Smuttynose Hanami Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Company

warriorsoul

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

An unexpected handoff at Liquor World...thanks.
Best before April '07...that's not too far off.
Cherry blush color with a short lived finger of bright white head...thin, sporadic lacing.
Inviting in the nose...fresh cherries, pale malt and earthy yeast.
Taste is tart cherries galore...separating itself from others like Redbach, that strike me more like a wine cooler than beer IMO.
A slight sweetness, but the tartness drys up the finish and the yeast adds to the back end, distracting your pallet from thinking this is a fruit beer....it isn't.
Mouthfeel is medium-bodied at best, but not thin or watered-down.
Personally, I'd only enjoy a glass of this in an evening and that's about it...stress "enjoy" as I do like the flavor...just not a session beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2007 22:16:31 | More by warriorsoul

seplo

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +8%

05-20-2013 23:34:01 | More by seplo

Kelp

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -7.4%

04-29-2013 06:04:21 | More by Kelp

THECPJ

Delaware

2.75/5  rDev -15.1%

02-18-2013 22:15:28 | More by THECPJ

EvanWilliams

Illinois

2/5  rDev -38.3%

12-23-2012 05:29:28 | More by EvanWilliams

sendbeer

Georgia

2.75/5  rDev -15.1%

12-21-2012 19:32:58 | More by sendbeer

cliff1066

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -15.1%

12-16-2012 19:37:48 | More by cliff1066

doucmehu

Wisconsin

2.75/5  rDev -15.1%

07-12-2012 04:26:11 | More by doucmehu

chrispoint

Connecticut

2/5  rDev -38.3%

02-20-2012 18:22:42 | More by chrispoint

bonbini26

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -7.4%

01-11-2012 20:58:35 | More by bonbini26

JAHMUR

Connecticut

2/5  rDev -38.3%

01-02-2012 17:58:03 | More by JAHMUR

jophish17

Georgia

2/5  rDev -38.3%

12-24-2011 00:36:56 | More by jophish17

rab53

Massachusetts

1/5  rDev -69.1%

12-09-2011 03:42:18 | More by rab53

djrn2

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -7.4%

11-24-2011 01:53:02 | More by djrn2

brandoman63

Illinois

4/5  rDev +23.5%

11-22-2011 21:56:35 | More by brandoman63

nathanjohnson

Vermont

4/5  rDev +23.5%

11-18-2011 12:33:51 | More by nathanjohnson

ROGUE16

Delaware

3/5  rDev -7.4%

11-16-2011 00:41:25 | More by ROGUE16

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.05/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip. This one has been kicking around my cellar for far too long, left there after I bought a sixer for my wife a couple years back. I disliked it back then, and I'm curious to see how some time has treated it.

A: Uh oh: I don't remember this being ridiculously overcarbonated. The opaque reddish-brown body looks rather muddy, and is topped by a solid off-white head that towers a full inch over the top of the tulip - i.e., it's ginormous. I wonder whether there might not have been some secondary fermentation going on; in a fruit beer, that could actually be pretty great.

S: Meh. Weak caramel malt, faint cherry, and some lactic tartness. Slightly plastic-like. Not too great, but definitely interesting.

T: Tart up front, with cherry-skin leading in to some lightly chocolatey malt and a rather muddled, sweet + sour finish. I really like the chocolate-covered cherry flavors up front, but overall it's less than well-integrated.

M: Painfully overcarbonated, even after multiple swirls have created multiple heads.

O: I'm going to give this a slightly higher Overall score than the others, just because I don't think I should penalize the beer's average by giving it a negative score a couple years after the best-by date. I would have rated this beer a C+ when it was fresh, so that's what I'll shoot for here.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 01:39:42 | More by woosterbill

Brenden

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I just picked this up in NY because it's a Smuttynose I've never seen in OH. To see that it's now retired was kind of a "Holy crap" moment for me.

The color is a sort of bronzed red-brown. A little loose head forms on top but does stay as is. Lacing is light but fairly persistent.
The aroma is interesting, a bit of tartness in front of some lightly toasted malt and wheat and backed by something herbal. What makes it particularly interesting isn't specifically discernible to me, but seems like a yeast aspect I've rearely come across.
The flavor really focuses on cherry juice, much more tart than anything but a touch sweet. Lightly toasted malts are as present as in the smell. Oddly, I get just a ghost of rubbing alcohol in the finish, especially odd for the ABV.
There's a crisp nip to this beer with a bit of smoothness coming in. There's some activity but it still feels just a little thin.
I'm glad I got to try this, especially knowing I can't again. Not a bad fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 02:11:58 | More by Brenden

ggilman

Maine

4.6/5  rDev +42%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 Vintage* at Smuttfest 2011, Novare Res, Portland, Maine. Full 16oz. pour in a pint glass.

* The description on the special draft list notes that this is the last keg of Hanami on the PLANET!

Looks like a typical pale ale, but with a pink tinge around the edges. Poured almost to the top of the glass with very little head, what is there is tight and short. Sweet fruity nose, cherries come through. Super crisp and refreshing. The cherries are almost an overtone, like a black cherry seltzer. Tight sharp mouthfeel. Exceptionally DRY! Not sweet at all. Almost immediately fades, and leaves you puckered. Tart and sour apples and cherries. Could easily become addictive.

Really enjoyable. Here's hoping there's a couple kegs stashed on the space station.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2011 02:27:19 | More by ggilman

jsdunlop

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light Red/orange color with a decent blanket of head that hangs around long enough to provide some layering on the glass. Smell is of faint cherry, cooked veggies, and a light sweetness. Taste starts out with cherry that is quite sour and tangy, followed by an overwhelming dryness in the mouthfeel that leads into a light and refreshing bitterness. Hardly any sweetness from the malts detectable in this beer, a very light mouthfeel with no real noticeable hop presence as well. Overall, this was a nice change of pace from other beers, reminds me of a nice, light and tart summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 00:22:47 | More by jsdunlop

airheadmtrcycle

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found this in the back of the fridge. I bought it in the early spring if I remember correctly. Pours an opaque orange/copper with an off-white head in a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

Smell is faint. I get a little malt and perhaps some fruit. Being this old may have had a mellowing effect on the cherry aroma. The flavor is really nice however, much better than I remember in the spring. It actually tastes like an ale; I can taste the malts and hops and it has a pleasant note of sweet fruit and tart cherries. Not bad. Not bad at all. It's an unusually warm New Year's eve afternoon in Atlanta and this beer is certainly not out of place.

Mouth feel is good. It's refreshingly carbonated and medium on the palate. There's no reason I wouldn't drink one or two more, but this is all I have.

In summary, this is better, in my opinion, than I remember when I first purchased it in the early spring. The fruit/cherry factor has mellowed into a very drinkable ale. I wish I had another left somewhere. Another example of the excellent Smuttynose brewers. They make an excellent range of really good beer. Probably my favorite of the brewers readily available in Atlanta. Right up there with Founders.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 20:56:07 | More by airheadmtrcycle

Genuine

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Had this from a sampler pack.

Poured out orange, with a slightly off white head. I was hoping it would be red or pink in color, to go along with the label but I guess the nice lacing will have to do!

Smell - Lots of malt in this one, with some hops showing up at the very end. Hints of cherry/fruits.

Taste - Very tart, lots of cherry flavor that the malts carry easily, with a drop hop finish at the very end. Taste sticks to the pallet very well and sticks around. I was hoping it would get better as the beer warmed up, but the flavor profile became stronger.

Mouthfeel - medium to light.

Drinkability - I had a hard time finishing one bottle. The flavor, sweetness and cherry was very cloying and a bit too tart for me. It was nice to try but won't be having again. The cherry love might like this one, but not a beer for my citrus loving taste-buds.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 15:35:42 | More by Genuine

generallee

New York

3.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Its body has a bright cherry red color with good clarity. The just off white head is small and soapy. The lager bubbles quickly settle out leaving just a thin layer of foam that just barely covers the beer. Lacing is minimal and very slick.

Smell: The aroma is kind of light and simple. All I really get are notes of tart fruit.

Taste/Palate: Its light to medium body has a sweet/tart syrupy cherry thing going on with light amber maltiness backing it up. A little hop bitterness comes in just at the end to finish things off with a blend of sticky sweet/tart fruit and musty/leafy bitterness. The texture is slick and sticky with not enough carbonation to really cleanse the palate.

Notes: The fruit flavor alright but a bit syrupy and I could see this becoming cloying after more than one. There was carbonation present but not enough for me. I think maybe if it had been bottle conditioned and had more champagne like carbonation it would lift up this beers palate and make it interesting. But that's just my two cents.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 13:33:32 | More by generallee

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.1/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into an imperial pint. Best before section to notch on label but no notch.

A - Hanami pours a hazy, rosy amber color with pink highlights and a creamy bone colored head. Two fingers of the sticky stuff slowly lower leaving a rich collar of beautiful lace.

S - Pale and amber malts join rather plainly around a mild syrupy-sweet cherry aroma. Not much is going on in this beer at all. A tiny hint of butter comes across the finish as well. No hop presence at all.

T - Tart cherry is upfront but more prominent in tartness than true cherry flavor. Sweet and simple pale and amber malts back up the little jolt. It leans towards a syrupy flavor but it's not too bad.

M - Tart and hard with a higher carbonation level up front and a medium body on the back end. Very dry as well.

D - Moderate drinkability for what it is, I was drawn in by the little Asian label. The single is plenty of this sweet, lightly tart beer for me. Not one of my favorites from Smuttynose.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 12:07:05 | More by BeerFMAndy