Jan 3, 2012

Smuttynose Gravitation

Smuttynose Gravitation photo

While the first beer of the New Year was a Sierra Nevada Celebration way too early in the morning of January 1st, it’s this review of Smuttynose’s Gravitation that kicks off the posting for 1012. I have so many beers in the queue that I’ve enjoyed over the past several months that this tasting actually took place mid-November. Man, I need to get caught up.

This Belgian-style Quadrupel, weighing in at 12% ABV, is reportedly brewed with over 200 pounds of pureed raisins with each batch. I’m not sure what that does to one’s digestive system, but it makes for an aromatic beer with a whole lot of dark fruit flavors. And while I love several of their regular releases (Big A IPA for instance), I’m not entirely sold on this limited offering. It’s flavorful, but a bit too boozy perhaps for its own good.

Appearance

Gravitation pours a brownish copper in color with a quickly falling, off-white head.

Aroma

There’s a good amount of boozy rum on the nose with plenty of dark fruits (raisin and fig), a touch of banana, spices and yeasty notes.

Taste

The rum and booze are pretty dominant throughout the drinking experience as a heavier dose of chocolate and banana come to the forefront. A peppery yeast, dark fruits and spices also make an appearance, but they’re a bit overshadowed by the alcohol. The mouthfeel is fairly slick leading into a relatively dry finish that also brings with it a light hop bitterness. This is a big beer.

Overall

This is one of those beers that probably a bit too young at the moment. It could use some time in the basement to mellow out some. I’m all for a boozy treat to sip on after dinner, but this one is a little too much right now. I’ll try and find another bottle to set aside and see what happens in a year or so.

Rating:3.5/5

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