AleSmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout

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

Bottle from ebay purchase. Sampled with Stegosaurus. Bottle from 2006 #46 of 235. BANG WOW ! Aroma god like Chocolate, bourbon wood and roast. The pour is almost black but you can see a reddish hue. A very thin tan head. First taste is over whelming. The second taste you notice a perfect blend of Chocolate , vanilla, bourbon oak with a roasty bitter finish. Absolutely world class.

750ml bottle 2004 edition #73 of 228 via trade with the ever so generous zug4abby! - Thank you so much!!! - We drank this along side a 2003 Speedway for comparison - Pours black as night with a short mocha head that stays briefly but laces some. Aroma is coffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, and some dark chocolate. Flavor is Bourbon, Oak, Vanilla, and a bit of Dark Chocolate. The barrel seems to add so much flavor to this beer but doesn’t weaken the original flavor that is so wonderful in this beer... The palate is simply the smoothest richest mouthfeel I’ve ever tasted.. Amazingly creamy not much carbonation... I made the comment that when I get to hell I hope this is on tap.. This is indeed a perfect beer to me!!!

2006 Bottle #46/235 sampled with Mad_indian. Pours dark with a one finger thick persistant tan head. Aroma of bourbon, oak, vanilla, roast, chocolate, and slight pretzel. The flavor is slightly sweet upfront, vanilla, chocolate, bourbon, with an oaky roasted, bitter finish. Excellent body great brew.

Tasted a sample of the ’04 vintage at Tasting in the Woods, Part Deux. This beer was phenomenal. Pours to a pitch black color, with a thick, creamy, tan head, and a soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is incredible. Big aromas of dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla, roast, and light smoke flood the nose. The palate is rich, and full on the tongue, with a tremendous, complex flavors. Lots of big dark chocolate flavors, marry with flavors of esperesso coffee, vanilla, hints of black currant, and licorice. This beer finishes with more of those complex flavors up front, then ends with a soothing, warming burn that lingers. Any amazingly good Imperial Stout brought to new heights from the use of barrel aging. World class.

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 Bottle # 61 of 228 Shared by Bill at a crazy stout tasting. Thanks for this once in a lifetime chance!. Pours pitch black with a tiny brown head. Smell is coffee, bourbon, oak, roasted ashy malt and yeast. Taste is out of this world. Strong bourbon, coffee, toffee, oak and a great flavor that reminds me of smoked brown sugar(that’s what I wrote down??) Mouthfeel is thick and chewy and very light carbonation that is perfect for this style. Amazing how the Speedway remained the same and they layered on the bourbon and oak. This is a real treat even with a couple of years on it.

Got to try this at the columbus tasting thanks to OhioDad.Has a nice bourbon aroma with some chocolate,coffee,and vanilla mixed in.Pours black with a tan head.Very smooth and finishes with a slight bourbon burn.One of my favorite beers I’ve had to this point plus comes in a very nice bottle...

2003 bottle from Alesmith release. Yummy. Black with no head. Potent alcohol (this has to be way above 12%), bourbon, vanilla, and oak aroma. Sweet thick chocolate, coffee, bourbon, and caramel taste with an amazing chocolate finish. Excellent. Overall: 5.0 2006 bottle from the BA (Bare Ass? No, Barrel Aged) release. Black with a brown creamy head. Cofffee roasty dark chocolate and vanilla aroma. Rich buttery palate. Bitter dark chocolate, coffee, bourbon and vanilla taste with some alcoholic warmth and an oaky finish. 4.9 total score