Smuttynose Brewing Company Gravitation

“Nutty breadcrust nose with a substrate of mild phenol. Light hints of American hop resin, with apricot and golden currant esters plus vanilla oak notes. Rich toffee, fig, and sweet-roll malt flavor. Low soft hints of clove and a touch of pepper phenol.”

**Aroma:** “Pleasant caramel and pale malt sweetness, with notes of biscuit and toffee, and fruity notes of red apples, pears, cherry, and raisin. Hint of phenolic, coming off a bit like cinnamon or nutmeg. Some lighter fruity esters, perhaps from hops, and enjoyable complexity.” **Flavor:** “Malt sweetness and apple fruity ester flavors give way to a dry, spicy, bitterness that lingers all the way through to finish. Medium body. Sweet cherry, pear, fruit sweetness. Some earthy spice adds to the beer. Alcohol warmth is present from the start through the finish with high carbonation. Almost as much phenolic as esters, which makes it harder to discern the other aspects of the beer.” **Overall:** “Nice fruit and malt sweetness and good alcohol warmth, but finishes very dry and fairly bitter. Suffers a bit from overpowering phenolic character, coming off as spice and even bordering on plastic, which is then accentuated by the extremely dry finish. Would prefer a touch more malt and ester character.”

**Aroma:** “Good caramel and toffee notes from the crystal malts with red apple and pear and a hint of raisin and prune. Slight hint of tartness with notes of cherry and lemon. No hops or alcohol.” **Flavor:** “Rich, dark caramel-malt sweetness up front with a slight chewy note. Dark-fruit notes of cherry, plum, prune, and raisin, as well as apple and pear. Medium hops spicy note in the middle. A bit sweet, but otherwise the finish is relatively dry. Moderately carbonated. Well-balanced fruit, spice, and body.” **Overall:** “A good, well-executed quad, with moderate fruitiness—very enjoyable rich and strong flavor. Well-placed fruit notes and malt character. It finishes slightly sweet but not over the top. Well-blended fruit esters and bready malt characters.”