AleSmith Decadence 2006

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

(Bottle, thanks to WeeHeavySD) Pours beautiful deep dark red with a medium light brown/sand coloured head. The aroma is massive yet elegant with light burned caramel malt, dark fruits like plum and fig (marmalade) and lime-citrus/earth/floral/mild resiny pine like hops up front. Some lychee and star fruit. Undertones of vanilla ice cream (typical Alesmith), cookies, mango and ripe pear esters, hints of raw potato, chocolate roast, wet gravel/minerals and maybe a touch of subtle spices. The flavour is a well balanced mix of fat caramel/toffee-ish malt and earthy/mild citric hops. Wide fruit spectra of lime, figs, pears, oranges, mild pink grapefruit unripe mango and star fruit. Undertones of bread, cookies, chocolate and vanilla. Also some vinous hints along with a good alcohol warmth. The mouthfeel is fat malty soft and smooth with a rather sharp carbonation. The finish is dry, numbing and bitter which is a good thing because of all the sweetness. Medium to full sweet and medium to full bitter. Near full bodied. A very interesting blend.

750 ml bottle from Kan. pour a muddy brown with a decent beige head. left some lace behind. What a knock out aroma. Warm caramel and fresh cookies. Fruity tropical hops are very up to the task as well. Again, the malt and hop flavors are terrificly balanced. Caramel, toffee, chocolate, and wonderful fruity hops. I’m working on the bottle of the bottle. I can taste the yeast. Not too big of a deal. Rather full body. Think hot chocolate made with milk. I’m thinking carbonation is high, but not spritzy. Balanced finish. This is very Old Viscosity-esque, but I like Old Vis better. Still, this beer kicks much ass.

Bottle, courtesy of Artusory. Deep red with a high beige head. Rich caramel, grassy hop nose of moderate intensity. Malty - notes of cherry, caramel, toffee, a bit of wood, with plenty of smooth, ample hop bitterness. Very well-balanced. Pleasant sweetness level. Sort of barleywine-esque. Very full, round and smooth with subtle carbonation. Very good stuff.

Oct. 2007 - Thanks to eaglefan538 for letting me sample. Deep red pour, with nice head and lacing. Wonderful aroma of amber ale malts. Flavor was an interesting blend of amber ale malts, citrus fruits, some roastiness and earthiness. If anything could detract, it was a bit overly sweet, but I love that AleSmith yeastiness.

Murky red beeer with a creamy tan head. Roasted malts on the aroma. Sweet as well with some bourbon character. Very very sweet caramel malt body with a spicy yeast finish.

Bottle courtesy of Bu11zeye: Poured a deep red/burgundy color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of sweet malt is reminiscent of a barley wine with some citrusy hops also noticeable. Taste is a mix between some barley wine type sweet malt with some bitter and citrusy hops also noticeable. Medium body with some good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Overall, while this is not a bad beer I thought it was slightly one-dimensional and IMO over-rated.

Acquired via trade with stefanje. Thanks! Nice American strong that hides the alcohol well. Aroma of earthy pine hops with a caramel malt backbone and a little dust. Pour was a dark amber with a thin off white ring for a head. The flavor can best be described as an Arrogant Bastard without the carbonation. Strong caramel malt in the front with a hint of roastiness and a bitter sticky aftertaste that includes both a hop bite and a hint of earthiness. Nice beer.

Bottle thanks to dirtymartini, thanks Larry. Poured a deep red copper color with a moderate beige head that slowly receded to a ring. Aroma of caramel and light citrus hops with a hint of earthiness. Lightly bitter entry leads to a light caramel malt sweetness leading into a moderate citrus, bitter hop finish. Nice, full palate with a crisp hop hit that came out quite nicely as the beer warmed. As a whole, it got much better as I drank it and it evolved. Thanks again Larry.