AleSmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
San Diego, California USA

Sampled at the Knoxville tasting courtesy of Springslicker, thanks Jay. After just having tried and disliked one barrel aged beer (Angels Share), the group decided to pull out this one. Bottle #84/228. Having read so many good things about this beer over the course of four years at ratebeer, I was incredible excited to get to try this beer, this, holy grail for many a person who has drank this beer. It pours black with a brown head on it. The beer is black, there is no brownish hints, no dark brown bullshit, this is black. The aroma is fantastic, the best aroma I have ever smelled on a barrel aged beer - slight hints of vanilla, coffee, chocolate, raisins, slight alcohol notes. The taste is smooth, rich, creamy, absolutely not overdone with bourbon in the least. This beer is phenominal. Lives up to all of its high expectations, and then some. These guys need to give pointers to all of the barrel aging brewers that have their beer tasting like bourbon. With just the slightest bourbon notes, this becomes better than regular speedway. Believe what you read about this beer, it is very true. Thanks to Jay for letting me sample this rare ass beer.

Big thanks to Springslicker for bringing this to the Knoxville tasting. Overrated? Nope, not in the least. Pours black, as expected, with a thin tan head. Fabulous aroma, rich and powerful, and an incredibly rich palate. Its pointless for me to try to describe all the flavors in here - coffee, chocolate, wine, bourbon just to name a few. It seems to be constantly changing as it warms, with new and interesting flavors popping up - hey, was that bacon? and pecans?- that kind of thing. Great, great beer. Bottle 84 (And I swear I didn’t plan to make this #1700, it just coincidentally worked out that way. Promise)

Draft at O’briens. Nice chocolate, coffee, and bourbon tastes. Very strong alcohol presence but not overwhelming. Fantastic brew. Rerate 9/27/2008 thanks to my brother for opening the 2007 while the Chargers stomped the Raiders for the 10th straight time. Fantastic brew. Lots or roasted malts. oak, chocolate, and coffee, some alcohol. But very tasty. Rerate 10/3/2008 thanks to stefanje for opening at fordest house. 2006 bottle.

Bottle #84 sampled with the fine gentlemen at the Knoxville Spring(ish) tasting, courtesy of Springslicker in one of the most selfless, altruistic examples of generosity. Pours black with a low, brownish head and slick lacing. Some ruby hues are noted in the light. The nose is rich of thick espresso and rich bourbon. A war ensues on my olfactory sense between a mound of rich, dark roasted coffee beans and smooth, aged Kentucky sippin’ whisky with some fainter notes of chocolate and toast in the mix. Take a sip. . .damn. The first sip brings a rich hearty espresso presence into my mouth with earth, mocha, espresso, and vanilla. A few sips later, I start to notice some more vinous, almost sake-like flavors coming out along with nuts, oats, vanilla wafers, madelines. This is dense, deep, and ridiculously good. This is still completely solid and sharp with very defined flavors even three years later. Here is a true complement: this is slightly better than the regular Speedway Stout.

Pitch black colour with a light brown head. Complex light roasted malty aroma with a soft chocolate sweetness and some coffee bitterness along a light fruityness. Wellbalanced chocolate sweet and coffee bitter flavor with dark fruit sweet notes.

Courtesy Degarth. 2004. #157/228. Black with a bit of brown on the edges. 1.5cm frothy, grayish tan cap. Nose of roasty malt, vanilla, oak, coffee beans, bourbon, alcohol. Similar flavors, perfect amount of bourbon, just enough to let you know that’s what was in the barrel before the beer. Less coffee than the original, nice balance to the flavors, although it’s missing the dose of hops near the end. Body is lighter, also- full/medium, balanced carbonation. Excellent. Thanks, Joe.

Another really amazing beer from Alesmith. Rich butter sweet caramel and bourbon flavor mixes wonderfully with the speedway’s chocolate roasted flavors. The aftertaste was sweet coffee flavors with a light burnt chocolate note. Very smooth with no alcohol detectable. Its hard to improve upon a beer like speedway, but I guess it can be done.

Black as midnight, sweet as honey, wicked like the devil. Perfect. Complexity that unfolds in layers, first the aroma of chocolate, coffee, bourbon (?), great palate feel, thick and substantial. Delicious. Now i have to find the regular speedway.