Smuttynose Homunculus (Big Beer Series) - Smuttynose Brewing Company

DavidSeanNJ

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-Tap at Andys...

Poured into a nice Smuttynose big beer series tulip. Gotta get my hands on one of these!

A- Light pale straw golden liquid- thin white head- decent lace.

S- Smell was of bubblegum and fruits- faint citrus (lemon?).

T- Very interesting. Surely qualities of an IPA, hops were faint but nothing strong and bold like an American IPA. Lots of chewy fruity flavors, citrus some mint.

M- To me, this beer should have had a little more carbonation, lacked in this department. Thin, juicy mouthfeel, but appropriate for the beer.

D- This one will creep up on you- at 9% ABV, this one is a nice tasty big beer.

Good stuff Smutty! Look forward to more short batch beers.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2008 18:07:32 | More by DavidSeanNJ

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Max's during American Craft Brew week. Smuttynose makes so many good beers, but this just may be the best I've ever had from them. It's certainly the most unique.

The beer pours a solid gold color with good head retention and lacing. I've never smelled anything like the nose on this beer. I guess I get some straw, honey, pumpkin and orange cough drop. On the palate the flavors somehow replicate the nose, except there is some underlying hoppiness that is quite interesting and impressive. I also get some apricot on the palate that I'm not sure I got on the nose. There is moderate sweetness that the hops keep at bay and keep from becoming tiring. The beer is medium bodied and fairly smooth. It finishes well, with the abv. pretty well disguised. The sweetness wears me out a bit at the end, but it's still pretty drinkable for its abv.

An extremely unusual and impressive beer from Smuttynose. I've had good beers from Smuttynose in the past, but never anything like this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2008 23:42:24 | More by johnmichaelsen

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours nicely. No head. Mild nose. Nice tangy profile mixed with a mild dough edge. Full and consistent ride. Smooth feel. A very good American interpretation of this style. Had this and many others at Mugs Belgian shindig and this was clearly the winner for me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2008 13:23:10 | More by RblWthACoz

gpcollen1

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growlered by hand out of a keg...cannot disclose where or when....just know that I am very glad I got my hands on it!

Pours a golden orange with a nice rising head that quickly goes away. Aroma is sweet and hoppy, light and sweet with a riding hard hops charging in in the end.

Hits your mouth with a light carbonation and rides in some loving hops. A gentle bitterness rides in early and ushers in some background sweetness that gently combines for a luscious finish.

Wish I could have this more often and absolutely love it. The ABV slides up on you and slings you down on the ground. Scary...AMEN!

Serving type: growler

09-06-2007 00:53:19 | More by gpcollen1

NEhophead

Massachusetts

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

Served in a tulip at The Publick House; 08.27.2007.

Glowing, slightly hazy tanned-amber in color. Thin coating of creamy, bright white head that holds throughout the entire tulip leaving thin lacing. Bright, almost tart fruity esters: green apple, pineapple, and banana. Underlying candied sweetness. The taste begins with a mellow candied sweetness that is soon met with a ripe citric tartness. A lingering yeast-mustiness with a faint spicy profile. The alcohol presence is subtle but warming on the back of the palate. A light medium in body; mellow and smooth. Surprisingly drinkable at 9% abv. Very similar to La Chouffe's hop offering; however, The Gnome's flavors seem more rounded and balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2007 23:02:53 | More by NEhophead

Damian

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drank on-tap at the Publick House, Brookline, MA

Poured a cloudy yet bright, golden amber with a tight, one-finger, khaki-colored head that quickly faded to a ring of lace. Sporadic streaks of lacing clung to the sides of the glass.

The aroma was very faint initially, with only a slight indication of citrusy hops. It was not until almost the end of the drink that the aroma really came forth. Citrusy hops became quite apparent along with solvent-like alcohol and a hint of spice.

The taste was similar to the nose in its later stage. A touch of sweet malts and Belgian candi sugar came through up front before the hops and alcohol took over. The hops were quite strong and citrusy with obvious notes of orange peel and grapefruit. The spiciness was also quite intense (yet more akin to that which is usually found in a traditional IPA rather than a Belgian-style beer). At 9% ABV, I definitely expected a noticeable alcohol presence but it seemed quite overpowering in this beer. The alcohol flavor was rather potent up front and it intensified as it moved along the palate. As the beer warmed, the alcohol became progressively stronger and toward the end of the drink, it was astringent, solvent-like and practically intolerable.

Mouthfeel was medium/light with a lively and intense carbonation.

All in all, it seems that "intense" is a good word choice when describing this beer. This is definitely an American take on a style known for its smoothness and subtle nuances. In my opinion, it has nothing on the "real" gnome.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2007 02:11:57 | More by Damian

Billolick

New York

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled several of these and even took notes (!) at the Blind Tiger in NYC, p0ured kind of flat unfortunatly, cloudy dark apricot, leaving just a smidge of lacing, nose is Belgian yeastyness, and fruits and flavor notes were of more fruits, bananas, yeast and the expected crisp and spicy and resiny hops. Alot of interest here, respectable take on a style I love, looking foward to more of this from Smutty and hopefully lots of other American and Belgian brewers.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2007 17:16:37 | More by Billolick

Bierman9

New Hampshire

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

26JUL11 - Bottled version of the Big Beer Series...

Hazy and medium-golden colored, with steady, very fine carbo. Thin, wispy off-white head, mostly at the edges with a few trails across the surface. Biscuity malt aroma with light fruit. Medium to medium-plus in body, and quite smooth.
Light sweetness hit the palate, with some apricot, orange, and orange rind, plus some green apple. Dry and pithy, with a touch of a spicy yeast bite at the end. Good overall, and rated the same as the original. Prosit!!

*** *** ***

17MAR07 - Was able to score a growler of The Gnome at EBF, courtesy of JayT and the sales crew from Smutty.... Is the name a poke at Chouffes offering? Hmmmm??? ;-)

The growler has been stirred a bit, so it poured a cloudy, dull golden hue. Head was thin, fine and wispy, mostly clinging to the edge of the glass. A little lacing, though nothing to write home about. Aroma is replete with banana and clove. Thought I had a good Bavarian Hefeweizen after a few whiffs. Hoppy action does show through, too. Body is medium, and the feel on the tongue is a solid medium as well.

Flavor is heavy on the banana and hoppiness; an odd combo, though considering this is a hybrid, "let's wing it" style from the Smutty gang, why worry...? I also pick up a little bit of bready malt with mild sweetness at the outset. Tropical fruit notes swirl about, with some mango hitting the spot, along with a bit of pear and green apple. A little yeasty spiciness hits home near the end. Banana action is quite pronounced, with a pleasant hoppy finish tiddying things up.This is really quite tasty... more like a souped-up Hefeweizen as opposed to a Belgian IPA, but why quibble over semantics. It's a good bier, why bother with categorizing!?!

Zum Wohl!!

overall: 4
appearance: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4

975

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2007 22:09:44 | More by Bierman9