Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale (Big Beer Series) - Smuttynose Brewing Company

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a golden/light amber color with a decent head that fades fast, no lacing.

Smell is very yeasty and bready, more so than I would have imagined, good spicy background with some malt.

Taste is very much like a hefeweizen, quite spicy, lemony, yeasty, good amount of carbonation, nice slickness, mild bitterness at the end.

A pleasant surprise, wasn't really thinking would be much but it fooled me wrong.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2008 23:08:41 | More by deltatauhobbit

MrRetardedMonkey

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a bright golden shade of amber with a thick and creamy two-finger off-white head that recedes slowly to about 1/8". Good retention and decent lacing.

Smell is Belgian yeast, banana, clove, white pepper, and lemon zest, with a mellow barnyard funk/wet hay smell lingering in the background.

Taste is much like the nose: peppery yeast, banana, clove, and lots of sweet citrus fruit flavors. The mellow funk maintains itself throughout, and it finishes semi-dry with a slight peppery bite.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel. Very crisp and smooth. It is a little sweet, but not overly so. Overall, very balanced.

A great interpretation of the style. Very crisp and refreshing, and another great beer from the folks at Smutty!

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 19:50:38 | More by MrRetardedMonkey

mhatters

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Duvel glasss

Pours a brigthish orange with a haze and some suspended sediment, little head

Fruity and earthy nose, apple and peach - delightful

Really pleasant - light fruit, apple, with yeastiness and breadiness too. A great herbal note finishes it off.

Soft, dry and crisp finish. Moderately carbonated - enough to keep it tingly.

A really fun and enjoyable beer

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 22:15:57 | More by mhatters

digr

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Note: This was a 2008 bottle - opened and tasted 8/2009. Had been in the cellar / fridge for last 6 months.

A - Beautiful Golden hue, mostly clear. Small white head that dissipated over 3 minutes.

S - Yeasty and Fruity esters. Very small amount of funk. Then a smell of caramel and maybe sugar...

M - Clean mouthfeel, but just enough body to let you know this is a solid beer. Carbonation is significant but works well for the style.

T - Slightly sweet taste (golden tasting...) Classic yeasty esters for the style, but not too much. No real Funk taste. Mild hop backend. Not really spicy. No real taste of alcohol. Very slight sour aftertaste. Mostly a bready kinda Strong Golden ale with a bit more complexity going on.

D: Nice Drinking Beer. Balance is nice, but better in the latter part of the evening (a bit heavy to start off with IMHO). Great to share with friends.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 06:02:09 | More by digr

ckeegan04

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Golden orange with very active carbonation and a ridiculously huge amount of foam. Foam takes forever to fade away and settle into a sold two-finger cap. Solid foam left all the way down the glass.

S - Wheat and Belgian yeast dominate the nose. Lots of ripe fruits and just a touch of mustiness. As the beer warms the sweetness really begins to open up.

T - The sweetness typical of Belgian candi sugar dominates up front with a quick tartness of ripe fruit coming in. Apples, pears and just a touch of lemon zest. Spices become more noticeable as the beer warms with hints of corriander and just a pinch of nutmeg. Spice is just a touch too strong for me to bump it into the 4.5/5.0 range, but this is a fine tasting saison.

M/D - Crisp and very well carbonated. Sticks on the tongue just a bit. Very easy drinking. ANother successful beer from the folks at Smuttynose.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 18:56:58 | More by ckeegan04

Jmoore50

Nevada

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have had a few of these Big Beer Series from Smuttynose, and I do have to take my hat off for this amazing brewery. The beers that I have had from them have been spectacular!

The appearance on this one is a really nice orange heart that gradients out to a strong golden color. It has a nice off white head that is incredibly frothy and leaves a nice lacing on the sides of my tulip.

The smell is of strong Belgian spice, bitter orange, and coriander.

The taste is amazing, very well done. It has a great dry saison taste that is backed by some great Belgian yeast esters, orange peel, white pepper, and a little bit of barnyard. Really spicy which adds a great complexity, totally enjoyable.

The mouthfeel is good, perfectly carbonated and the spices really let the palate roam free. The drinkability is awesome, but there are so many flavors and it is such a complex brew that you want to savor it while its still in your glass.

J

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 05:46:49 | More by Jmoore50

bort11

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to Skinny Elvis for this one.
22 oz bomber split with my wife. Poured into Imperial pint glasses. Hazy golden orange color. Fizzy white head that receded to little to no lacing.
Smell is very fruity to begin with. Apples and pears with a dash of spices. Taste is pineapple and very juicy. Evenly blended coriander and other spices.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and very refreshing. Very enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2007 04:56:11 | More by bort11

jbsteiny

Hawaii

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 12 oz. wineglass with a tulip glass – a hazy reddish gold with an inch and a half of head that left chunks of lace on the glass. Smelled wonderful, a highly floral and fruity nose with hints of alcohol and spice, and tasted even better. A bitter hop finish keeps this ale from being all flowers and fruit, which helped the taste, but hurt the mouthfeel a touch – otherwise, this medium bodied ale has good carbonation and masks its 7.5% ABV well enough to be a refreshing, but complex, drink on a hot afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2007 13:40:28 | More by jbsteiny

Atlas1

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I shared this bomber with my wife last week. We both loved it. This review is based on the notes I jotted down at the time.

The appearance is a pretty apricot color with a thin bubbly head. Lots of carbonation. It's a nice color for a saison, but otherwise it's nothing special. The nose is beautiful. A sweet and spicy aroma wafts up from the glass. Notes of fruit - peach, apricot, banana, impress upon the drinker a light, springtime atmosphere; perfect for a saison. The taste is very light but peppery as well. It almost evokes thoughts of a light fruit soda (think Nehi Peach), but not in a bad way. This beer is so utterly delightful it's a shame when the glass begins to run low. Mouthfeel is smooth, almost creamy, and firm.

The Farmhouse Ale is an excellent beer in my opinion. It's a big saison (which is a great idea; nicely done, Smuttynose!), but despite the high ABV, it goes down very easily. Almost too easily, perhaps. Cheers for this fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2007 18:11:22 | More by Atlas1

Rudgers73

New York

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at The Old Toad, Rochester, NY.

Pours a glowing yellowish orange with a decent amount of cloudiness. Not much for a head, (if it had a really nice head I would have upped the appearance to a 4 or 4.5). The smell is wonderful. A big whiff of orange peel, belgian yeast providing a mellow, round, clove smell, and the end is dry with hops (maybe goldings?) The taste is also wonderful with a dry, peppery, earthy start working up to a bold fresh citrus that slowly fades into a clove and bitter hop ending. Nice and dry. Lots of flavor. The mouthfeel is smooth, crisp, clean but the amount of orange flavor makes it almost sticky at times. A great, and americanized (nothing subtle about the flavor) example of one of my favorite belgian beer types.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-22-2007 22:48:01 | More by Rudgers73

zeff80

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, fizzy, golden-orange color with a foamy, white, one-finger head. It left some thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of citrus and a little funk. It had tons of yeasty aromas.

T - It tasted of funky yeastiness, some orange and caramel malt. There was a touch of honey flavor.

M - It was crisp and sharp with a dry flavor. A medium bodied farmhouse ale.

D - This is a pretty darn good Belgian ale from an American brewery. It is very well-balanced and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2009 18:14:56 | More by zeff80

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale pours a hazy honey color with a small creamy white head on top. The foam dissolves quickly to a thin ring around the surface leaving behind a few spots of lace around the glass.

The aroma is a combination of clove, pepper, apples, and yeast. The yeast smell is a bit funky. Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is very smooth and soft on the palate. The flavor is a well balanced combination of fruit, spice and malt. The fruit notes are mainly white grapes, apples and a hint of pear. Mild spicy flavors of clove and corriander are mixed in while a nice toasted malt stands in the background. It finishes somewhat tart with a hint of alcohol. Once gone the white grapes and corriander remain behind.

This is an easy drinking, very tasty beer. The flavor really comes out as the beer warms in the glass.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2006 00:47:17 | More by WanderingFool

emerge077

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A plume of smoke and gentle hiss christens the opening...

The hefty bomber pours out a cloudy orange tone into a chalice. Suspended sediment of yeast swirls around, dancing around in the moderate carbonation.

Aroma of funky Belgian yeast, true to style. Some resemblance to Orval in the funk factor. Estery fruit and mild phenolic alcohol in there too, still very pleasing.

At first the taste reminded me of a Tripel, due to a sweet bubblegum and fruity, estery alcohol presence. This was countered by a spicy, peppery finish that balanced the initial mild sweetness. After a few sips, the mild phenolic alcohol mellowed, and became well integrated. An earthy, bittersweet note emerged, accompanied by pear, orange peel, and berry in the middle. Throughout there was the funky Orval-esque yeast. Finish was definitely not as dry as most Belgian Saisons, and it was easy to finish the 22 oz. bottle.

A hearty drinker may be able to session 2 bombers, but honestly that would be more than enough.

This is a great example of a domestic Saison in the Belgian tradition.
Served around 50-55º.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2006 01:37:19 | More by emerge077

sethmeister

New Hampshire

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber purchased a few days ago pours clear gold at first with a fluffy off-white head which quickly becomes a film. The second glass is a bit cloudier w/ some sediment.

Nose: mild Belgian funk, pear, apple, orange peel, cloves and black pepper.

Taste: prickly on the tip of the tongue to start, then fruity and sweet, orchard and stone fruits - even a hint of banana - honey, a mild yeast funk and sourness, orange peel and spice - cloves and black pepper in particular. There is a very slight tartness and an astringent quality that comes in at the end. Lots going on here and the more I savor it as it warms, the more I flavors I notice. Perhaps a bit sweet for a saison but I prefer it that way. There's a sugar sweetness lingering on my lips but the beer is never cloying and the sweetness is balanced out by the other flavors.

If it is a medium mouthfeel then it is a voluptuous medium and almost velvety. Again perhaps a bit big for the style but I find it delightful.

Very easy to drink.

Smuttynose will you marry me?

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 01:42:11 | More by sethmeister

OStrungT

California

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a clear golden yellow color, with a thick white head. The head fades slwoly, leaving a slight lace.

This beer has a spicy aroma. I can smell coriander, all spice, and orange peel. It has a spicy Saaz hop aroma also.

This beer tastes like it smells. Spicy flavors. Some earthy yeast flavor also. Some floral and spicy hop flavors are present also. A slight lemony flavor is also present.

This beer is crisp and refreshing. It goes down smooth, leaving a spicy aftyertaste.

This beer might make a decent session beer. It is a little high in alcohol, but it is pretty easy to drink.

Overall: Thank you Ppoitras for generously giving me the chance to try this one. I liked it a lot.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 23:00:46 | More by OStrungT

tastybeer

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Orange copper gold color with oily creamy looking white head. Lace is everywhere. Nose is sugary and tropical with pinapples, candied lemon and orange, bananas, and melon. Like a sugary fruit infused farmhouse. A little peppery spice balances the sweet fruit and caramel malt. Taste is like candied fruit with bread, yeast, hidden spice, slightly earthy hop. Mouthfeel of the medium-full biody is slick and smooth. Very drinkable. Orange fruit candy finish. Somehow the sweetness isnot overwhelming but after a few of these I would probably go for an ESB or IPA.

Great for the warm months, and I think it would make a great summer dessert beer. Sweet and soothing.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2006 00:55:12 | More by tastybeer

oberon

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a slight hazed burnt orange-like color with a thinner but well retaind white head,alot of different things going on in the nose some lemony tartness as well as some yeasty phenolic notes but not overbearing with lingering hints of iron and herb.In my opinion the flavors are very Belgian-like in its yeasty tones and almost medicinal hop profile with lemon and overipe pineapple tones.I like it not alot of the barnyard funk you get in traditional Belgian saisons wich I dont care for so that was a plus for me,pretty refreshing and substantial at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2006 00:44:09 | More by oberon

ksbrainard

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Bright gold yellow color with a thin head.

S - Somewhat sour, then spicy as expected for Saison. A bit of malt sweetness peeks in there. Also subtle hop aroma.

T - Big bitter taste coats the tongue and alcohol numbs the mouth. Both the hops and alcohol are assertive in a good way. There is also a bit of sweetness of apples present.

M - I'd say medium-high body. It has a detectable sweetness, but not overly sticky. Still probably a bit more than I'd prefer, but not bad.

D - Great! This is tasty and interesting, and if I had more than one here I'd probably have another right after this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2007 01:52:08 | More by ksbrainard

DrDogbeer

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured from the 22 oz bottle to a couple of tulip glasses. Pours a hazy dark yellow with the normal fizzy, large bubble head of a saison. Smells of sweet spices. Nice smooth, waming first sip. Has flavors of different spices, some pepper included. Some fruit in the backround. Extremely drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2008 01:12:52 | More by DrDogbeer

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Yo Bobby Z - I got the Exit 16, you got the Farmhouse? Word up.

A - Orangey-gold with a bit of white froth and lace

S - There is a strong green apple aroma, combine that with a pristine mineral-y malt and it smells exceptionally fresh. There is also a Tripel-like sweetness.

T - The taste is very nice, delivering on all of the promise of the nose. Big green apple flavors fuse with a pale and lightly astringent malt, with a healthy dose of grassy and exceptionally delectable hops on the long drying finish. A big-time winner here for Smuttynose.

M - Big feel; it seems quite robust for the style.

D - Very impressed. This is a hell of a brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 00:21:55 | More by ktrillionaire

Aiptasia

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very good belgian style big beer. I sampled a 22 oz. bomber from my hand blown absinthe glass, which is similar to an old fashioned soda fountain glass.

A: Pours like bright sunshine on a misty morning. Head was respectable, white and solid 1" with slower dissipation than others reported. Lacing leaves rings after each drink like a tree trunk.

S: Got my whole nose in there. Beautiful notes of hay, sunshine and lemon zest.

T: Very good. Bready hops on the frontend with notes of citrus and pepper spice in the middle. Some malt sweetness but not overly sweet in the middle, too. Thin on the hops and finishes dry.

M: Light bodied. Very fine carbonation. Cooling and wet on the front with a dry, pallete cleansing finish.

D: Alcohol is well masked, so be careful. A great beer to pair with anything warm and spicy like Thai, Szechuan, Curry or Spanish cooking. I enjoyed mine with Buffalo wings and cool ranch doritos.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 00:16:35 | More by Aiptasia

ybnorml

Rhode Island

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clean orange/amber beer. Has a small off white head. Which leaves a nice lace. The aroma is tart fruit notes up front. With hints of pear in the background. The tartness carries over into the start of the taste. Followed quickly by a sour character pushing forward. THere is a soft sweet malt note in the middle. There is a light pepper hoppiness to add a little snap to the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2006 18:18:45 | More by ybnorml

Celt44

New York

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a light and transparent amber - Creamy head present and lacing lasts throughout.

Aroma - grape jumps out first with splashes of citrus - grapefruit and lemon.

Taste is superior for the style. Not overbearing and abv is masked very well. Very fruity with a spicy finish. Yeast abounds.

Mouthfeel starts creamy and finishes smooth.

Excellent Saison. These go down very easy for a "big beer".

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2006 21:32:58 | More by Celt44

DaggerEyes

New York

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The 22 oz bomber poured a slightly hazy light amber. Lots of beads of carbonation rising to the surface which was capped off with a fluffy head that was 2 fingers high and a shade just slighty off from white. the head shrunk to roughly half a finger high but from there had excellent retention, held through to the end. Patchy fine lacing clung.

The first scent that hits the nose is straight up clove, lots of spice, a bit peppery. Some banana comes into play. A little bit funky. It all just gets better as it warms up a bit, the earthy tones come to the front more.

The clove is forward on the taste, with some hints of bubble gum. Peppery as it lingers in the mouth. Wonderfully aftertaste of honey, grapes and pineapple. The pineapple is perhaps most accurate and pronounced.

Active carbonation on the tip of the tongue but that fades out quickly, medium bodied pretty smooth, much fuller in the mouth than I had expected with a clean finish and a dry after taste.

A pretty great beer, especially for the fairly low price tag it sports, I'll be picking it up again in the future for sure

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2007 03:42:32 | More by DaggerEyes

Bassetdawg

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: bomber, dated brewed in 2007

Appearance: slightly clouded golden. Pours with two fingers of creamy white foam, with good retention, and fine lacing.

Aroma: citrus fruit, yeast and a bit of clove – very pleasant.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Smooth mouthfeel. Orange, clove and a bit of black pepper taste. A funky taste with a smooth finish

Drinkability: This is a fine saison, another great beer in the Big Beer series.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2007 03:14:01 | More by Bassetdawg