AleSmith Decadence 2005

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

Sample at J Gumbos Aug 2008 Indy tasting - I’ve been holding this and the BA version for the right tasting and this was it. Aroma of prune, plum, dark malts, chocolate, caramel, toffee and alcohol. Flavor matches with some tobacco on top. There’s a lot going on. Palate is sticky. A tasty brew for sure.

Aged over 3 years. This special brew pours a dark and hazy, reddish brown color. A small, frothy, tan colored head settles quickly to a thin film, sugary legging showing in place of any lacing. The aroma is heavily malt driven, massive notes of decadent English toffee, caramel, and a sherry-like fruit profile all on full display. The hop profile is mostly earthy and very lightly spicy, lending a touch of balance to this malt monster. Flavors again feature toffee and caramel prominently, hints of vanilla, cherry, and fig adding fruity depth. Big and silky smooth in the mouth, the syrupy, liquor-like texture is surprisingly void of cloying stickiness. This is another fantastic beer from a can’t miss brewer.

Oxidationfest Tasting at illinsmittys curtesy of Beerhawk. 2005. This is a superb example of style. The translucent dark amber with a reddish tint, a few shades lighter than the barrel aged, and no head. Dark rum soaked fruit aroma, some vanilla, and a hint of hops, a littler harsher than the aged. Flavor is dark cherry, some anise, not as sweet as the barrel aged. This is very smooth, medium full body. Very enjoyable.

Bottle from Beer Hawk. Thanks mucho hombre! Pours orange amber with an off white head. Aroma of sugary malts, sherry, and alcohol. As with all of Alesmith beers, great earthy mouthfeel. Texture is slightly syrupy, but with no stickiness. Flavor of sherry, caramel, and toffee that is countered by a faded hop bitterness. Some very slight smoke phenols on the finish, with the alcohol warmth but no bite. This is past its prime, but is aging gracefully. No cardboard, but nice sherry notes.

750ml bottle shared by egajdzis. Thanks!!! Poured a cloudy deep amber in color with a quickly diminishing tan head. Aroma of toffee, chocolate, dark fruits, and a little smoke. Tastes of sweet toffee, brown sugar, chocolate with a hefty amount of alcohol warming in the finish. Thanks Eric.

++++ Re Rate 7 December 2009 ++++
750 ml bottle shared by Indra. Pour is a slight haze golden orange cordovan with a smallish light tan head. Head breaks down to bigger bubbles. Aroma of dusty earthy hazelnut maltiness, some floral, some light oxidation way in the back. Behind all of this is some dry fruit which shows some mild cherry sweetness. Taste is mild soft caramel sweetness, the hazelnut, and followed by some resin earthiness. It amazingly seems to have a mild resin hop bitterness. The oxidation is present, but works really nicely to meld and smooth out the flavors. Palate is medium to heavy, coats the mouth a bit, then transitions to be dry and leafy in the finish. Thanks for sharing this one Eric. (8,4,8,3,16 - 3.9)

++++ Original Rating 12 August 2008 ++++
2005 Vintage. 750 ml bottle generously shared by tjthresh. Pour is ruby, red brown - hazed, with a tan head that falls fast with not much lacing. Aroma of soft sweet fruity caramel. Vanilla woodiness in the background of the nose. Soft, delicate, very engaging nose. Taste is nice; soft caramelly, grainy with a sharp woodiness. Some residual alcohol in the finish that doesn’t detract. This was a really nice beer. Thank you for sharing this one with me Tom, very cool of you. (8,4,8,4,16 - 4.0)

750ml from an online vendor I don’t recall. Duh, it’s been a few years. I’ve been saving this one for a very special occasion, and am pleased as punch to pop it open tonight. A deep dark red pour, with just a trace of cloudiness in there from the main ingredients, as well as a slight fizz from the carbo (still there) and some pleasant lacing. Big ass nose of multiple malts, initially with chocolate characteristics and then settling into toffee, plum, fig, and tobacco. Lovely mouthfeel, with a slight bite on the tongue that gives the brew a warming, lasting quality. Definitely akin to sipping on a beloved malt whiskey, and another Alesmith winner.

Wow! Pours a hazy dark red with very little head. Big chewy melted English Toffee nose. Tons of toffee with some nice oxidized notes. Some chocolate syrup. There’s a little bit of bitterness at the end with some lingering alcohol. Really damn good. Full bodied and hardly any noticeable carbonation. Kind of a fudgey sweet finish, but very easy to drink. This beer is outstanding in every way.