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

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

deciding39

Massachusetts

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

22 oz brown bottle, served in a Saison Dupont glass.

A: Pours a golden-yellow color with a slight yeast haze. A sturdy one-finger head forms atop the brew, leaving a decent lace around the glass following each sip.

S: The nose is dominated by fruity esters and alcohol, with some faint malt sweetness. There are also some light phenols towards the back.

T: Earthy yeast, tart fruit (especially apple and pineapple), balanced nicely by sweet malt. Finishes dry with some pleasant mellow hop spice and bitterness. Very well-balanced; unlike some other saisons, the wild tones never become too cloying.

M & D: A smooth, medium-bodied brew with some unique and well-balanced flavors. Drinkable, but packs quite a punch at 7.5% ABV. Very true to the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2006 00:17:26 | More by deciding39

Ryanbob

Texas

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

A - Cloudy Orange

S - Not very noticable, a little pungent, a little fruity

T - Rich acidic, Fruity citrus and slight spice with a little earthy skunkiness in the background. Finish is clean with a faint, lingering hop bitterness.

M - creamy and light.

I think this is a nice drinkable summer beer, very satisfying. Not quite as impressive as the Big A IPA, but still very good. I would definitely buy this again if it was available in Texas.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2008 03:58:40 | More by Ryanbob

BenSelf

Alabama

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

Beer pours a hazy dark gold with lots of particulates. Creamy head sticks around and leaves good lacing on the glass. The aroma is like a basket of ripe fruit with some flowers and just a touch of grassiness. The flavor has good spice, lots of clove, apples in the middle, pale malt sweetness, and some banana. It's not a dry beer, and makes for a great thirst quencher (caution: 7.5%); there's also some lemon in there. Mouthfeel is near perfect; the beer is light on the tongue and yet the flavor lingers. This is my favorite style, and I would have given this beer a higher rating except for the fact that I prefer a slightly funkier farmhouse. Hats off to Smuttynose, I really want to see more Farmhouse/Saison on the market. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2009 21:12:50 | More by BenSelf

Geuzedad

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured this into a tulip.

Poured a very hazy yellow with a thin white head that left in a hurry leaving some very clingy lacing.

Smell was wonderful! A lemony zest, barnyard funk, and some earthy bready notes made my mouth water!

Taste was a bit of a let down. Yeast and a bit of sweet up front, followed by a peppery slighty sour middle and finished of with a medium hop bite that was a bit on the dry side.

Mouthfeel was medium, slick and well carbonated but not overpowering. A bit astringent in the finish.

Not the best Saison but then I use Dupont as the standard. Not as funky as I would have liked and the 9% ABV is a bit high, not really making this a session beer for me, but more of a sipper. Overall it was good but being one of the big beer series one was definitely enough!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 01:32:05 | More by Geuzedad

admiralcrunch

New York

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 Bottle poured into Hennepin chalice.

A) The head is somewhat thin and dissipates after sipping. Body looks like apple juice, and very clear.

S) Smells pretty Belgian-y. Since the bottle is almost a year old there isn't much hop aroma left; yeast and alcohol are pronounced.

T) The flavors very closely match the aromas. In fact I'd say that it tastes exactly how it smells, which now that I think about it is pretty curious.

M) Very good balance between light and thick. If this were fresh I can picture more of a bite from the carbonation.

D) I don't foresee any issues finishing the bomber. Yummy.

Will stock up when the 2009 release happens.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 01:45:23 | More by admiralcrunch

olympicgatorade

New Jersey

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

A: Orange, with wisps of milky head

S: Starts light bread, then decent funkiness, faint hops and tart fruit

T: Belgian breadiness giving way to slight funkiness and then finishes with tart and slight hops. Very low booze presence. To think this is a 9.3 %-er is pretty scary and, um, impressive.

M: Pretty dry and fairly refreshing, though its cloying, bitter aftertaste is my least favorite thing about this brew.

O: Pretty damn good, but just short of outstanding. Wouldn't do this one more than a few times a year, but a thoroughly enjoyable saison nonetheless. Also have to praise Smuttynose on a solid beer for a very solid price ($5.99/bomber). A definite American take on the style (see: big); would definitely recommend.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 03:57:50 | More by olympicgatorade

charmcityboh

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a large tulip glass.
I have never seen a beer with this much head. Huge, thick puffs of foam rising out of the glass. As it settled it left 1/4" thick remnants of the head all the way down the glass. Beer itself was a hazy burnt orange. Smell was funky, grassy. Definitely what I expect from a good saison. Taste was crisp and intense. The ever intriguing horseblanket was front and center with this beer, followed by a nice banana like flavor on the back end. Mouthfeel was crisp and dry.
I love Smuttynose, but this is the first I've had of their "Big Beer Series". Hardly an original concept, but this beer at least lives up to the name for sure.
Big presentation, big aroma, big flavor, big beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2010 11:51:23 | More by charmcityboh

wadecats

Massachusetts

1.15/5  rDev -70.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

- we can't remember not being able to drink a beer. Had this on tap from a respectable beer shop in Brooklyn; tapped the night before, but was just not drinkable at all. I'm not sure, because this beer might have been infected, but the saison was like cough syrup in smell and taste. Poor head on the beer, no real hop character to speak off - super red-dark for a saison - candy cloying malt, maybe like a melted down urinal puck mixed with a can of Moxie and a can of sam adam's lager - metalic. I found nothing resembling even a stretch for a saison or farmhouse ale in this Smuttynose farmhouse. Was this an accident? 9.3% abv - come on.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 11:28:02 | More by wadecats

FirstBrewsoon

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Brooklyn tulip for a live review.

A - Golden orange with onsiderable cloudiness. A finger of foam was the result of a fairly gentle pour. Little retention, but does leave moderate lacing.

S - Citrus rind, candy sugar and spice.

T - A remarkably bold first taste for the style, with orange, banana and cloves. The spiciness played a larger role than sweetness, which was subtly present. Very little bitterness, and the finish lacked length, but certainly a pleasant, drinkable beer.

M - Lots of carbonation, relatively light body. Nothing to write home about.

O - This would be perfect on a hot day when the air conditioner's broken. I enjoyed drinking this beer, and will again, especially at $3.00/bomber.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 02:30:07 | More by FirstBrewsoon

nfo

Pennsylvania

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

Overall, I thought this was a tasty beer, although not a great example of the style (or my perception of the style is off).

I was looking for more of the characteristic tartness and spiciness, and a less of the sweetness that I'd associate more with a tripel. If I forget about my expectations, we still have a fine Belgian ale, with lots of fruity and yeasty flavors. It has a full, creamy mouthfeel, with light carbonation, and the alcohol is hardly there. I'd prefer it to be a little drier/crisper, a little funkier, but I would get it again for the right food or mood.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2006 14:27:23 | More by nfo

HerrFaust

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Previously had on tap, but reviewing a bomber...poured into a Duvel glass to get that signature merengue head. Esters hit the nose immediately. Overall, "Farmhouse," instead of Saison, seems an apt description. The tap version was very spicy, yeasty, and generally Saison-y, but the bottle had a Biere de Garde sweetness in the middle and end. I usually prefer the dryness of the former, but like some of Victory's special 750mL editions, this one works. There's enough spice and carbonation to balance it and prevent that cloying sweetness of some Bieres de Garde. While the Saison purests will have legitimate beef, this is America, and we have enough room for a highly drinkable New World hybrid.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2006 23:27:52 | More by HerrFaust

prattmeister14

New Hampshire

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

22 oz. Big Beer Bottle served in a Unibroue tulip glass

A. I poured aggressively, forgetting the review I read that the head is generous and fluffy, thus I had to wait to finish pouring. However when I was done the head was indistinguishable from Belgian brews I've had before - a testament to the Belgian yeast. A cloudy maize color, what I expected. Too tasty looking to not drink.

S. Aromatic, belgian-y. Fruit and light sugar smell. Alcohol underlying

T. Hey now-- this is a big beer! There is a sweet taste up front and a bitter, hoppy taste in the back. It kind of lures you in with the sweet. After a few sips the sugary characteristic disappears somewhat, but is still present.

M. Nice mouthfeel, not too heavy and not too light. The ABV doesn't overpower the mouthfeel and the carbonation doesn't take away from the taste like some Belgians do.

D. I could sip this all night, but this wouldn't be a beer that my college comrades could "pound" (Why pound a great beer like this?) A beer that can be enjoyed all night.

Overall: This is my first Saison/Farmhouse ale and I'm not disappointed. Smutty rarely does so. If my review is a bit off kilter, attribute it to the fact that I have no prior experience in the Farmhouse category. To put it blunty: I'd get this beer again, and again.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 01:15:13 | More by prattmeister14

ryanobeirne

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Pours a hazy golden yellow color with lots of foam. Lacing is a little "meh."

S - Smells very yeasty, with a tidbit of sourness. Some floral notes in the hops.

T - Tastes like it smells. The yeastyness sits front and center, like a good farmhouse ale should.

M - Very carbonated and tingly. This sensation subsides after a few minutes.

D - Definitely not a "gulper" but still fairly drinkable, on par with a farmhouse ale.

I think I have found that I like the farmhouse ales, although not enough to have one every day. This is still a great example of the style and good for a change once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 01:32:10 | More by ryanobeirne

joekoolsnoopy

South Carolina

4.78/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

this was the closest to a true Belgian Farmhouse Ale you can buy. Very good taste with exceptional taste, smell, appearance, and drinkability. ... We who love this brewery have come to expect nothing less.
That is why I always say "Make mine a Smutty"

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2010 22:57:37 | More by joekoolsnoopy

projektyle

New Hampshire

2.36/5  rDev -39.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This review applies to the 2013 vintage!

Over the past several years, Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale has been the "go to" beer at our house. I am not the greatest beer reviewer, and probably don't have the most sophisticated palate, but I know what I like. This year's Farmhouse Ale is labeled "brewed with sage". Short answer - not a welcome addition. This year's beer has a finer carbonation (tiny bubbles), a taste that was unexpected compared to previous years, and was very thin. Over all, not an enjoyable experience - one of the few times I have ever drainpoured a Smuttynose Big Beer, made all the worse by the fact that my expectations were so high.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 18:45:15 | More by projektyle

DANTHEMAN

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

EARS- quiet now, earlier my kids were fighting, now the only sound is the nice clink of my smuttynose keychain bottle opener making contact of the baby seal on the crown of this gem....pfisschunk, the cap is now off...

EYES- here we go, pours beautifully into my weiss glass, nice full choppy head and a wickedly cloudy golden amber body.

NOSE- the refreshing smell reminds me of my past life as a belgian farmer making this beer in my house, nice smell of yeast and citris, my mouth is actually watering onto my keyboard as I type slower and slower day-dreaming of this awesome smelling brew.

THROAT- all I can say is these two words: glug glug. goes down refresingly smooth, I just wish it wasn't 15 f-ing degrees outside. nice acidity balanced with a slight tart/hop soft mouthfeel.

DIAGNOSIS- I can't wait to drink this beer in the warmer weather, once again smutty big beer series puts out a winner, buy it buy the case if you can, caus ya can't just have 1, trust me I only got 1 and I wanted MORE. I can't wait for it to hit the retailers.

DTMITBBITWWW

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2006 03:06:08 | More by DANTHEMAN