AleSmith Barrel Aged Decadence 2007

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
San Diego, California USA

Poured black as night. Small tight head sits and waits, leaving an almost sheen of lacing down the entire side of the glass. Smells heavy on bourbon, and black patent malt. Some roasty notes for a porter. Taste is initially bourbon up front and hot. Bourbon washes away to many notes of black malt, coffee, and dark bitter chocolate. That washes and the back end is just pure sweetness, coconut, syrup, and cherry. Very deep, very heavy flavors. Body is sweet and heavy, but not too cloying, the flavors are able to stand up to the sweetness and the bourbon and high ABV help cut through some of that.

Bottle shared by Brewthusiast, thanks man. Poured a deep brown color with some deep ruby highlights and a 1/2 inch off-white head that faded to a thin layer and left some spotty lacing. Alcohol attacks the nose and dominates with some light undertones of vanilla, faint chocolate, and a bit of roast. Smooth, lightly hot entry with some light chocolate, vanilla, and a bit of faint roastiness that fights to peak through the over-powering bourbon flavor and alcohol head that that lingers into the finish. Low carbonation and rather thin body. Overall, a real mess of a beer. The alcohol is overbearing in every facet of the beer and totally distracts from any enjoyable qualities. I suppose if you love bourbon you may like this, otherwise...well, yeah. Aging may help curb the alcohol presence, but by the time that happens, the beer will probably just taste like vanilla extract.

Whoa- Bottle shared by emacgee!! Pours a deep dark ruby brown with a thin lasting head. Aroma is yeasty, caramel butterscotch, barrel- vanilla, smooth sweet oak barrels, moderate but not overpowering bourbon, earthy and leather. Flavor is tons of fruity esters, brown sugar, light chocolate malts, toffee, nuts, even some weird grape-soda notes, vanilla, chocolate- hints of BP victory at sea- toasted marshmallow, fruit juice, and a good bourbon punch at the end without the alcohol kick. Good stuff.

Shared at DLD hotel tasting by ygtbsm, or miketd. Thanks to you. I was really let down by this brew. The aroma was nice enough with lots of bourbon up front with hints of bitter chocolate and roasted malts. The flavor is the same, but the bourbon really dominates--killing a great base beer. Alesmith always does a great job with BA brews, but I think this is off for now. Perhaps in a year or two this will be spectacular, but for now it is rough to drink.

750 ml bottle #343/817 thanks to drewbeerme for sharing this! Pours a dark brown black with a beige ring of a head. Rich bourbon, oak, roast, vanilla and chocolate malt in the nose. Bourbon is really strong on the tongue. Chocolate and fruit flavors blended with that overwhelming bourbon. Good beer, but I think they over did it with the alcohol. It gets harder to drink as it warms up.

750ml shared by emacgee - thanks, Ethan! Whoa, this beer is insanely good. Far and away the best of the three BA Alesmiths I’ve had. The nose is definitely appealing, with the same promising blend of elements in the regular 07 Decadence. A lot of character drawn from the wood, but it seems to bring the flavors together instead of overwriting them. Wood, smoke, vanilla, chocolate, mild coffee, a hint of booze and spice. Wonderful mouthfeel too.

Bottle #256/817 shared by Odeed. Nose of chocolate, prunes, bourbon, and vanilla. Cloudy cherry brown with a small beige head. Flavor is BIG vanilla, oak, chocolate, and bourbon; finish is bourbony alcohol.

Brown/Ruby/Black with no head. Aroma is bourbon, caramel, toffee, chocolate, alcohol. Taste is bourbon, caramel, chocolate, alcohol, toffee.