Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale

Rating: 2.5

Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, NH

Style: Barleywine

ABV: 11.0%

1 pint 6 fl oz bottle

Part of Smuttynose's "Big Beer" series, this entry is brewed with 53% wheat and 47% barley. It pours with a modest head (one finger width), and has a deep amber color. The aroma is fruity, and reminded us of Cambridge Brewing Company's Arquebus Summer Barleywine, though this one was a little sweeter-smelling. We couldn't detect any hint of wheat on the nose, and the same was true for the taste: with an 11% alcohol content, this is very solid barleywine, with a slightly syrupy quality. It's an enjoyable sipping beer, but perhaps not quite as distinctive as the label implied. Or, rather, not as distinctive on the palate as it was in the production process, but that may be our fault for expecting a beer with a hefty alcohol content to be subtle!