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

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

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

This beer couldn't look more perfect in the glass a nice hazy golden color with an enormous fluffy head and tons of lace. The aroma is floral with some lemon zest and peppery notes. The flavor is florally bitter with some rye bread boldness and a nice noble herbal hop note. The beer is dry and the palate is sharp and particularly bubbly. Tasty tasty stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 16:49:34 | More by BieresDesMoines

CuttDeez

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bomber series into a Tulip glass.

A - Solid looking saison that is a hazy gold with a thick frothy white head that laces well.

S - A good balance of sweet fruity sugars, earthen herds, and a little funk.

T & M & D - This saison is like most others as it follows the nose. There are good fruits, earth tones, and funk. The beer is different as it is sweeter upfront than most with only a subtle pepper on the back end. The funk is very slight. Medium bodied and carbinated well. A pretty drinkable brew in flavor, but heavy on the ABV in actuallity.

O - A solid saison from a good brewery. On the sweeter end, but a beer I would do again if given the chance.

-Cheers

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 02:24:57 | More by CuttDeez

NiceGuyMike

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark yellow with light head and a bit of lacing. Smells of strong belgian friutiness. Strong flavors of sweet alcohol with fruitiness, delicious.
Very smooth medium body mouth feel with a bit of fizz, very drinkable.

This is an excellent american saison. Something this good warrents further research in to Smuttynoes.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2006 22:18:52 | More by NiceGuyMike

Pittsburgh

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'd like to open this review with a question. Who cares how a beer smells? Does it matter if it tastes good? Unless it literally smells like an ass....so bad that you can't get it to your lips.

Anyways, I had to choose between this and Arrogant Bastard, and after the first sip I was wishing I had the bastad. I am not doing a comparison here, but after the next few sips, I got into the beer, and I was good with my choice. I think that says alot about the beer. It is solid, it is my first Smuttynose, I don't drink alot of belgians, so keep that in mind.

Good pour, great head, light vanilla brown color, taste is smooth for the most part, a bit bitter at the end, has that creamy vanilla taste, with a bit of lemon, light and fluffy, good for a change up. This is usually the opposite of what I drink, but I liked it, It is tough for me to compare it with others like this, because it is not usually what I get, but it was a solid beer, I would get it again sometime if I was looking for something in this world.

The real eye opener for me is Smuttynose, I want to try more of their beers. It is a tough task....but I am up for the challenge.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 23:41:38 | More by Pittsburgh

ejquin

Illinois

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

A: Golden with 1-finger thick white head. Decent lacing. It's already appearent there is much less carbonation in this beer compared with usual Saison's.

S: You get that typical saison aroma, fading to brown sugar sweetness. A touch of molasses and fig is a bit unique. Some hop spiciness mixed with clove. Slight banana.

T/m: Starts a bit slow for a saison, yeasty and jucy middle turns to brown sugar sweetness fading to clove and slight hop perception lingers in finish. Little alcohol perception. Nice creamy mouthfeel, again less carbonation than you'd expect in a saison.

D: Very crisp and refreshing as a saison should be inspite of abv.

D:

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2008 21:06:54 | More by ejquin

mshallah

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pale amber color that's only slightly hazy. Fluffy, sudsy, foamy head of two fingers which recedes slowly. Belgian yeast spice of clove and white pepper in the nose. Mandarin orange citrus fruitiness. Taste is what it is. A mellow Belgian style pale ale that is easy to drink with sweet, mildly toasty malt and a sour tartness from the yeast. A mellow, well rounded saison. Fruity and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2007 01:39:41 | More by mshallah

Genuine

Connecticut

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

Picked up the last bottle at my local place, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Poured from the bomber into my pint glass, a pale reddish/amber in color. Not much of a head to speak of, even after an aggressive pour.

Smell - I noticed the aroma of this one right off the bat. Very fruity, citrusy and sweet. Could not miss this one at all. Crisp, even.

Taste - First siason ever, wasn't sure what to expect but it was a very nice pleasant crisp and fruity. Some grapefruit mixed in, with a bit of the alcohol being noticable, especcially at 9.2%. Light body, I noticed some earthy flavors as well, I could see that this was going to go well with dinner.

Mouthfeel - Nice, light and crisp. Nothing that'll destroy the palate but it'll keep you coming back for more. It went very well with Thanksgiving dinner and all of the big flavors.

Drinkability - I enjoyed it greatly with dinner. Not sure if I'd want another bomber right after, as I was feinding for a Celebration next. Great beer to enjoy with food, cleans the palate and enjoyable. A very nice beer from Smuttynose!

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 17:02:57 | More by Genuine

jsdunlop

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, orange hue with a fluffy, white head that lasts and lasts with thick lacing. Aromas of belgian yeast, funky citrus fruits, and alcohol hit the nose while a slight sweetness lingers around as well. Very fresh and wild taste, strong yeast presence with an abundance of overripe fruit notes, a bit of a spicy aftertaste with a fairly dry finish. Rather tart in the taste, as compared to the sweeter smell I was picking up. The intense carbonation, and spicy kick cover up the alcohol presence very well, making this a lighter bodied, fairly dry, and easy drinking brew at above 9%.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 22:36:26 | More by jsdunlop

busterthecat

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- Pours a nice hazy slightly golden hay hue. A white foamy head forms with leaves quickly.

S- Nice full banana, spike and yeast. A touch of boozy heat. Some subtle musk. Lemon and orange zest is present.

T- Orange and citrus zest with a slight sweetness upfront. Fades to the notes found in the aroma (spice & yeast). Gets a dirty bread/ earthy tone in end and finish. Hot alcohol is there.

M- Medium bodied and lingers well. The alc does sit on palate and stays in throat. Too hot.

O- The alcohol really detracts from this beer. It seem to ruin the delicate notes and makes drinking, what should be a refreshing beer, a tiresome chore. I would strongly suggest aging this beer to aid with the flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 03:16:21 | More by busterthecat

begforme4484

Connecticut

3.3/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a very golden ale color. Little head, less than a finger width.

Smells of a bit of malt and floral hop, but mostly over taken by the sourness.

A bit of doughy malt, not much hop detectable, but a lot of sour.l

Medium bodied, good carb.

Overall a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 06:45:48 | More by begforme4484

RickSawyer

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a vibrant orange with light ruby deep centered. Not an amazing head. Smell is full of pear, green grapes, hay field, tropical pineapple, hints of white pepper, and yeasty belgian floral earthiness. Taste... ok, I have to admit, this is, in my opinion, the most "to style" american made saison I have tasted to date. Taste is peppery pear, touches of citrus, earthy, moist hay yeastiness, fresh bread and green apples. Carbonated like champaign and goes down like veuve cliquot. I am impressed.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2008 00:25:42 | More by RickSawyer

sjverla

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nose: Fruity and funk. Alcohol and clove. Spicy. Complex and yeasty.

Appearance: About a half-inch of frothy white head. Quickly dissipates. Amber gold.

Taste: Fruity and juicy. Alcoholic. Very spicy and tart. Hot on the gums and lightly bitter. Rustic, but not quite funky.

Overall: This one bites back. A little boozy though. Overall, pretty satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 01:38:08 | More by sjverla

Matty1918

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber. Bottled conditioned in 2008.

Pours a nice light amber/honey color with a nice foamy white head. Good amount of lacing and retention.

Aroma is of hay at first with a hint of hoppy bitterness there also. A touch floral and nice malt aroma too. A lot going on.

Ok the taste has a lot going on too. Very earthy up front which is followed by a nice spice...cloves maybe and a touch of cinnamon. There's a balanced taste of hops...slight bitterness with some flowers in there too. You can taste some sweet malts in there too. Very good...has a lot of things going on in there.
You can feel the alcohol too...just a little at the end.

Very nice mouthfeel..creamy, not to heavy...very nice. Nice amount of carbonation.

A nice sipping brew indeed. Very enjoyable. I'll go buy some more of these...some to enjoy and some to cellar.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 21:16:29 | More by Matty1918

vrazionale

Vermont

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22.4 oz. bottle at refrigerator temperature poured into a snifter. Bottle reads: "Bottle-conditioned in: 2008"

A - Pours a clear, bright copper body with a modest, delicately-laced head formation.

S - Lots of stone fruit, sweet citrus, and floral notes, well-complemented by a full yeasty background. Subtle notes of spices - namely white pepper and fresh nutmeg.

T - The fruity notes take hold up front, followed by a wash of honey-like sweetness. Not particularly crisp or tart, and the honey sweetness, while complex in its own right, doesn't feel right here. The progression feels clumsy and awkward. It needs more bitterness, I think.

M - For much the same reason that I didn't like the taste of this beer, I don't like the mouthfeel. The sweetness imparts a sticky feeling that doesn't jibe with the crisp, refreshing character I like in saisons.

D - Not an unpleasant brew to drink by any means, but I've had much, much better saisons. I understand that this beer was brewed almost two years ago, but I expect a well-made saison to hold up better than this. I'd pair this beer with a hearty mac and cheese dish or with sweeter cured meats.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 03:38:17 | More by vrazionale

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

ElGallo

New Hampshire

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. Bomber poured into a Hill Farmstead long stem snifter.

Color is a slightly hazy yellow orange with a finger of head and a little lacing.

Smells of bread, under ripe fruit and subtle spice, with some mild mustiness too.

Taste is of bread, mild spices, apple, and pear.

Medium carbonation in the mouthfeel with some spicy bite in the aftertaste.

Overall a nice and somewhat prototypical American farmhouse ale/saison. Worth trying if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 02:47:36 | More by ElGallo

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

pitasoup

Tennessee

3.05/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Thanks to SkinnyElvis for this bomber, dated 2010.

A: Straw-like golden yellow. Could be mistaken for generic bmc lager in color and clarity. Slightly more than a finger of fine white head. Second pour is murkier - dregs have been shaken.

S: Typical Belgian saison yeasts - hay, peppery, and the smallest hint of vegetal. Floral esters linger on your tongue afterwards - lavender and dandelion.

T: Taste is more American saison, slight lemons, peppery. Alcohol is very present and distracting. Wheat malts linger as you get past the initial yeasts.

M: Body is medium but lingering mouthfeel is oddly thick from alcohol. This is very distracting - like drinking malt liquor.

O: This is a less aggressive saison in terms of peppery-yeasts, but it compensates with alcohol hotness. I am overwhelmed by the warm and fusel nature of this beverage. There are subtleties in the smell that I quite enjoy but the taste does not back them up.

I am thankful for having been able to taste this but would probably not seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 04:42:13 | More by pitasoup

Cmack15

Massachusetts

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

Appearance: nice light golden color, like rays of sunshine captured in a bottle

Aroma: slight orange note, yeasty with a touch malt

Taste: nice orange slightly sweet, excellent hop balance dry finish
abv is well hidden

Mouthfeel: great carbonation, light body easy to drink

This is a really nice beer from Smuttynose, not sure if I would classify as a saison but who really knows what a saison is? It would be easy to session this beer but the abv makes me think thats a bad idea. Nice beer great for the warmer months.
Enjoy

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 21:44:00 | More by Cmack15

mtbbaboon

Connecticut

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

I really enjoyed this one. Poured from a 22oz bottle. Gold color with a touch of haze. I had to swirl the bottle get the yeast goodness off the bottom of the bottle. The clove, spice and fruit scent is very nice. Slight carbonation in the mouth. The cloves and fruits are picked right up by the taste buds. Smooth texture and finish with a slight bitter aftertaste. Definitely a nice saison on a warm summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2008 20:49:25 | More by mtbbaboon

gosurfobx

North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 22oz bottle. Pours with a large rocky head. Beer is a cloudy straw color. Smell has some spicy notes with noticeable malt sweetness. Taste is decent but not what I expected, does not have the spiceyness that I have come to expect from saisons. The sweet malty backbone of this beer prevails and any spice notes get pushed to the side. Mouthfeel is pretty good, the carbination feels good in the mouth. A drinkable beer, but not my favorite as far as saisons go.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2006 04:48:56 | More by gosurfobx

Matt1516

Quebec (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the BIG bottle--2009 vintage.

Not my favourite style but good example of it.

Hazy golden orange appearance. Tons of head and lacing throughout. Smells of yeast, bananas and cloves. Medium mouthfeel.

Very malty with yeast and strong carbonation. Peppery notes, lots of fruit, like lemon zest. Some earthiness and bread notes too.

A heavy beer with a hot ABV. If the origins of this style are true, I don't know how the farm workers would get anything done after drinking this.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 20:35:18 | More by Matt1516

grover37

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up in Atlanta for cheap ($4 or 5 iirc). Poured into an over-sized Sloeber tulip. Notched 2010 on the bottle.

Appearance (2): Hazy dark orange. Not a lot of head unless aggressively poured. Not much head retention outside a very thin layer and a medium sized ring. Not a lot of lacing either. Not impressive except for bright orange color.

Smell (4): Yeasty, earthy, and citrus. A typical, slightly musky, farmhouse yeast scent is accompanied by strong, bright fruits like lemon, tangerine, and grapefruit.

Taste (4.5): Wheat and earthy flavors up front with some orange. Much more earthy through the middle and finish. More complex fruit flavors like lemon and maybe sweet white grape in the dry finish.

Mouthfeel (3.5): A touch watery and slick, especially for 9+%. Not as effervescent as the typical saison, but also a much higher gravity. Medium carbonation and medium bodied.

Overall (3.5): A lot of tasty fruit flavors and typical saison yeast notes make for a drinkable saison., even at a high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 00:18:58 | More by grover37

mattpetti

New Jersey

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

Pours a cloudy gold with an average head that dissipated fast into a small ring in my glass. The smell was a mixture of something slightly sweet, my guess is honey, floral, and a pleasing smell of yeast backing it all up. In sum up it smells like a winner. The taste is very good. I started drinking it when it was ice cold and it is a beer you can down fast without hesitation. But i chose to slow down and enjoy the subtlies of this one. It is smooth and medium bodied with flavors of sweet malts, basic light hops, slight breadiness that leaves your mouth watering after each sip. There is a light hint of alcohol too. The close is the slightest kick of citrus zest. This beer is very coating for a saison. All in all i enjoyed drinking it and will get more for the hot summer months ahead. I think if you are a fan of hennepin give this one a shot. Another good one from our friends in NH. Make yours a smutty farmhouse.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2006 03:37:58 | More by mattpetti

TheBCrew

New York

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber pours a hazy straw color with white foamy head. Some lacing. Aroma of citrus, cloves and a slight sour, earthy funk. Taste was light, refreshing, citrussy and spicy with a balanced finish. Medium bodied, smooth mouthfeel with good drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 14:49:36 | More by TheBCrew