AleSmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout

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

Thanks to Beerlando! Rich coffee and chocolate notes, dark and roasty aromas. Pours black with a thin tan head. Dark fruits, raisons and sweet driend figs, with vanilla and molassses, with rich chocolatey flavors. A wonderful beer, such a treat!

Bottle # 221/233 from 2006 written in silver marker on the side of my gold foiled 750 ml bottle. Pours a mostly solid black body with a bubbly beige head. Aroma is great with notes of vanilla, bourbon, slight chocolate, very mild roasty notes, hint of coconut and butter, very slight alcohol. Medium bodied with strong carbonation for a bottle that has been sitting in a barrel and three years of age on top of that, finishes slightly thin and warm from the 12% ABV. Flavor of bourbon, syrupy chocolate notes remain rather strong despite the age, vanilla extract, and some wet wood. Really nice and a huge thanks to Jon for sending me this one, thanks bro.

25.4 oz bottle, 2007. Rating #1400. Near black with a frothy tan head. Nose is molasses, coffee, vanilla and dark chocolate. Medium body with buzzy carb. Seems a bit thinned by the barrel. Taste is sweetened coffee, raisin and chocolate liqueur. Licorice drying with some green-ness.

Bottle #6 of 115, shared with iwantalambic. Thick, viscous pour that produced exactly three bubbles, despite the decidedly aggresive pour. Big roasted coffee aroma with combined elements of cocoa powder, anise, vanilla, oak, bourbon, and subtle hoppiness. The body is thick and rounded, but could really use some carbonation to help move everything along and give the tongue even something more. The flavors are nice and really show that this has not been barrel-aged for too long. The coffee, chocolate, bourbon and vanilla meshed well, though I yearn for a bit of vinous character and a touch more hops. Ultimately, I am not disappointed by this beer, but I also never thought it could be the best in the world. It is very nice that the aging was not over done, but it really needs *some* carbonation and a hint of fruit to even consider being the best in the world. I love AleSmith beers and the people have been very nice both times I was there, so I mean no disrespect, but lets bring back Westvleteren to the top.

Bottle shared by Clarkvv. Pours a dark black opaque color with a foamy dark tan head. Nose is light bourbon and wood with lots of the chocolate and dark malts still in tact and playing a role. Palate is very smooth and filmy with a big kick in the swallow. Flavors of light bourbon and wood with chocolate and dark roasted malt notes.

I definitely drank this one too young. I am sure it does better with age. I thick strong bourbon bomb. Dark chocolate and bitter heavy dark roasted coffee and more bourbon. Almost like beer flavored bourbon. Really too bad because I wanted to love it. (Will Re-Rate with an older vintage, don’t hate the numbers.)

2/1/08. 750 ml bottle from 2004. #49/228. Sampled on "An Evening with Pantanap #3" Huge thanks to andrew for bringing out this one. It lived up to the hype and up to my small sampled previous rating. Pours black with a brown head that laces down. Bourbon nose. Rich toffee, chocolate. There is a sense of Speedway underneath. Flavor of roasted malts. Milk and bitter chocolate, bourbon. The lasting chocolate taste is balanced with the bourbon so well. Creamy thick delicious. Wow what a tasty brew. 9/4/9/4/18 = 4.4

750 ml bottle shared by Leopoldstotch on DLD. Pours a dark black with a tan head. Complex nose of chocolate, dark fruit, oak, and brown sugar. Very rich. Balanced and mellow flavors bitter chocolate, fruit, toffee, and carmel. Smooth and delicious ... but when i would try the BA Darklord in minutes and compare, this did not have those bursting complexities of DL. But still an excellent beer I never thought I would try. Thanks so much! 9/5/9/4/18 = 4.5

Thanks to Beerlando for breaking this out at the opening of the new Redlight!! 2006 bottle, number 183 of 235. Black oily pour with a thin white head and coats the glass with a thick oily film. Amazing aroma of vanilla, tobacco, roasted grains, molasses and it just keeps going on. This is a seriously complex beverage. Taste is big roasted grain, vanilla, oily smooth sweet malt and a slight hint of citrus orange. Absolutely beautiful with a strong hint of tobacco in the finish. Incredibly complex and smooth, i loved it.