Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale (Big Beer Series) - Smuttynose Brewing Company

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2012 bottle

A: Pours a slightly muddy brownish red color with a finger and a half's worth of head that fizzles out fairly quickly

S: Dark fruits and malts dominate, slightly sweet as well. Touch of alcohol. Almost seems like a nice English barleywine in terms of overall smell

T: Follows the nose, very malty and filled with dark fruits. Alcohol definitely present. Also get some woody and estery notes. Again, seems like a nice English barleywine

M: Medium-full bodied with low-moderate carbonation

O: Could use some age, but this certainly isn't as bad fresh as some people have made this out to be. Maybe it's just this years, but this is solid fresh. Definitely get a couple bottles to age, though

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 03:03:27 | More by BEERMILER12

JChristopher

Vermont

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a beer that has already caught me by surprise. This ancient canine ale coats my cup well for a 10 percent beer. The lacing on my glass is brilliant. The head retention is quite impressive as well. I take a quick smell-- wow, is that fruity! Seriously, it has the scent of a ripe, yet tart apple. It packs an acetic punch. I also pick up on some brown sugar and date characteristics too. Honestly, it's a very comely smell. I take a taste, and quickly, I am caught of guard yet again by its well-rounded sweetness. Again, it has a nice fruity sweetness, but it is not cloying at all. It finishes a bit dry with some interestingly leathery notes-- almost like tobacco. This is quite a complex beer. It's chewy, it's estery, and it's a success for Smuttynose. Try this beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 06:26:38 | More by JChristopher

Thads324

Connecticut

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A : pours a vibrant caramel color. Deep and rich looking amber. A really thick blanket of off white head. The head is super sticky, leaving a layer on the edges of the glass. Refuses to dissipate.
S : sweet caramel, a hint of walnut and a lot of alcohol with lingering sweetness. The alcohol seems harsh. Everything else is mellow and overly sweet. Off putting corn aroma as it warms.
T : starts with a bunch of sweetness. Caramel, butterscotch, a bit of unknown nuttiness. Finishes smooth and sweet with more caramel.
M : very smooth the whole way through. The alcohol is there but not super imposing. Low carbonation.

Needs age big time. Really sweet and still pretty good, but with age could be amazing. I'll grab another bottle and let it sit for 2 years

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 03:21:07 | More by Thads324

jtingue

New York

3.33/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2012 Vintage. Poured into a snifter.

Appearance. Slightly cloudy brown in color. Pours with a full snifter of head, which slowly dissipates leaving large patches of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell. Very very sweet smelling, mostly with grape syrup. Some alcohol is detectable.

Taste. Starts off, like the smell, with a huge burst of sweetness, again, like grape syrup. Some bitterness cuts this, and leads into a nutty malt character, similar to the regular old brown dog. The sweetness comes back again, before a bittersweet finish.

Mouthfeel. Fairly thin in body, with some moderate carbonation. With the carbonation the mouthfeel is fairly nice, but as the carbonation fades it becomes thin.

This one is kind of a mess. Sweet, yet with noticeable alcohol. The yeast is present and kind of pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 23:07:26 | More by jtingue

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a deep but not too dark brown color. Seems to be transparent. Big, fluffy head. Head retains unbelievably well. Huge head leaves sticky, thick lacing.

S-Complex nose. Very yeasty and estery. Nice tobacco notes. A bunch f darker fruits drizzled in caramel, molasses and liquified brown sugar. Alcohol is noticeable.

T-The flavor surpasses the nose by a considerable amount. Huge notes of cocoa powder, and espresso beans. Also a nice oak kick. Dark, dried fruits and caramel. Tobacco flavor pleasantly lingers. Spicy and delicious.

M-Luscious feel. Deep and almost oily. Dry as well in some aspects. Alcohol noticeable but doesn't add a burning sensation. Rich feel.

O/D-I have been wanting to try this beaut for a few years. This is a big, bold, complex and outright delicious Old Ale. Kept me interested throughout and also added a pretty legit buzz from the whole bomber. Smuttynose is terrifically consistent and at $6 for this brew, its a decent deal.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 22:12:00 | More by VelvetExtract

Snellgg5

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz Bottle poured into Tulip

A This pours a nice dark amber brown that leaves a slight head, about a fingers worth, that dissipates quickly. Carbonated nicely and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

S Has a nice sweet, slightly piney, floral smell to it.

T Has a heavy sweet malt forward coffee or chocolate taste to it leading to a slightly bitter after taste with a hint of raisin. High ABV but does not have a strong alcohol taste to it.

M Was heavy but smooth and very nicely carbonated. It is a lot thicker than its appearance leads you to believe

O Overall I thought this beer was excellent. It is only my second Old Ale, the first being Hair of the Dog's Adam, and I would say that it is just as good if not better than Adam.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 00:55:58 | More by Snellgg5

superspak

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 2010. Pours almost opaque hazy dark reddish brown color, with a nice 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Some nice thin spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of huge caramel, raisin, molasses, biscuit, toasted malt, banana, pepper, toffee, vanilla, leather, oak, and light chocolate. Nice and well balanced aromas, with good strength and complexity. Taste of huge caramel, molasses, raisin, prune, chocolate, toffee, biscuit, toasted bread, leather, oak, and herbal hops. Lingering notes of caramel, molasses, dark fruit, toffee, chocolate, biscuit, toast, leather, and light herbal on the finish for a while. Fantastic flavor balance and complexity; with no cloying sweetness at all. Light-medium carbonation and very full bodied; with a very creamy, slick, and thick mouthfeel that is fantastic. Alcohol is extremely well hidden for being 10% with only a very slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an absolutely fantastic Old Ale! Incredible flavor balance and complexity; and very smooth to sip on for such a big beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 03:25:51 | More by superspak

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4.98/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

There is no date on this bottle other than bottle conditioned in 2012.

Out of a bomber and into a pint glass and a nonic:

A: pure brown colored body fed a three finger head in the regular pint glass and about a two finger head in the nonic, light carbonation took its good old sweet time surfacing. The lacing was a perfect coat around the sides of both glasses.

S: raisins and bourbon, some oak and some light nuts in the background. If I remember correctly, I must have smelled this at least twenty times before I actually took a sip because I was so enthalled by the smells and how they combined. Everything is balanced super! There is nothing off, everything is pure and making itself well known. Nothing is overbearing.

T: centered around the raisins and bourbon, some strong notes of caramel come out. Near the end of the beer, some chocolate comes out. The malts also come out close to the end of the beer. As the beer warms, the chocolate comes out a lot more.

M: medium, borderline heavy with a great creaminess that surrounds the entire brew. The finish leaves a bit of chocolate. The carbonation is well balanced. For everything that is going on, this is still a very drinkable beer. I could have at least three of these with a steak, yet I know I could have this alone as dessert and be satisfied.

O: Though the ABV is high, this beer still has what it takes to show the varieties of complex notes to each review category. I'm thoroughly impressed. I think this ranks up among the stars of the greatest beers I've ever had at least for me. I can't wait to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 00:49:31 | More by kangarooAdam59

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bomber into tulip. bottled conditioned in 2012.

A: a fuzzy brown body. head us fuzzy as well. great retention and leaves behind lots of thick lacing.

S: warm pecan pie. raisins. bourbon. oak.

T: thick caramel. similar to the nose i am getting some oak notes on the tongue. bourbon or rum or some kind of cheap booze. the booze is pretty strong, but not overbearing. just kind of reminds the drinker of the strength of this old ale.

M: super creamy mouthfeel. drinks like an irish dry stout on nitro.

D: drinks really good for how fresh this is. would love to put some of these down for a little bit, and for the price this is certainly reasonable.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 02:55:11 | More by Jimmys

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, dark coppery brown, almost mahogany, with a very thick, if not too persistent, pale tan head. Strong aroma has a malty core and a yeasty overtone plus hints of apple, caramel and cloves. Scrumptious flavor has firm malty and yeasty notes plus tones of cloves, caramel and apple. It has a bit of an alcohol-like bite. Texture has average body but is quite lively and fizzy, leaving behind a persistent tingle on the tongue and lips. This dog will have your taste buds barking with joy!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 00:14:46 | More by Cyberkedi

jchoffman

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - this old ale pours a deep red, with one finger of a tan head
S -the roasted malts are evident, dark sweetness permeates, that of toffee and vanilla, dark fruits dominate the nose.
M- an overall drinkable old ale, with great complexity and a rounded flavor.

T - toffee and vanilla take charge of the taste, the dark fruits, raisin and date come in next. the malts round out the flavor.
O- This offering from Smuttingnose is a winner in my book...

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 21:11:26 | More by jchoffman

mikeycambridge

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from Bomber into Duvel Tulip...This beer looks amazing...fluffy off white head , with a nice brown/red body...head rests leaving a bit of lacing..tight bubbles form the carbonation....smells a bit boozy with hints of fruit maybe apple...tastes malty sweet with a bit of boozy hotness...overall a good beer at a fair price...under $9

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 01:20:48 | More by mikeycambridge

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - this old ale pours a deep red, with massive amounts of manic carbonation and wells up a half finger of tan head

S - roasted malts dominate, dark sweetness permeates, that of toffee and vanilla, some dark fruits populate the back of the nose

T - the toffee/vanilla oakiness takes full charge in the taste, the dark fruits, raisin and date come in next. some malts round out the flavor with a slight hop kick

M&D - an overall drinkable old ale, with great complexity and a mellow rounded out flavor and a sneaky ABV. Smuttynose continues to put out quality stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 21:41:23 | More by sinstaineddemon

barnzy78

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle, 2012. Pours a rusty brown color with a huge off-white head that holds great retention and leaves tons of chunky lacing on the glass. Aromas are boozy with some chocolate and caramel. Tastes are complex but the alcohol is hot and takes away from the experience. Notes of chocolate, toasted grain, raisin, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and white pepper are all present. Mouth-feel is medium bodied with good carbonation, while being creamy and smooth, and finishes on the dry side. Overall, good flavors and complexity, but the booze is overwhelming. As far as an old ale goes this is in a category of its own, but I do feel the product is what was intended by the brewery - a fusion between a brown ale and an old ale. Makes sense, but I wasn't crazy over this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 18:23:45 | More by barnzy78

samie85

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a ruby-tinged dark copper color with a finger of white head that sticks around forever.

Sweet dark caramel notes with some dark fruit including light fig and cherries.

It starts out sweet and caramelly and finishes with a nice light bitter, dark fruit dryness (Munich?) on the finish.

Medium to full-bodied with mouth-coating quality that finishes dry.

This one is nice and rich but the dryness on the finish that strikes the perfect balance between the two; I wouldn't mind having this one again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 04:00:59 | More by samie85

beagle75

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, light brown color with an expansive peripheral ring of off-white bubbles. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Generally mild, with milk chocolate and dark berry fruit suggested.

T: Begins off-dry, with surprising butter creme frosting that is a mixture of vanilla and diacetyl. Acidity is fairly mild into the middle where defining graham cracker emerges. The finish has fresh herbaceous and earthy hop flavors. Mild spirituous qualities come and go throughout.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, wet and balanced on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: A nice change of pace; this strong ale is malt focused with clearly English qualities. It delivers a complex, but inclusive, experience, seeming careful not to tread too heavily on the palate. While not perfect, it is different enough and charming enough to be remembered as something of a sleeper.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 23:20:07 | More by beagle75

Immortale25

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Green Flash snifter. Label says bottle-conditioned in 2012.

A- Pours a dark brown color with a 1/2 inch tan head that retains well before dying down to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and plentiful surface foam. Average lacing.

S- Sweet notes of brown sugar, graham cracker and even cotton candy. All with a reasonably hefty booze fume backing them.

T- The taste is almost nothing like the aroma. Heavy onslaught of malt and booze abruptly turns to a rubbery taste. One may perceive it as smoky or oaky, but it just tastes like band-aid to me. After the palate becomes acclimated to the off flavors, things get OK and mellow out. No sweetness like in the aroma, though. Quite perplexing actually. Once things fully balance out, it becomes pretty easy to drink but not very exciting to either.

M- Not too bad, all things considered. Yeah, there's some bite and some drying in the finish but the medium carbonation keeps it on the more upbeat side of things.

O- I love the smell of this but I just can't get down with the taste. Other than that, it's halfway decent for how strong it is.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 00:35:44 | More by Immortale25

bashiba

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy redish brown with a bit of thin off white head, light lacing.

The smell is full of dark fruits, a touch of chocolate and brown sugar.

The brown sugar really dominates at first, slowly dark chocolate, toffee, and vanilla star to sneak through making this beer almost desert like. Very maltcentric and complex

Mouthfeel is very heavy and thick, a touch warming, this is the only place where this beer being 10% is at all evident.

A nice bit englishy style old ale. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 23:27:58 | More by bashiba

Blakaeris

Iowa

4.55/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours cloudy red-brown with a thick soapy head that quickly dissipates.

Aroma is grainy malt with mild chocolate. Musty yeasty character. Subtle dark fruit and alcohol warmth.

Taste is more of the grainy malt and chocolate from the nose. Musty yeasty quality has a definite presence as well along with an intensely aromatic leather quality. Strong oak dryness and vanilla shines through. Finishes with lingering mineral and tobacco.

Mouthfeel is a chewy medium body.

A very flavorful and intersting brew. Many subtle layers to enjoy. The intense musty, leathery, oaky, tobacco quality is something I have not encountered before.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 00:39:24 | More by Blakaeris

vgarneth

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Soft amber, caramel color with a nice head. This beer's nose is quite interesting and actually reminds me of an old dog that just so happens to be "really" old, yet intriguing. As the brew touches my palate, it takes on a whole other dimension. Drinks well for having an ABV of 10%. Impressive BIG BEER Series selection from Smuttynose.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 03:13:26 | More by vgarneth

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Really Old Brown Dog opens with a fruity, malty nose ripe with strawberries, oranges, peaches, watermelon, and kiwi (!), but also bearing brown sugars and vanilla bean, as well as rising wheat dough, toast crust, and toasted pecan. The fruit aromas are quite spectacular here, drifting out almost bubble-gum like in their potency. But "bubble-gum like" works for this beer, the aromas coming across more like fresh-cut fruit juices than manufactured flavor additives, and nicely grounded by the grains. As a whole, the nose is perhaps slightly too reminiscent of a fruity cocktail, but is still enticing and intriguing.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a lovely fruit and sugar rush, though here the fruits tend toward the darker side, still bearing hints of strawberry, peach, and watermelon, but adding fig, plum, and black cherry to the mix. Healthy touches of molasses and vanilla add to the depth and complexity of these darker sugar flavors. The beer also boasts some kola nut flavors, as well as touches of charcoal, oak, port, and bourbon; in fact, based only on flavor, I would swear this bourbon-barrel aged. The ABV is high (10%), coming across in bourbon-like vapors, but blends nicely with the dark fruits and liquor flavors, making this taste in many ways like a very fine cognac. Wheat toast crust and fresh-cut wheat stalk round out the flavors. The aftertaste is more of the bourbon/cognac/fruit mixture, lingering deliciously on the tongue for a long time. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is excellent beer, and the aging that has been done to the normal Old Brown Dog Ale has brought out an excellent range of flavors. In fact, only the slightly-too-high alcoholic kick prevents this one from being a perfect 5 in flavor. Must try.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 20:59:36 | More by jondeelee

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

With the release of the latest vintage I decided to pull out a bottle from the last release from late 2010. Pours a nice dark mahogany brown with some ruby red highlights and a creamy tan head.

Rich and sweet on the nose with notes of brown sugar and molasses. Light hint of alcohol in the background but it seems to have blended in pretty well.

A very tasty malt-bomb proves lots of fruit and sugary sweet notes. Caramelized malts dominate the beer at this point and what little presence of hops there was has faded into history. For a 10% beer, the alcohol is surprisingly well hidden at this point.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied and creamy. Overall, the last 15 months have treated this beer very well and I'll certainly make sure I lay a bottle of this down each time it's released

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 01:25:20 | More by Kinsman

drabmuh

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a review of "Really Old Brown Dog Ale aged on oak" if this isn't this beer please message me and I'll correct. Served in a snifter, beer is dark brown and mostly clear with a wispy off white head of small bubbles, some lacing and low carbonation.

Aroma is boozy with a tinge of solvent, some sweetness.

Beer is very vanilla-y and oaky on the finish, a mild bitterness and a lot of heat and solvent. It sort of tastes like vanilla extract at times, it also burns a bit. It is very strong, very forward, not a horrible beer but there is definitely some odd alcohols in this one. Not a repeat.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2012 03:50:57 | More by drabmuh

Dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 vintage, just released a few weeks ago.

A: A really nice mahogany pour with a large fluffy tan head atop it. Retains quite well with just a smattering of lacing all over the glass.

S: Lots of toasted malt, smells just like toasted, almost burnt bread. I swear I smell a little ginger and even a little bit of nuts. Some caramel and perhaps some molasses follows. Hints of dark fruits.

T: Loads of caramel and molasses. Toasted malt comes through nicely. Nutty with again, a ginger aspect (or something I'm misidentifying as ginger). Touch of toffee and brown sugar perhaps. Again, just a hint of some dark fruit hiding in there. A little oaky throughout.

M: Big, thick and smooth.

O: Nice brew. It tastes like a cross between a really big brown ale and an old ale or a barleywine. Toasted malt character is quite strong and pleasant. Big and boozy, especially this young.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 03:39:55 | More by Dope

RTEdmunds

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Brown with some deep reddish colors. Looks quite nice, and has a frothy head with good retention.

Smells grainy, with some caramel undertones. A bit earthy as well.

Sweet up front, with some syrupy flavors. Earthy presence from the nose is pleasant. A warming boozy aftertaste.

Medium bodied and carbonation is moderate. The alcohol is a little to in your face.

Overall this is a good beer but certainly not my favorite in Smuttynose's Big Beer series. I miss the Baltic Porter.... that was a damn fine product!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 02:27:53 | More by RTEdmunds