AleSmith Decadence 2005

Formerly brewed at AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Old Ale
San Diego, California USA

Bottle: Copper color, light head and light lacing. Nose of nice complex malts, fresh hops and strong alcohol. Balanced, nice rich hop level and a creamy maltiness like apple and plum with some kumquatts. Very nice.

Poured a semi-hazy deep copper with a small fizzy off-white head. Aroma of molasses, alcohol, caramel, a touch of fruit, and a bit of smoke. Flavor is off-dry with a bit of sweetness stemming from some caramel and molasses flavor, some wood and a touch of fruit leading to a dry finish accentuated by some grassy hops. Body is moderate but could be a little thicker. Comes across a bit like a barley wine to me, but eh, whatever... it still reflects the Alesmith quality and craftsmanship that I expect.

This was an aged bottle brought over by Clark to our blind old ale tasting. Aroma is sweet sticky and lots of soy oxidation. Graphite pencil and woody oxidized flavor with some light residual sweetness and a peppery bitter finish. Slightly astringent. Pretty interesting, but past its prime. Which is wierd cuz it isnt even more than 2 years old and 11%? Thanks for bringing this one Clark!

Smells very hoppy. The taste is both hoppy and strong. I’d like to know what makes something an old ale, and I’d like to have this brewery ship to Las Vegas.

Blind rating, American Beer Tastings at Sk8viking´s. Slightly Pours a slightly hazy cobbar with an off-white head. Smells of alcohol. Sweet with aromas of malts, caramel and a hint of funghi. Medium carbonation. Long, strong finish with a lot of alcohol.

Sampled 11/06--with 15 months of bottle age, and again 08/08 with 3 years bottle age. Burnished bronze-gold with copper-mahogany highlights and the full color spectrum in between as it thins out to the edge. Very low carbonation at this age. Roasted malt aromas caramel sweetness with vanilla and oak gives way to a multi-dimensional flavor profile with many layers of malted grain, roast, sweetness, aging characteristics (maderization, etc.), and an incredibly long, full chromatic toffee finish. Lower carbonation and age intensified the body characteristics: lovely, nimble mouthfeel with well-integrated bitterness and an assertive alcohol character that is superbly balanced and mellowed with age.

Bottled. Dark amber coloured with almost no head. Strong and sweet. Malty with notes of dark fruit caramel. Very well balanced.

Bottle sampled at Sunset Grill in Alston Mass. with the Stegosaurus as part of our boston/salem tour. I never heard of this brew but he tracked it down and he hits the nail on the head. It is a good brew with a good balance of hops and malt, some sort of syrapy flavor and caramel.