was looking for, pretty tasty and enjoyable
May 10, 2020
Old Numbskull from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 1547 ratings