AleSmith Barrel Aged Decadence 2007

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

i about crapped myself when eric pulled this one out! bottle 292/817. smells awesome!... vitamin pills mixed with smooth delicious bourbon, spice, wood, chocolate and vanilla. sexy flavor... spice, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, malt and a bourbon kick which really mellows out as this sits and warms.all of the good stuff from the original with the alcohol cutting through the richness. something really clicked for me... my first 5.0!

bottle 618/817 shared by nbutler... same rating as this beer is downright amazing! i wish i could rate it higher. tasted side by side with the base beer... normally, i am not a fan of what a barrel can do to a beer. this on the other hand, was only enhanced...

Bottle the day of the release. Wow! This is like eating a chocolate caramel truffel dipped in bourbon. The aroma is heaven with lots of vanilla. When cold I got sweet cherry, but this faded as it warmed. Creamy texture with a wonderful bourbon finish. This is a sipper for sure.

750ml bottle. Damn this is awesome smelling, bourbon, a hint of vanilla. Dark black pour with a small light brown head. Flavor is alot of vanilla up front , very smooth, no alcohol present at all. This has to be one of the best beers I have ever had, complete orgasm all around.

Bottle from today’s release. Dark brown with a small fizzy brown head. Huge bourbon, vanilla, chocolate and oak aroma. Velvety palate with a mild brightness. Chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla upfront followed by a hazel nut and cereal taste and finishing with a nice roasty oakiness. Seriously boozy and damn good. Excellent.

Bottle #298/817 shared with DuffmanSW. Poured about as dark brown as it gets without being black with a half-inch light brown head. Aroma is heavy with bourbon, vanilla, molasses and chocolate. Flavor is chocolate with some brown sugar, plenty of oaky vanilla, somewhat toasty and a good deal of bourbon. Palate is pure silk. The only thing that keeps this beer from being perfect is the stinging alcohol, which should correct itself by next year at this time. This stuff kicks ass.

Big Thanks goes to Wetherel for the share. Thanks John! A: Pours a very dark flat black hue. The head is mocha and color and rises nicely. Great retention shown with a nice smattering of lace. S: Wow who knew Bourbon could smell so good. Lots of fresh virgin oak mixed with vanilla. Gooey fudge mixed with coconut. To call this complex would be an injustice. T: Wow my first AleSmith barrel aged brew, and boy was it worth the wait. I thought this was a solid base beer, but the barrel turned this beyond world class. Lots of sweet butterscotch up front. Lots of oak, yet it does not overpower, it just tends to blend with the waves of flavor. Vanilla and chocolate play a huge role as well. Subtle coconut notes along with caramel, and just a touch of booze. Round the bases my friend this one is a Home Run! M: Full in body, very rich, with goodness that just seems to cling in all the right places. D: A true joy to drink. It may be a task but I could sit down with this one and sip all night. As I said to call it world class would be a crime. This beer is in a league that few are members of.

Rate beer rating #1000 and a damn worthy brew at that: 750 ml bottle from the brewery. Deep burgundy color, held up to a flashlight, with a medium, fading light brown head. Aroma is strong vanilla, a little alcohol and a touch of wood. Flavor starts dark chocolate followed by some bourbon, vanilla and oak with a hint of lightly toasted coconut and a long dry strong black coffee bitter finish. Full body is smooth and creamy with moderate carbonation. Yahoo…AleSmith rocks!

6th rating. Bottle 470/817. Shared by dalekliz, shared with her and my girlfriend at my place. Poured into my reidel snifter. Pours black with a light brown head. The nose is pretty omnipresent from the second I opened it and its been lingering a touch since I opened it. Nose is quite bourbony with some caramel. The vanilla is there too, and there is certainly some booze in the nose, but its enticing and not problematic. There is also a nice note of chocolate in there too. Taste is just plain old amazing, when I talked to Pete earlier in the week, he said I wouldn’t be disappointed and I don’t know how I could be. Taste is rich, with chocolate, notes of burnt roasty coffee, clear bourbon and vanilla and an extremely nice mouthfeel. It has a damn nice warming feel in the mouth. Liz mentioned the alcohol was more hidden when it was colder, as I recall from the time I first had the non barrel aged version of this beer I thought it was beyond smooth, and this is less smooth, but the warming is actually nicer in some ways than that overabundance of smoothness. After each sip, my mouth gets left with a little longing for more. Wow, just plain old exceptional. Great work Pete, Matt, Bill, Tod, Jess and the whole gang at Alesmith deserve full congratulations on a drinkable piece of art.