Smuttynose Brewing Smuttlabs Red Wine Barrel Aged Winter Ale
The minute I saw this bottle of Smuttynose Smuttlabs Red Wine Barrel Aged Winter Ale on the shelf back in mid April earlier this year, I knew that it was probably a touch past its prime. Winter ales of this sort are usually released in the Autumn prior so there was a good chance that it had been sitting on that shelf or in a warehouse for a while. Cracking it open two weeks after purchase showed that my suspicions were partly correct.
It wasn’t apparent as I poured, nor as I sniffed, but the minute this wine-barrel aged Belgian Dubbel hit the tastebuds, I knew something was up. The brew didn’t taste old as I suspected, instead there was a light measure of tartness that probably shouldn’t have been there — as if a little something wild had hitchhiked its way into the bottle. The brew hadn’t gone entirely south as the vinous and wood notes from the barrel aging are strong as is a decent bit of a malt backbone. The Belgian yeast however has suffered and this doesn’t really taste like a dubbel when all is said and done.
Appearance
Smuttlabs Winter Ale pours chestnut in color with a large column of beige foam that dropped slowly.
Aroma
Distant wood, moderate winey character, light seasonal spices, caramel and a soft roast fill the nose smoothly — no hint of the tartness to come.
Taste
Well the wine and light wood notes are strong here, but there’s also that previously mentioned tartness which isn’t overly present, but does linger in the background, hinting at something not quite right. Distant spices also hang out in the background a bit, fading smoothly in the drying finish. The brew is medium bodied with active carbonation.
Overall
This particular bottle of Smuttlabs Red Wine Barrel Aged Winter Ale wasn’t horrible, but it certainly was 100% either. There is a strong wine character, the slightly off-putting tartness and woody notes, but not much of the Belgian dubbel presence left to enjoy. I haven’t seen any bottles of this brew since the original purchase — perhaps we’ll give it another shot next Fall/Winter.
Rating: 2.75/5
