AleSmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout

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

The anticipation to have this rare gem presented itself the night before my wedding. My best friend throughout college and I sat down that night with a glass of this and a Montecristo #2, figured I might as well have the best with the best. I drank half my glass before having the cigar, ensuring it would not distort the taste. Pours out deep, black and thick, like syrup with a rich off white head. The aroma is intense with notes of coffee, chocolate bourbon and roasted malts. The palate is perfect very rich. The taste before the cigar was awesome and during the cigar out of this world. The #2 was a perfect compliment to this perfect beer. The taste is extremely complex with notes of bourbon, chocolate, coffee, oak and some molasses with a touch of dried fruit. Mild alcohol on the finish, otherwise well masked alcohol content.This beer is truly world class and lived up to every bit of hype it has. Much gratitude to kenb for trading for this beer. Much applause to alesmith

Bottle. Vintage 2004, number 74 or 228. Provided by Zug4abby through illinismitty. My deepest gratitude to you both. Sean shared with me, rooftoprogue, and Landseer. An opaque black elixir poured from the bottle and was topped by a creamy tan head. The nose was incredible. One of those beers you want to just sit and sniff for a bit and let those fragrances stimulate the juices. Definite salivating now. Notes of chocolate, molasses, oak, bourbon, coffee, of the finest quality. MMMmmm. I have been craving this experience for some time but worried that the hype might be too much. It wasn’t. If I were to fault it at all, it would be the viscosity. Thicker and creamier would have been the topper. An insignificant thing and perhaps only noticed becuase of the awesome quality of the aroma and flavor. Ah, the flavor. The rich complexity of the aroma fulfills itself in the flavor. Chocolate, coffee, bourbon, molasses. Some slight bitterness of roasted coffee, and truly barrel-aged. A truly erotic, if not orgasmic beer experience. Were the body a bit more oily, so as to coat the mouth and linger on the tongue after it was swalloed, it would have been an extra edge. Sean, you could trash my kitchen anytime!!

2004 Number 74/228. Words can not express my gratitude to Zug4abby for sending this my way. Shared this with Yourdarklord, rooftoprogue, landseer, and my wife. Pours black with frothy brown head. What a complex aroma of molasses, oak, chocolate, and coffee. Nice mouthfeel, not as thick as I was expecting, which makes this so dangerous. I could have drank the bottle in no time. A lot of the aroma carries into the flavor. Flavor of coffee, dark roasted malt, with an mild accent of bourbon, all nicely blended. Pleasantly mild bitter and coffee finish, with some slight dry woody notes. Lingers very nicely without being sticky or cloying. Alcohol very well hidden. Peter did the right thing and released this when it was ready. No need to cellar, it’s ready right now. Simply put, and outstanding beer that is worth the hype, and then some. Thanks Edward for lettting us trash your kitchen and leave without cleaning up!

Sample at Sleepy Bear tasting 09/30/06 - #76 big ups Sprinkle - Aroma is roasted chocolate and coffee malts, espresso, molasses and bourbon. Pours black with a small head and decent lacing. Flavor matches aroma and is very smooth for 12% strong ass brew that Speedway is. Palate is sticky. A great brew no doubt, but I perfer a well aged bottle of the regular.

Bottle purchased from Alesmith in July. Opened 2 months later while brewing Ranier Cherry Stout. Simply put, amazing. Deep woody, chocolatey notes, complex flavors inc. coffee, choc., alcohol, leather, anise, vanilla. Thin head, mouthfeel perhaps a little too smooth for the body.

Bottle at RBSG Grand Tasting, July 2006. 2004 bottle. Pitch black. Unfortunately I didn’t get to taste this alongside the regular version (that had to wait until late in the evening when I remember sitting with bottles of Speedway, Dark Lord and Apis Jadwiga in front of me that nobody was fighting over) but perhaps the coffee is a little less intense. Although that could be as much the extra age (don’t know how old the regular version I tasted was) as the barrel aging. There’s a little vanilla from the barrel age but its such a big beer that its going to resist too much influence (which is no bad thing). To be honest, I’m not sure that the barrel-aging improves the beer too much. Otherwise, not really much point in repeating what others have said many times before. Big and heavy. Loads of coffee. Boozy and alcoholic. Very intense. Me like.

Bottle 13/240 ala Matt. Opaque brown color with a few tan bubbles forming a lid. Irish whiskey and coffee aromas, that have a mild sweetness of maple syrup. Vanilla and rye flavors mingle with rooty licorice and dark chocolate. Strong and tarry flavors. Sorry I’m not a strong and licorice kind of guy. Not my style. But I keep trying.

Taste this beer yesterday, at Jerre’s home Thanx.. Opaque black-brown color with a small tan head. Sweet, chocolatey, roasty start.