Category Archives: AleSmith Brewing Company

4 - Good (buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, USA

AleSmith Wee Heavy

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Other Notes: Scotch style ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Scottish-inspired deep mahogany-colored ale showcases a rich, malty flavor profile of caramel and toffee offset by hints of roast and subtle smoke. The complex malty sweetness includes notes of dark fruit balanced by a subdued hop bitterness. Wee Heavy is incredibly nuanced and in a class of its own in terms of balance and sophistication. It ages very well and will keep improving for years to come.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. foiled and capped bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A cloudy amber copper orange colour with very thin beige head that dissipated quickly, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, prunes, caramel, toffee, booze, with a light roast and a hint of chocolate.
Taste: Sweet malt, light roast, caramel, toffee, dark fruit, prunes, brown sugar, with light notes of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipper with good flavours.

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4 - Good (buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, USA

AleSmith Speedway Stout – Hawaiian

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Imperial Stout with Coconut, Vanilla, and Ka’u Coffee

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We often use Speedway Stout as a jet-black canvas for homages to things we hold dear, whether it’s artisan coffee, a favourite edible or sumptuous flavor combination. The most recent variation of our celebrated imperial stout honors the culinary character of the Hawaiian Islands by combining the lush sweetness of coconut with vanilla and Ka’u coffee. Named after the region of Hawaii from which it hails, Ka’u is produced from some of the world’s rarest coffee beans. Slow-grown beneficiaries of nutrient-rich volcanic soil and idyllic climate, Ka’u offers nuances of caramel and hazelnut plus a soft floral character, all of which marry seamlessly with natural sweetness from the vanilla and coconut as well as Speedway Stout’s inherently rich, chocolaty character. Say aloha to something truly exceptional and evocative of its namesake isles.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.47
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml foiled bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly, but left lots of nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, milk chocolate, vanilla, coconut, coffee.
Taste: Roasted malts, lightly sweet, lightly bitter, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, molasses, with notes of coconut.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Really enjoyable and an excellent sipper. I guess without pineapple, it doesn’t really feel ‘Hawaiian’ to me, especially since the coconut is not as strong as the vanilla. But still, nice aroma and flavours while being super smooth, and just a great variant.

4 - Good (buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, USA

AleSmith Speedway Stout – Thai

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Imperial Stout brewed with Coconut, Ginger, Lime, Lemongrass, Basil & Coffee

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Inspired by our brewers’ love of the assertive, bright flavors of Thai ingredients, this intensely flavored brew incorporates the vibrant quality of several Thai-inspired ingredients into our classic Imperial Stout. Powerful notes of citrus, botanicals, and tropical fruit balance the stout’s rich chocolate, caramel, and coffee character. The result is an amazingly flavorful and complex beer that pays tribute to the flavors of Thailand. This beer will age nicely, though the intensity of certain ingredients may evolve over time. Chon Gâew!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.37
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml foiled bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly but left lots of nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, Thai green curry, lemongrass, basil, ginger, lime.
Taste: Roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, coconut, basil, lemongrass, lime, coriander, and notes of ginger.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: I didn’t think it would work, but wow this was interesting. The aroma was amazing. Somehow, roasty chocolate and coffee just mixes well with Thai green curry. Although not as amazing, this same combo also worked with the flavour, with the coconut notes coming through stronger. I have this nagging feeling that if they just added chili as well, the spice would have kicked it to another level. The body was a little thinner than I liked, but other than that, I was pleasantly surprised.

4 - Good (buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, American Imperial Red Ale, Beer Reviews, USA

AleSmith Double Red IPA

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Imperial Red Ale
Other Notes: Limited Edition, Seasonal

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Previously known as Winter YuleSmith, this warming, hoppy ale used to be available exclusively during the holiday season. But the popularity of this red-hued India Pale Ale grew to the point where sharing a limited run of the beer with our fans seemed insufficient. Our answer was to convert this crimson IPA into a seasonal offering to be enjoyed from fall through the winter months. Caramel malt sweetness combines with citrusy highlights to bring forth a dry, highly drinkable beer that’s simultaneously hearty and thirst-quenching. The holidays are too brief to contain this much flavor.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.96
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 19th September 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear dark amber copper colour with a big two finger light beige head that had great retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Caramel malts, grapefruit zest, citrus rind and pine.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with sweet caramel malts, grapefruit flesh, zest and rind, grass and pine. Finish was nice with moderate bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Solid tasting Red IPA with good balance of malt and hops.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, USA

AleSmith Decadence 2015

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: Belgian-style Amber

Brewer Description: (from bottle) AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale was originally brewed in 2005 to celebrate our first decade in business. Each year since, our brewers have commemorated our anniversary with a special beer of a new style. Now, ten years after brewing our first beer of the Decadence Series, we’re proud to present another hand-forged addition, AleSmith Decadence 2015. In the spirit of traditional Belgian brewing we’ve departed from style-constraints to bring you a fresh take on the popular European style, the Belgian Amber. This big, complex, amber-hued ale was brewed with a substantial amount of Belgian and European malts that complement the spiciness imparted by Belgian Abbey yeast. The result is a perfect balance between rich, toasty maltiness, Belgian candi sugar and the light floral profile of European hops. Enjoy this hearty Belgian inspired brew now or age at a cool temperature to increase it’s complexities.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.81
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl oz foiled bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber colour with a one finger off white head with an orange tinge that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Malty, candi sugar, caramel, brown sugar and toffee, with a hint of clove, banana and apple juice.
Taste: Toasted, lightly sweet, caramel with hints of clove, banana, alcohol and apple juice.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Quite nice and easy to drink.