Smuttynose Brewing Company Big Beer Series: Homunculus

Big Beer Series: Homunculus

 

Smuttynose Brewing Company in Hampton, New Hampshire, United States 🇺🇸

  Belgian Style - Strong Ale Regular
Score
6.83
ABV: 9.5% IBU: 66 Ticks: 69
Beer and human life have a lot in common. For centuries, no one knew quite how either really worked. Beer fermentations were believed to begin when a “magic stick” was dipped into a fresh batch of wort. Without microscopes, no one knew that a tiny, sugar-eating fungus turned all that sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Biologists faced similar mysteries about human life. One widely-accepted belief was that teeny, tiny people, called homunculi, would grow into full size babies inside of a woman (that’s where the label comes from!).
Homunculus is a strong, golden Belgian ale with a pronounced hop character. We’re not talking bitterness, but hop flavor and aroma. The Belgian-style yeast strain contributes significant fruity esters that mix with the hop profile to create a taste that’s more than the sum of its parts.
 

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6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Aroma of bready malt, citrus, yeast, fruity esters, earthy notes, hint of spice, hoppy notes. Flavour is moderate to medium sweet with a moderate bitter finish. Slightly boozy.

Tried on 16 Feb 2025 at 13:30


8.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Aus der Flasche (Vintage 2014) im 2023-11 getrunken. Diese schwere Belgier kommt mit wunderbaren Malz- und Sultaninen Aromen daher. Der Körper ist perfekt und bildet ein wunderbaren Mundgefühl. Die gut 8 Jahre lange Flaschenreifung hat dem Bier nicht geschadet.

Tried on 18 Feb 2024 at 14:52


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

650ml bottle. Cloudy, orangey, dark golden colour with average, frothy to creamy, half-way lasting, minimally lacing, white head. Fruity hoppy, fruity yeasty, and mellow malty aroma, notes of fresh and dried yellow stone fruit, apricot. mirabelle, peach, a touch of honey, shortbread, a very cautious spicy yeasty touch of green pepper. Taste is initially minimally papery bitter hoppy, fruity, notes of dried apricot and peach, moderately sweet-ish, minimally bready, and biscuity amlty basis, quite alcoholic throughout; alcohol and hop combine to produce a slightly caustic effect.

Tried from Bottle on 02 Aug 2016 at 17:14


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle pour into tulip glass from the brewery. Aroma is yeast with a candy-like sweetness, mild bubble gum/fruity esters and a bit of citrus. Appearance is 1st half pour mild haze, 2nd half pour cloudy, orange brown with nice sparkle, finger width foamy white head with decent retention and sudsy lacing. Taste is sweet fruit candy, some caramel and citrus with tart. Palate is light-to-medium bodied with average carbonation, mix of sweet, tart and mild dry bitter finish. Some alcohol warmth in stomach. Overall, complexity is subtle but makes an otherwise average beer interesting.

Tried from Bottle on 30 Apr 2016 at 20:35


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Bottle at Craigs. Pours hazy pale golden with a thin white head. Aromas of caramel, grapefruit, some yeast. Taste is pine, peach, light sweet finish.

Tried from Bottle on 21 Dec 2015 at 14:11


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle at craig’s. Pours hazy pale orange, nose is yeasty toffee, spiced, floral, taste is similar, dry, herbal.

Tried from Bottle on 15 Dec 2015 at 15:43


6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

bottle at home ... hazy amber ... thin white lacing ... soft herbal ... odd fruit hop nose ... musty ... soft fruit .. herbal fruit ... soft toffee ... odd fruit

Tried from Bottle on 15 Dec 2015 at 15:39


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

How: Bottle.
Where: RBESG 15 Grand Tasting.
Appearance: Dark golden colour with a white head.
Aroma: Fruit, caramel, spices, yeast, hops, citrus.
Body: Medium body, low to medium carbonation.
Flavour: Fruit, floral, spices, alcohol, alcohol, hops.

Tried from Bottle on 09 Nov 2015 at 12:40


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottled@SBWF2015. Golden colour, small white head. Aroma is fruity, floral, wooden and mildly toffeeish notes as well. Flavour is fruity, floral, wooden and some mild toffeeish and caramelly notes to it. Also alcohol shows a bit in the flavour.

Tried from Bottle on 09 Oct 2015 at 04:44


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle @SBWF. I’m a huge fan of hoppy Belgians, but this doesn’t really float my boat. Alcoholic aroma. Taste like a light barley wine, ie malty but no apparent alcohol, red berries but no hops...

Tried from Bottle on 04 Oct 2015 at 15:33