Smuttynose Zinneke - Smuttynose Brewing Company

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle - $5.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Bottle Conditioned in 2012.

Appearance: Pours a black body with a tall, churning, tan head that's steadily, slowly flattens out. A few stray dots of lace.

Smell: Initial sniffs revealing well-roasted malt, charred breadcrusts, and bitter chocolate. A vinous presence, noted notes of ripe banana, spice, and, upon warming, even some half-chewed bubblegum. Incredibly subdued barrel-aging quality in the nose, which could be easily missed, if not specifically mentioned on the bottle's label.

Taste: Roasty, toasty, and chocolaty, but not quite as hard or bitter as I'd anticipated from the nose. Dark fruits leaning towards plums, also a fair amount of banana. Light spicing. Growing chocolaty tone, along with the barrel character, which I'll assume was only a small portion, as it's fairly subtle. Some bitterness, some alcoholic warmth. Chocolaty, spicy, fruity finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. It's not exactly thin, but it's not the thickest brew around.

Overall: While not loved, it was well-liked.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 21:20:57 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice pretty much black except when held close to the light there is some deep brown that barely shows,a thinner beige head atop.Caramel and toffee notes stick out most in the nose along with some Belgian yeasty spiced notes.A nice mix of earthy roasty stout,vanilla/barrel, and yeasty spiced Belgian Dark on the palate,not overly sweet and it's pretty earthy in the finish.Comparing this to the Thirteenth Hour Stout this wins because it's more complex and not overly sweet,it's just good.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 23:14:35 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a shaker pint glass.

Stumbled onto this bottle during a recent trip to a nearby Binny's and felt it would be perfect for our New Year's Eve festivities. It pours a a bleak black-brown topped by a finger of sandy tan foam. The nose comprises cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and very light bourbon. The taste brings in more of the same, with a stronger sense of whiskey. Not much Belgian character is to be found here, at least by my tongue's reckoning. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a solid beer, though the lack of any Belgian character, the relatively thin feel of the proceedings, and the general lack of complexity in general lead to a kind of nigh-disappointment on my end. In other words: this is indeed a tasty and enjoyable beer, but nothing much more than that.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 01:35:23 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is very dark brown (black when viewed from afar) in color. it poured with a thin dense tan head that has good retention properties and hardly died down.
S: Light to moderate aromas of yeast are present in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of Belgian yeast along with hints of dark fruits.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is a nice beer if you like yeast, but doesn't have much in the way of dark fruits or bourbon, even after it warms up. It's rather easy to drink because no traces of alcohol are detectable.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:03:58 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap 11/25/2012 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains chocolate, coffee, some dark fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a strong chocolate flavor with some coffee, dark fruit and licorice in the background. Then a hearty roasted malt character and a good Belgian yeast breadiness come in. The hops presence is very mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, it’s a very nice dark Belgian beer to drink for a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 21:47:00 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.96/5  rDev +5%
look: 2.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in NC

Pours an eefervescent mahogany/black with 2 fingers of caramel colored head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Figgyness, plums brown sugar & some boozeyness

T: Roastyness, raisins, a touch of coffee & a touch of caramel up front, slight boozeyness as well. Carob & plums as this warms, some candi sugar & raisins & baker's chocolate & some boozey warming & vanilla/caramel notes. Finishes dry, sweet & fruitty & slightly warming with nice chocolatey notes

MF: Medium bodied with slight carbonation, some stickyness

A fairly complex, enjoyable & drinkable example of the style. As usual Smutty kicks ass

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:00:09 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Jet black body, sturdy billowing soufflé head, long lasting and creamy in texture.

Nutty dark chocolate, banana and plum esters from the Belgian yeast.

Chocolate, cocoa, bitter roast in the aftertaste. Lingering dried fruit traces of dates and plums. Smooth supple feel, medium bodied and slightly chewy. A little bit of dry woodiness in the aftertaste, but otherwise not much overt bourbon presence. Dry bitterness lingers in the finish. Nicely blended and well integrated. Smooth and warming on a cold winter afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 22:55:05 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark brown almost black in color with a short 1/4" head.

Smell: roasted tones with vanilla and chocolate.

Taste: roasted malts, chocolate. vanilla, a hint of bourbon, some dark ripe fruits and a bit of alcohol create well balanced beer. Some yeast and candied sugars arrive late. Bitterness is moderate.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Crisp to start, less crisp and a bit dry late. Aftertaste is long lasting.

Overall: a nicely flavored Belgian ale that is easy to quaff and very satisfying. Definitely worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 22:04:44 | More by Gavage

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is kind of an odd one. Seems almost like a Belgian rauchbier, at first impression. I get a minimal to none impression of barrel aging on this. I mean, I guess I do get a mild sense of it, but it's kind of a glob of flavor and nothing specifically defined. It's a nice drinker, just not something I can really pinpoint as far as specifics or intent. Always nice to try something new from Smutty though.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 04:19:07 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Dark, dark brown where no light shines through. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear this is a stout. Light head, even for a bar pour. Some runny ring lace.

There's an element of a stout to the aroma (burnt patent malt?). Unlike most Browns, this one has a bit hop nose.

Starts with the black patent malt,which remains throughout the entire taste. There's an alcohol presence up front. Dark chocolate and mocha are the initial flavors. Relatively thin body with a high carbonation. The aftertaste has a dollop of bitterness with the aforementioned black patent flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2013 00:28:18 | More by smcolw

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle conditioned in 2012
(Served in a tulip glass)
A- This beer pours an opaque black body with a thick coco tan head that last for a short bit. There are strands of microbubbles trailing up the side of the glass.

S- The yeast ester aroma of raisins fades away quickly with some more full black roasted malt aroma and a fusel alcohol heat note finishes.

T- The dry roasted black malt has some dark tootsie roll flavors as the beer opens. There is a roasted black bitterness in the finish with some mellow alcohol heat. Some faint burnt toast notes and slight hints of dark fruit esters come through when it is pretty warm.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a tight fizz and a gentle alcohol heat lingers.

O- This beer has a nice black roasted malt flavor but it is otherwise a bit thin and a bit to hot in alcohol. There isn’t much yeast characteristics that it really needs for support or any other hop or malt flavors to add depth to the beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 22:19:18 | More by rhoadsrage

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours light fizzy head covering, semi clear mahogany dark color.

Nose Belgian esters, phenolic and glue like phenols unhappy yeast, light Belgian chocolate, dusty oak, faint cocoa dust, cola syrup.

Taste starts with some cocoa, Belgian choc, light caramel and syrupy flavors, fairly sweet, light booze, back to esters, slight phenolic glue again but not as much as the nose, very faint oak, no bourbon, little yeasty flavor and light biscuit. Finish is sticky syrupy, little earthy herbal hop, biscuit, bbq sauce like flavor with syrupy sweetness, little cocoa, light phenols lingering.

Mouth is med to bigger bodied, decent carb, little slimy.

Overall not very good. Off flavors, unhappy yeast like it got too hot during fermentation, yeasty too, very little barrel, slimy, too estery, just overall not pleasant. Smuttynose really seems to be going in the wrong direction these days, their new beers haven't been very good, and even their old beers seem like they are losing a little something.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 12:43:02 | More by jlindros

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.49/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two-finger off-white head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Black color, faint ruby highlights. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Roasted chocolate nose and flavor is chocolate, hints of caramel and bourbon. Bottle conditioned 2012, $6.79 for a 22oz bottle from Bert's Better Beers Hooksett, NH

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:02:33 | More by jdhilt

Billolick

New York

3.93/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber bottle. Label tells me it was "Bottle-conditioned in: 2012"

Belgian style stout aged in bourbon barrels. Pours near black, dark tan head that rapidly goes to a film, minor collar and then leaves moderate amounts of ringed low sheeting and then minimal spotty lacing.

Nose of dark chocolate, brandy and some licorice.

Tasty, big and bold, with more rich chocolate notes as well as some bitter coffee. On the thinner side body wise. Finishes with a biting and super drying hop presence.

I like it, gonna put a bottle away for Christmas dinner and pair it with a decadent chocolate and raspberry cake.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 01:33:28 | More by Billolick

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Draft at The Pour House in Westmont, NJ.

Pitch black, cloudy and opaque with a one finger light beige head that quickly settles into a thick, lasting ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.

Slightly earthy, roasted malt aroma.  Some piny resinous hops countered by dark chocolate malt, toast, coffee bean and oatmeal.  Decent amount of roast but sweetness and fudge/dessert like characteristics are dominant.  Still slightly hop forward.

Medium bodied with a decent balance of earthy hops, roasted malt and alcohol sweetness.  Dry piny bitterness up front with resinous oils and grassy pine needle flavor. This is countered by sweet chocolate, toffee and caramel as well as burnt toast, dark chocolate, oatmeal and roasted coffee bean.  Prominent boozy sweetness and heat in the finish.  Decently balanced but a touch too hot for my preference.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2013 00:22:23 | More by corby112

Tone

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a black color. 1/4 inch head of an off-tan color. Good retention and decent lacing. Smells of sweet malt, roasted malt, syrup, liquor, slight alcohol, and slight hop. Fits the style of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of liquor, hops, sweet malt, roasted malt, alcohol, and a hint of syrup. Overall, good aroma, body, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 15:16:23 | More by Tone

smakawhat

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap into a snifter glass at Churchkey DC.

A Dark walnut brown body is presented, with hints of red dark edges. Faint tan head is poured, not much retention, falls quite quickly leaving a super thin collar, quite soapy.

Nose has a neat fruit spice character to it, kind of a sweet licorice mild anisette a bit. With some warmth some sticky caramel too, but nothing that really appeals to me unfortunately.

Palate hits with the hinted sharp spice angle, almost peppery. A very light tannic wood, even mild smoke with large charring roast finish. Feel is a little thin. Some fruit character becomes more apparent kind of like a dirty soil earthy plum.

Overall real interesting palate, perhaps not an ultimate favorite to want again but certainly memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2012 22:55:53 | More by smakawhat

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle, 2012 vintage. Served in a goblet, the beer pours dark brown with about an inch tan head. Head retention is good, and there's a small amount of lacing. The brew smells like dark fruit (cherries, plums), roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, bananas, and some vanilla. It tastes like bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit (plums, figs), roasted malt, molasses, vanilla, and a bit of smoke and banana. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it has moderate/high soft carbonation. I think this is a good overall Belgian-style stout. I don't think the partial batch barrel aging hurt this brew at all, although I'd like to try a version of this beer that was fully aged along with the base version of it as well. At $5.99 a bomber, I'd certainly pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 00:38:41 | More by bluejacket74

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Since I pretty much try any of Smuttynose big beer series I reluctantly found this one for sale at Halftime beverage for $7.50. Its a tad more expensive but bourbon barrel treatment usually costs a bit more...

A - Looks like a stout I could get into. Pours is very dark and very thick especially for only 8%. I only got a 1/4 of an inch of mocha head but it seems to stick around for a bit. Very sticky lacing to boot.

S - Well it's very woody and as some Belgium dark fruit like dried plums and raisins. Just a mild if any twang of bourbon which mixed well with the roast and caramel like malts. Hopefully it tastes as good.

T - Very strange it starts off as a nice Bourbon stout but quickly falls to a sour cherry and leather kind of taste that leaves a medicinal herbal tea/coffee taste. Finish is clinging bitter and has some roasty aspect. I can drink it but I am not sure I want to... Who enjoys these flavors?!?!?

M - Much more medium bodied and creamy than the initial thick pour but kind of a mess of flavors.

Overall I am not sure what they were trying to accomplish or even if they drank it before it went out the door. To tell you the truth I was pretty much hoping it was a Belgium imperial stout like Weyerbacher tiny but I was TOTALLY wrong.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 00:56:00 | More by DrDemento456

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. bottle served in a tulip. Pours the color and clarity of cola with a two inch, fizzy, khaki-colored head that sizzles and pops as it slowly collapses into a consistent skim. Delicate webs of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose expresses fruity esters as well as a hint of bubblegum and cocoa. Taste consistent with nose; however, there's also a roasty character to the flavor profile, as well as a slight metallic tinge towards the finish. Mouthfeel is medium-light in body with a lively, even carbonation. You don't see too many Belgian Stouts out there, so kudos to Smutty for putting one out. That said, while enjoyable, it's a little bit too fruit forward in my opinion. Nonetheless, a solid effort put forth by one of my favorite breweries.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 00:39:31 | More by Jwale73

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Swung over to Smutty today to pick up my case of this... Enjoyed one out in the 'Zebo as Fall slowly ebbs away...

Poured into a small tulip, it was a deep, dense, opaque brown. Only when held up to the sunlight was I able to see some ruby highlights...Head was creamy and beige, thinned rapidly and left just trace amounts of lace. Nose was on the mild side, with some roasty choco evident.. Body was a good medium, and it was a carbo-lacking smooth on the tongue.

Flavor had some light sweetness, with choco and roastiness present. Also found were some dark fruit notes, a la raisin and figs. Vanilla and subtle bourbon characteristics are also noted here, and the bitterness was quite restrained. Solid all around! Zum Wohl!!

4/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1540

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 21:39:17 | More by Bierman9

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

In my tulip glass this beer was near black in color. It had a dark tan head with a little bit of lace.

The aroma was dark fruit and cherry. Kind of toasty. Some vanilla

Nice taste. Toffee, sweet fruit/cherry. Some chocolate, and a little bit of vanilla.

This was a nice beer, just a little bit thinner than I thought it would be.

Still enjoyed it, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 20:54:28 | More by lordofthewiens

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Black color. Light brown creamy/frothy head. Retention is about average and a decent sized ring of lacing is left.

4.0 S: Nice nose on this. Christmas cookie spiciness meshes well with smokiness from the bourbon. Sweet caramel, dark candi sugar, plum, prune, raisin, and tobacco. Smokey bourbon with notes of leather, vanilla, and oak. Sweet, spicy, and complex nose.

3.0 T: The taste is more bourbon flavored than the nose. Much of the spiciness and sweet maltiness gets lost behind leathery and smokey bourbon. Vanilla and oak. Missing depth from the base beer. That's about all there is to say.

3.0 M: Lighter medium body. Carbonation is a little bity without being spritzy or creamy. Just decent here.

3.0 D: Eh, it's alright, but it's nothing special. I've never been a huge fan of bourbon and Belgian, but I still can't help myself from giving it a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 04:57:05 | More by DavoleBomb

oline73

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Churchkey during Zwanze Day. Served in a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours black with a thick layer of off white head that fades to a ring around the glass and leaves some mild lacing.

Smell: Lots of roast and dark chocolate here. I'm getting a mild bourbon note and some dark fruit as well.

Taste: This beer is quite bitter up front with some dark chocolate and roast. I'm getting dark fruit and smooth bourbon notes. The finish is a bit peppery with some alcohol heat and a bitterness from the roast.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium with tingly carbonation and a finish that is very dry.

Overall: The old and new beer blended works quite well here. You got interesting notes from both. I would have more in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 02:37:51 | More by oline73

maximum12

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Try to pick up any new Smuttynose when I hit the Wisconsin border, since just about every beer they make is good. Another pickup, here. 22 oz. bomber split with my wife.

Pour is appropriately black, with the fizzy coffee head that I've come to expect from dark beers of Belgish lineage. Nose is kicking the irony out of the color: bananas? Cloves? Is this a hidden hefe? Also rich milk chocolate...ain't this a palette of weird.

Zinneke is as confused as the smell promised. More overripe bananas lightly coated with chocolate sauce. Mild roast flails through in the middle, cut with oatmeal, weapons-grade carbon, & a tangy medicinal quality that's very unappealing. Faint hop bitterness &, finally, whisper of vanilla & bourbon right at the end. Very thin, this would barely quality as a porter.

Love the experimentation, but this one falls flat for me; the tastes are just a tangled mess of jumbles. Mediocre? Seems like an inappropriate word, but in the end, it fits.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 03:08:38 | More by maximum12