AleSmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout

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

Very appreciative thanks to Kyle for the bottle!! 96/228 Had to maneuver a few pages to make this 1600, oh well. Black with beige head, fades to film. aroma full of nice sweet buttery bourbon and chocolate. Flavor on par, huge chocolate, buttery/vanilla bourbon, residuel sugars, and no coffee whatsoever!! Smooth creamy mouthfeel. Very nice BB brew. Thanks again Kyle!!

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.

2004 Bottle #108/228. Tasted at Sean and Ryan’s party. Thanks Ryan. Oh yeah! I can’t wait to try it. Sweet malty molasses aroma. Pitch black. Thick body. Little carbonation, almost flat. Mellow characteristics of roasty grains, lots of chocolate, some vanilla. Little or no oxidation, but a hint of sour. I don’t think this particular bottle has aged as well as it could have. Possible small lacto or brett infection or something may have given the small amount of sourness and dryness. Still pretty good. Can’t wait to try a 2006, to compare:9,3,8,3,18:4.1 Rerate: Opened at Ushi-Tora with TimE and Cappa and friends: Nice malty buttery aroma. Much better than the 2004, probably because of better timing: 9,4,9,4,18:4.4 (4.4-4.5)

Bottle courtesy of zuluflboy. 2006 bottle # 59/235. Pours a silky, murky dark brown to black with one finger tan-yellow head that settles slowly. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of vanilla, oak, chocolate, ripe dark fruit, molasses, hints of brown sugar, coffee, toffee, bourbon. Flavor is sweet and malty with stronger notes of bourbon, chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, ripe dark fruit, some hints of roasted coffee and toffee. Generally full body with a pleasing malty, bourbon finish. Nice stout for sure.

2006 Bottle #65/235. Very big thanks to cbkschubert for his generosity. Poured a deep midnight black body with no head. Aroma is chocolate, coffee and old wood. Flavor is the same as aroma with a more predominant wood flavor. Very flat and I think it may have been a little past it’s prime but it was still a tasty treat.

Tasting session at jbrus. Bottled. Opaque black, thick brown head. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, cherries, vanilla. Strong and lasting complex flavour, chocolate, coffee, lactic notes. So complex and yet so balanced. Way better than regular version, although i haven’t compared them side by side. An extraordinary brew, very, very good.

2006 bottle #193 graciously provided by fiver29 to share at the 7/5/08 Bock Bash locals tasting. Pours a pitch black with tan head. Nose is bourbon, coffee, chocolate and roasted nuts. Taste is bourbon, roasted coffee beans, dry cocoa, dark fruits and some hops in the finish. Full, creamy mouth feel. Great brew – wouldn’t say it’s head and shoulders above the regular speedway (one of my favorites of all time), but very good in its own right. Thanks for allowing us the opportunity John!

2004 Bottle #35/228 shared by captatincougar the footsex gathering. BA mothafuckin’ speedway. Wow. And Tom let me keep the bottle. Thanks a bunch, dude! Pour is black with hardly any head. Aroma has some mild bourbon, with deep chocolate, dark fruit, molasses, and vanilla. Flavor is equally rich with more chocolate, a good helping of coffee, more bourbon, and vanilla. This beer is incredibly smooth for such a big beer. yum.