AleSmith Decadence 2007

Formerly brewed at AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
San Diego, California USA

750 ml. Black body with deep brown highlights with a frothy tan head, slowly diminishing. Chocolate aroma with notes of roasted malt, coffee, alcohol, licorice, toffee. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, moderately bitter and lightly acidic. It finishes moderately sweet, moderately to heavily bitter and lightly to moderately acidic. Medium to full body, creamy texture and lively carbonation. Starts creamy and sweet with tastes of chocolate, caramel and vanilla, but finishes with a lingering bitterness and notes of licorice. Alcohol warming. Nicely done, though a little too sweet in the beginning, perhaps a result of having aged it.

750 ml bottle courtesy of my 2008 Secret Santa. Many thanks, whoever you are. Black pour with a creamy beige head. Aroma is chocolate with light coffee. Full, creamy, silky palate. Couldn’t be any better. Flavor is chocolate, caramel, toffee, light coffee with a subtle hop profile. Also some dark fruit notes. Very nice mixture of flavors. One of the best brews I’ve had the privilege to drink since joining Ratebeer.

Bottle. Poured an opaque dark brown color with a light brown head. Smelled of cocoa, dark chocolate, and alcohol. Medium bodied and delicately sweet. Dry and roasty with chocolate and coffee flavors. Pleasant, strong roasty bitterness at the end.

750 ml bottle
Opened with a few others on a Friday night I was disappointed to find this was already beginning the slow decline to mediocrity. Only about two years i age I would have expected a little bit more time before that happened. Still it was a decent imperial porter with the usual flavor profile. Ultimately I am glad I cracked it open now and did not wait another six months.

Aroma / Appearance - The crusty tan head hid a deep black body with faint lacing running down the sides of the snifter. Light chocolate, alcoholic warmth, cherry, and cocoa nibs formed a combination which was a little weak but still manageable and constructive.

Flavor / Palate - The taste was acceptable but with olive lurking in the background I wonder if I had a bad bottle or it just did not stand up well to 24 months in the cellar. The hops were still there to some degree which was a nice discovery. The bitter chocolate finish may have been a bit strong without much else to back it up. In the end this came across as something with flashes of greatness that just could not stand up to its promises.

750ml bottle. Big thanks to drewbeerme for this pour. Dark black in color with a creamy head. Lots of coffee and roasted malts in the aroma that blend with chocolate and caramels. Creamy carbonation. Rich chocolate roast flavors some coffee, vanilla, and sweet caramel blend into a delicious roasty beer that finishes with slightly dry and roasted. Reminded me a lot of speedway stout - more subdued and dry, but excellent.

Bottle. Pours a deep brown color with minimal head. Flavor is roasted tobacco notes and deep roast. Medium bodied and exceptionally done.

Pours black with a red tint and a light brown head. Aroma was coffee and roasted malts.. Flavor was roasted coffee, roasted malts, smoke and finished kinda sweet.. Medium carbonation and medium body.. Good stuff.

Bottle. Pours black with a reddish tint and a creamy beige head. Aroma is all roasty coffee and a touch of alcohol. Flavor has some dark chocolate, coffee, some alcohol heat, and a good balance between sweet and bitter. Palate is silky with soft carbonation.