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

circus_cat

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A: Bright and clear goldish copper body with very little head (as one would expect with a beer this high in ABV). The head is soapy and bright white. The color of the body is beautiful and inviting.

S: WOW. The nose on this thing is incredibly complex. Green apples, riesling (and sweet white wine grapes in general), biscuity notes, Belgian yeast, booze.

T: And the taste did not disappoint. Brut sparkling wine, tart apples, sour cherries, wet hay, bready malt character, lively yeast, earthiness.

M: Crisp yet full-bodied. Very clean on the finish. It almost leaves my palate altogether the moment I swallow it.

O: Incredibly interesting take on a farmhouse ale! I really loved it--so rich in flavor and upped in complexity by the high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 18:20:20 | More by circus_cat

OutFox

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2011 release, 22oz bottle poured into a wine glass.

A - Clear amber orangeish sort of color. Decent white head with ok lacing and retention. Its def. a filtered sort of farmhouse which I find odd.

S - Has that barnyard sort of smell. You can pick out the wheat and then move on to the sort of tart fruityness.

T - barnyardy with wheat overtones followed by this tart fruit thing. Almost the same as the nose.

M - This is the only place I had a problem with this beer. Its missing that bottle contioned/unfiltered aspect. It really needs that sort of Belgian farmhouse body. Its too light.

O - Good farmhouse. I liked it just thought it needed a little more body. Good beer from Smuttynose though, second Big Beer series Ive had and they have both been good.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 00:27:17 | More by OutFox

soultrain

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Hennipen glass.
A-Semi-clear golden orange beer. 2" head disappears quickly. Yeast chunks abound. O.k. lacing.
S-Very slight sweetness morphs into a sharp yeast attack.
T-Gritty bottle-conditioned goodness. Sweet but farm tart. Nice funk. No loose ends.
M-Almost perfect.
D-Can I have another?

CRUX: THIS IS A REALLY NICE FARMHOUSE ALE. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2006 16:28:23 | More by soultrain

AlexanderSelby

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Straw yellow, slight haze, weak head. Smells of bananas, lemon peel, slightly peppery. Tastes like a screw-driver, but better of course. There is a whole lot of sour citrus in there, lemon and orange mostly, and the booze is pretty obvious. There is some clove-like vanilla vibe on the back palate when you look for it, but orangey, lemony, screwdriver is really what comes to mind.

I am typically turned off by Saisons, but this guy seems to be more concise than a lot of the variety. The wild yeasts don't run ramped and muddle up the flavors. This does not mean a lack of complexity, just an accomplishment in discretion with a very hard-to-handle style.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 01:22:26 | More by AlexanderSelby

Lukecook

New Brunswick (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip glass

A- Big frothy white head, cloudy golden color, head stays thick and fluffy, lots of lacing.

S- Smells very earthy, with notes of apple and a little lemon.

T- Mildy fruity, apple is present with pepper and a nice hop finish.

M- Medium body, medium to high carbonation.

D- This is my first time trying this beer style and I thought that it was great, looking forward to my next!

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 02:31:09 | More by Lukecook

Keith238

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Honey colored with 0 head after 2 minutes or so and very little lacing. Strong floral aroma and strong flavor of clove and honey. Mouthfeel is clean, very effervescent and little aftertaste. Aesthetically, it would have been more pleasing if there were a decent head or lacing. The clarity is a clean as the taste. Not MY favorite saison but worth trying. Overall an enjoyable beer. Be sure to pick up a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2008 05:37:04 | More by Keith238

ken2cart1

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

served in pint glass

a- foggy dark yellow orangy brew...spooky 0.5 inchy frothy head that dissapates rather quickly, def wheat mallt

a- lemony from the wheat,phenolic, peppery, herbal spices

t- nice solid wheat malt in fore with a great spicy peppery finish that lingers....solid throughout

m- wheat malt= smooooth creamy..

0verall-very very good, smutty is most reliable brewery eever..btw def cant notice 9% alc...be careful

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 00:03:03 | More by ken2cart1

zimmerbloke

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

From Blind Bomber BIF (Thanks to Hophead101!):

A: Hazy blonde pour with a fairly substantial frothy, head. Well carbonated.

S: A little sweet, strong yeast. Hops and a little bit of bitterness.

T: Somewhat sweet, some stronger yeast flavors as well. A bit of fruity, earthy hop notes fade pretty quickly into mild bitterness. Malt takes a backseat here, but has lightly toasted flavor.

M: Pretty carbonated, but still smooth.

D: Very high. Refreshing flavor without anything particularly overpowering, could definitely drink this often.

Wow, can't believe this is 9.5%! Really well hidden. I don't know if I really recognized this as a Farmhouse Ale, but I definitely enjoyed it. Thanks for the fantastic box, Hophead101!

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 00:20:10 | More by zimmerbloke

skivtjerry

Vermont

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours with normal, not Belgian, carbonation. Probably, the bottle can't take more CO2. Nice clear straw color. Small persistent head.

Smell: malt, spices and cotton candy. Hop aroma blends seamlessly into the other spicy aromas. There is something there I can't quite define, sort of the smell of very fresh air after a storm.

Taste: malt, noble hops and the aforementioned cotton candy. finishes with a nice lactic tang.

Mouthfeel: just right. Very refreshing, not cloying as many domestic 'saisons' are. Good hop bitterness dries the palate out just enough at the end.

Drinkability: dangerously high. Every sip is a pleasure. My new favorite 'American saison'. Higher carbonation and a touch more hop aroma would bump the drinkability up to a 5 in my book.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2007 10:13:23 | More by skivtjerry

mindlucent2007

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a semi-hazy golden color, with a frothy, white head.
There's not much lacing and it looks to have medium carbonation. A funky, grassy, yeasty aroma, and a tad spicy to the nose. The taste is similar to the smell since there is a yeasty, Belgian, candy-like sweetness that dominates. This isn't heavy at all and there is no noticeable alcohol which is surprising at 9.3% abv. Low carbonation with a mild, barely bitter aftertaste. A nice pick up from Smuttynose, but it could be more crisp. This ale is a little rough around the edges, but a good job overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 21:28:48 | More by mindlucent2007

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

JTWILDOATS

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was stunned when I poured this big bottle brew into a wine glass and bore witness to the holy vortex of carbonation that ensued. I've never seen anything like it--too pristene to sip at.

This was a very good release by Smuttynose--proves their versatility. Without being too extravagant, this brew contained a nice mellow Belgian malt with a warm, spicy finish.

One of the beautiful things about the Saison genre is that you don't know exactly what you're getting with each brewery's rendition.

Certainly worth a try...but not the same as a true Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2009 22:04:42 | More by JTWILDOATS

HombreWing

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber from 2007...modified Duvel glass

Eyes: Pours bright ..orange. Heads nicely and recedes to a 1/4" head that laces the glass as it does.

Nose: Orange blossom ...honeyed malts

Tounge: Sweet Malt that winds up only to ride shotgun to citrusy spice

Texture: Medium body...smooth....creamy after some breathing

Overall experience: Not my first bottle of this elixir...not my last!
The kicker ....4.99 for the bomber

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2007 05:08:52 | More by HombreWing

bcastine

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a hazy golden/orange color with a modest head, spotty lacing present while the beer lasted.

S-Belgian yeast, citrus fruit and pear

T-Again first notice the yeast, but then comes some complex flavors, peppery without being overly spicey, pepper is initially detected but citrus tones finish out the flavor, finishes with a pleasant lemon/fruity yeasty aftertaste.

M-lightly carbonated, dry on the tongue, sweet and hard to avoid taking the next sip.

D- Despite the abv this is an easy beer to drink, session like, hides the alcohol very well goes done easily and is very smooth. One of the more complex summer style beers I've had this season. The kind of beer one looks for on a summer day while taking a break between projects, just tread lightly as it does creep up on you.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2008 01:13:22 | More by bcastine

beancounter

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a standard pint glass. The color is dark gold to light amber. I hear a loud fizzy sound as I pour. Highly carbonated. There is very little head but what is there stays around for the entire session.

S-Sweet and malty also some caramel.

Taste-A mildly sweet and yeasty taste hit my senses first. Then in the back of my tongue I sense a substantial bitterness. I also taste some citrus/lemon flavors but they are very faint. There are also some other flavors but they hide just beneath my ability to identify them.

Mouth feel is medium and appropriate for the style.

D-I like this beer. I could easy drink a few in one sitting. The bitterness may be off-putting to some for this style, but I think it provides a nice balance.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 21:20:12 | More by beancounter

TeddyBG

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber poured into a Smutty pint glass.

A: Cloudy, burnt orange, with a virorous head and quickly recedes. No lacing.

S: Brettanomyces and lemon.

T: Tangy front with lemon and yeast. Slightly notice hops on the finish. Very good.

M: Full mouthfeel with decent carbonation.

D: This is a very tasty beer, but you can definitely feel the alcohol with this one.

This is my first foray into the big beer series of Smutty and I have to say that I was never impressed with their mainstream beers, notably their IPA. This one is a well crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 23:31:23 | More by TeddyBG

jvdineen

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pretty good try from Smuttynose. It pours a yellow-orange hue with a little head. The hops give a not-overwhelmingly spicy taste that lasts the entire bomber. Quite light and refreshing. The moderately high alcohol content is well hidden and balanced.
Bottle conditioned in 2006. Label contains a 18th-19th century scene of a "gentleman farmer" and his family as he quaffs some drink.
Bought at Charles St. Liquors on reccomendation of employee.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2006 22:52:02 | More by jvdineen

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

nanertak

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz to tulip glass

Appearance: Golden. Bright and bubbly, 1 finger head, lot of carbonation.

Nose: Oranges, bananas, hint of grassyness. Belgian yeast.

Taste: Strong and sweet malts, fading into cloying alcohol. Mild spicy middle, lingering sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Thick. The carbonation gives a mild spice (a bit too mild) to the backbone, which quickly fades (a bit too quickly). Very round. A bit too round for a saison, in my opinion.

Drinkability: It's not bad. Reasonably good beefed up farmhouse/saison. A bit too round for summer drinking, so I'm not sure where or when I'd drink another.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2009 23:08:59 | More by nanertak

juzy

Alaska

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What an interesting color, milky gold, almost peachy. Very pretty. A loose, big bubbled head disipated quickly, perhaps my glass had some residue or maybe this bottle was too cold.

Smells of honey, blood, a bit of hay, bubble gum.

The flavor is much the same as the aroma, maybe a bit more pronounced banana. Some pepper and almost tropical taste, like pineapple? Maybe a bit more sweetness than I like, but I think it might age well.

Mouthfeel is nice. Sparkling, dry on the finish with a bit of residual sweetness.

Overall a nice farmhouse style ale. Glad I was able to procure a couple of bottles.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2006 17:01:20 | More by juzy

LvilleIPA

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from 2006. I'm liking all the labels from the Big Beer Series.

A - Golden, clear, white head that faded relatively quickly.

S - Smells exactly like a saison should - citrusy, dry, yeast.

T - Damn good. Smooth as can be. Malty, yet lots of fruitiness. Finishes semi-dry. At the end, you can definitely feel the alchohol in it. Other than that, as smooth and mild as can be.

M - Medium bodied, really no carbonation at all.

D - Based on its smoothness, you can easily take down a 22oz'er. You really don't get a good feel for the 7.5% until the end. Well worth finding and drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2007 02:43:58 | More by LvilleIPA

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

diechipmunk

Massachusetts

1.95/5  rDev -49.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Pours a cloudy brass with a think foamy head, really appealing.

Smell is not strong, but there is Belgian yeast and something like sweaty leather (saddle?). There is a warning of alcohol, but it's still promising

Taste, starts out crisp and citrusy with a hint of spice and a balancing undertone of fresh bread. Then disaster strikes. Who dropped the shot whiskey in my saison!? Nasty, cheap booze takes over and stays. Can't get rid of it. The promising start of the first sip is gone, the booze doesn't go away.

Mouthfeel was OK I guess, a little sweet, for me, medium body, but a touch heavy for saison, I think.

Drinkability - poor, to me. If you like Seagrams 7 and aren't looking for a crisp, refreshing saison it may be good. I did not want a premixed boiler maker.

A rare drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 20:14:35 | More by diechipmunk

parkeak0

District of Columbia

4.75/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Grabbed this at the brewery while on vacation in New Hampshire last month. Tasted on draft at the brewery and was very impressed... been excited to open this one up for a while!

A - Pours a hazy golden-orange. Big three-finger head that quickly dissipates into a billowy, fluffy head, then into a more moderate but very aesthetically pleasing lace. What a looker!

S - A decent amount of that yeasty Belgian funk that really isn't found in many beers that aren't actually made in Belgium. Hay, tart apple, mild but noticeable alcohol.

T - Sweet maltiness (though not overwhelming), fruity tartness (again, lots of tart apple), a suggestion of pepper. Finishes dry and well-balanced with a wonderful tart/bitter twang. Mild hops, but definitely providing for some depth and balance. A very well balanced beer.

M - Creamy in a way that most saisons aren't. Low carbonation, but this lends itself well to the beer. Finish is dry, but isn't astringent or puckering.

D - Good, as most saisons are. A bit high in alcohol to session. Frankly, I'd rather savor a bomber of this over the course of an hour or an hour and a half than session this beer. Just too complex to quaff.

Wow! I'm not a terribly well-seasoned saison drinker, but this stands out as one of the best I've had to date. If you see this, pick one (or more) up. If you even remotely like saisons, you will enjoy this immensely.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2009 05:04:30 | More by parkeak0

bigflatsbeerman

New York

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Poured into tulip pint glass from 22 oz. bomber. Clear golden color with 2 inch good looking head.
Smell - Citrus and yeasty smell, not unusual for a saison.
Taste - Pretty good. I did get a pretty strong alcohol taste probably on the third swig (just found out this was 9%+) but that went away after a while.
Mouthfeel - Somewhat heavy not light. For me this is drinkable.
Overall - Pretty good, not my favorite saison (Hennepin) but decent none the less. I would recommend you trying this.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 01:12:56 | More by bigflatsbeerman