Smuttynose Winter Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Company

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Did not realize this was a dubbel until I saw it on BA- doesn't taste like it. Not particularly active head but it is visibly effervescent. What little head exists is off-white. There is very minimal retention and only a few spots of lacing. Pours a dark brown color almost like cola (opaque but can see light through the edges). Smells of ginger and dark malt. Taste is not overly convincing- weak dark malt flavor almost like a dunkel and a hint of the ginger. The mouthfeel was the most disappointing part to me- watery, weakly carbonated; not the kind of things I want in a beer. Overall this is an OK session beer- definitely not one I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:09:32 | More by Hopdaemon39

GardenWaters

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a dark plum-like color with a tan head which quickly dissolved. Some lacing present.

S: Toasted malt and dried fruit. Hop presence nearly undetectable.

T: Big notes of malty sweetness with fruity/nutty accents. Moderate carbonation/bitterness compliment the sweetness of this beer very nicely. Nicely balanced and would make a good session-beer.

M: Light-bodied and well rounded. Goes down smooth and finishes clean.

O: Overall, this is a pretty tasty beer and is very drinkable. I've been looking for a good winter ale all season, and this one didn't disappoint. Though there's nothing particulary memorable about this brew, I would definitely drink it again, no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 07:17:39 | More by GardenWaters

rodney45

New York

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark hazy brown with an off white thick head that laces the glass rather nicely.

S: Heavy malt and canned peaches.

T: Big malt notes, with hints of vanilla and toffee. Slight resin flavored hops come through secondarily, but get overwhelmed by the Belgian yeast profile (pizza dough and cloves).

M: Moderate body, and moderate carbonation. Slightly bitter.

O: This is a perfect beer to be drunk sitting by a warm fire, or on a leather chair watching the night snow fall outside, warm, cozy and everything being just quite right. Malt character is the name of the game here, not as balanced or adequately hopped as I would have liked, but it will do nicely.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 10:27:54 | More by rodney45

bigbluebeerguy

Kentucky

3.38/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Reddish walnut in color with a one-finger, light tan head. Recedes quickly to little lacing.

Nose is primarily dark fruits, slightly roasted coffee. Some sweetness in there as well.

The fruits come through in the taste. Also getting just a little nuttiness, as well as some caramel sweetness. Little to no hop presence.

Mouthfeel is creamy, slightly sticky. Medium body, low carbonation. Sweetness lingers in the mouth.

Overall not a bad beer, just lacking in complexity when judged against other dubbels. Would drink again, just wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 03:16:37 | More by bigbluebeerguy

Gehrig

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed from a bottle at the sterling Sun Singer in Champaign, IL.

A moderate finger of slightly tan froth tops a cloudy mahogany body with cherry-brown trim. Decent amounts of lacing and mediocre head retention are ameliorated by a wonderful color to the beer.

Nice nose filled with biscuit, chocolate, and caramel malts, with some berry and a bit of ginger in tow.

Rich, full taste, very creamy, very malty. The chocolate and biscuit malt stand out, with some caramel in the finish. Good, fruity taste with a bit of a bite and with some dried fruit--date and raisin, along with maraschino cherry. The combination is wonderful and reminiscent of Avery's first-rate Old Jubilation (which is unfortunately unavailable locally this Winter). The taste won't exactly make me forget the magnificence of Old Jubilation, but Smuttynose Winter certainly fits the bill in a pinch.

Nice, creamy texture, with some piney hops and a touch of grit in the end. More hops would make this superb but, as it stands, Winter Ale is a really good, flavorful beer that drinks a bit stronger than the advertised 5.1% ABV. This goes down easy, though, and is easy to knock back a few of these on a cold Winter night.

Very good, and I am glad to have grabbed a sixer of it for the week.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 22:28:50 | More by Gehrig

BrownNut

Florida

2.03/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Sometimes a beer has kind of a vomit taste. Not full on vomit, just kind of. This was one of those times. It was from an hours-old growler. I've had a couple of other beers with that prominent flavor note, and once it was with a beer that did not normally have a vomit taste. Is it me? Or is it some particular thing that has gone wrong with the batch? I don't know. But with so many yet to try, I don't want to try this one again to find out.

Serving type: growler

01-02-2012 23:44:20 | More by BrownNut

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Color is a transparent brown with shades of maroon. The dense off-white head id dense and long lasting. Smells like bread, with a hint of citrus. The taste is sweet and roasty malts, followed by pine and citrus hops flavors. Nicely balanced and complex, quite flavorful. Nice mouthfeel too. Solid beer all around.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 21:13:09 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a darker reddish/mahogany with mocha colored 1 finger head.

S - Some dark fruits, burnt sugar, bready malts. A faint bit of sweet nut, like hazelnut.

T - Starts a bit chocolatey, that fades into a touch of cinnamon, and then that sugary fruit taste. It finishes with again a bit of that sweet hazelnut. I actually found this to be a pretty solid, more complex beer than I was expecting.

M - Pretty smooth, good amount of carbonation, almost wine-like.

Overall - I was pretty impressed. A fairly solid, wintery dubbel. Another good beer by Smuttynose.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 02:06:51 | More by BeerBuckeye

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A: Clear, dark red-brown color with one-finger, tan head that left a nice film. Good lacing.

S: Roasted malt and chocolate.

T: Moderate sweetness and moderate bitterness. Roasted malt flavor. Dark fruit.

M: Medium bodied with lively carbonation. Slightly dry.

O: Just above average Dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 04:09:21 | More by SolipsismalCat

rangerred

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a clear very dark brown with an almost 2 finger head. Greate retention and lacing.

The smell is of roasted malt along with a bit of chocolate. A tiny bit of hoppiness there as well.

The taste is very roasty and chocolatey up front. This fades to some dark fruits along with a metallic taste. There is some hop flavor on the finish along with a fairly assertive bitterness.

Overall this is an enjoyable beer. Very well suited to the winter months.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 22:53:56 | More by rangerred

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle

Appearance - Brown colour with an above average size fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some very nice lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for a few minutes.

Smell - Malts, butterscotch/caramel, raisins/dates

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts mixed with butterscotch/caramel and some dates/raisins. There is also a bit of a cherry flavour and some hay. It ends with a malty/fruity aftertaste with some light lingering bitterness.

Overall - Not what I was expecting, but still pleasantly drinkable. There is some nice fruit flavour mixed with a good amount of malts. Not something I'd be on the look out for next winter, but still solid.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 18:01:54 | More by spinrsx

SteveS1

New York

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Look- Dark brown/cherry translucent with a tall frothy brown head. Decent retention, good lacing.

Smell- Light citrus fruits, cereal malts, tart berries. I have a tough time smelling the belgian yeast.

Taste- Sweet on the tip of the tongue, blends into citrusy hops mixed with a bready malt. Bitter hops in back and finishes tart. Yeast present in aftertaste.

Feel- Medium-to-heavy bodied, a little sticky, mild carbonation.

Drink- I would have said this was a standard, if not tasty, winter ale if I hadn't read that it had belgian ale yeast in it. Complex enough to satisfy you craving for a hearty ale. Fairly drinkable, but I would switch to even warmer winter stouts after one of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 02:15:37 | More by SteveS1

ixnay21

Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From bottled served in pint glass

A-reddish brown a little more on the red side, nice sticky head

S-dark fruit, little bready smell and just a little hops in the back end

T-Beligian fruit yeast taste with a nice malt backbone slight hop bitter in the back end good lasting aftertaste

M-some prickly carbanation upfront, thick with a lingering feel to it.

O-another nice seasonal from smutty, a nice switch from over spiced/over boozed seasonals

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 18:58:46 | More by ixnay21

confer

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours brown with red tints when it held to the light. Froth tan head that never fades totally away.
S- Smell is underwhelming, but what is there is a caramelly and sweet.
T- Tastes like a sweet brown ale. Gets better as you go.
M-O- A little thick and very smooth. This is a bit light as doubles all the way around, but a very good beer. A winter beer that not to spiced up and/or boozed is a nice switch.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 02:19:25 | More by confer

hyprlt

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into bowled tulip glass.

A: head with almost pink hues. did not last very long. dark brown with ruby red points.

S: aromas of dark fruit, seems to be very estery aromas.

T: esters of bananas, tastes very much like a belgian style. didnt realize it was a dubbel until I started typing the taste section. tastes appropriate to the style.

M: very bubbly carbonation. thick body. lingers on the tongue for a while.

O: I didn't expect a winter ale to be a dubbel, but i guess it does fit for the winter time. it is good, and very low in alcohol but too complex for high drinkability, in my opinion. definitely a recommended beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 03:49:11 | More by hyprlt

Apellonious

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark brown/black with red hues. Thin lace that sizzled at the pour.

S -chocolate, dark fruit, wafts of bread. First use of the word "waft" in a review. I like it. Waft. Say it with me now!

T- the taste is solid, the bread and dark fruit notes are most apparent. Some vanilla in the finish. Some dry alcohol on the palate, though lighter than usual for this style. Though nothing that sets it apart.

M- mouth feel is good,slightly slick.

O - A good beer, wouldn't kick it out of my glass, and would recommend it.

Ps. ... waft.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 01:43:38 | More by Apellonious

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really like the label on this on.

Poured into a tulip pint: Two fingers of puffy, glistening head over deep brown body with amber highlights around the edges.

Nutmeg, raisins, & other dried fruits in the smell, with a kind of not-quite-mixed cookie dough with, like, baking soda showing up. Sort of interesting, but not real pleasant. An actual cookie smell shows up, helping the smell out a little bit.

Taste is a little better, with a decent caramel presence showing up alongside the dried fruit. Nice little bit of round, toasty, nutty/biscuity character bringing up the rear, along with some pleasant fruity hoppiness. Not bad at all, much better than I'd anticipated given the smell, to be honest. Some chocolate notes even show up later. Good stuff.

Medium-bodied, a little creamy with a residual body & sweetness after swallowing.

Kind of schizophrenic beer here, with a nose like a lackluster American-made dubbel, but flavor like a good porter or straight winter warmer. I was getting ready to slam this, but it came around, & I'm glad.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 01:50:04 | More by OneDropSoup

elNopalero

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It pours a seasonally-colored ruddy amber red. It has an aroma of cloves backed by some malty sweetness. Taste is layered, complex, lingering and rewarding. There’s cloves and nutmeg, some allspice, and a long finish that coats the mouth with each subsequent sip. Hard to believe it’s a dubbel only because I like it so much—no “bubblegum” flavors makes it really enjoyable. This is exactly how I want my winter ales to taste!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 22:38:17 | More by elNopalero

jtierney89

New Jersey

1/5  rDev -73%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Hazy deep brown color with amber highlights. Well retaining grayish head. Earthy barnyard scents on the nose with a faint hop presence. Some burnt toast on the nose as well. Something off putting about the nose already. Doesn't smell good.

Mouthfeel is slick and watery and flat. Taste is barely there with some burnt biscuit malt and seasonal spice. Barely perctable though with a pale finish and a slightly sweet after taste. Bready at best.

What is this? And is that style, a "dubbel" marked properly? I might've accepted this as a crappy winter warmer but a dubbel? No, severely dissapointing

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 04:17:50 | More by jtierney89

BrewStoutMagic

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is very nicely dark colored ale. Aroma has a light chocolate roastiness.Taste is a fine malted toffee, chocolate ale.Overall this is very nice, but make sure it has been refridgerated for a while.Otherwise the malt taste will be more like your drinking a robust tootsy roll.It does get better.I'd be happy to drink more.Glad I gave it a chance.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 00:54:25 | More by BrewStoutMagic

WoodBrew

Illinois

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Trying the Smuttynose Winter ale. The beer pours a clear copper color with a medium sized head that laced alll the way down my glass.
The scent of this beer was very sweet malt that included characteristics of belgian ale yeast. The taste was pretty mild and had great malt character. The mouthfeel was a good medium body with decent carbonation. I highly recommend this winter sensation.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 06:26:02 | More by WoodBrew

Ratman197

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured a clear reddish brown withg a small lasting creamy tan head. Aromas of toffee, cocoa,light earthiness and a hint of spice. Palate was medium bodied and crisp with a smooth finish. Flavors of toffee, cocoa, light carmel, light earthiness and a hint of spice with a smoothlingering malty finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 00:37:14 | More by Ratman197

schoolboy

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I grabbed this out of blind faith for the brewery. Their Big Al is enough to make you try the rest of theirs.

What a nice surprise. Not knowing what style it was, I liked the faint, fruity aroma (very faint) and the nice dark color. But I thought I was getting something of a different style - maybe an English dark ale or something - not something closer to my tastes. This works as a unique ale. I guess "dubbel" is an appropriate style name if that is what it is (right yeast), but it really doesn't taste a lot like one, just a little.

It's a bit too drinkable for the style, and not fruity enough, but it is very good, and a great value. I am going to seek out a bunch more to have around the house for the holidays. It is easy to drink and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 00:39:01 | More by schoolboy

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice brew. Served with a thick, light tan, foamy, frothy, expansive head that settled after a bit and plenty of lace. Color is a clear dark red amber. Aroma is malt, fruit, roast, toffee. Flavor is like nose plus more emphasis and carbonic tang, yeast. Body & carbonation are good. Finish is like flavor, of shorter duration, and pleasant. Very easy drinking beer. Easy enough to have another, which I will do.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2011 03:08:14 | More by drpimento

Heischman

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer/Brewery - Smuttynose Winter Ale 2010 (Aged 1 year)/Smuttynose Brewing Company
City/State- Portsmouth, New Hampshire
STYLE – Dubble
ABV – 5.1%
IBU – 30?
DATE – 04 DEC 2011
SERVING TYPE – 12 OZ bottle
GLASSWARE – Schooner
APPEARANCE – SRM OF 40 thin almost no head
AROMA- Sweet plum and some nice roastedness as well with a hint of brown sugar
TASTE – Sweet with a nice caramelized brown sugar and hints of plum. Finishes with a nice soothing roasted malt
MOUTHFEEL – Good carbonation nice and warming, feels like more ABV than 5.
CONCLUSION – A good standing Winter brew. I am lucky this was shared with me.

-JH-

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 17:17:14 | More by Heischman