AleSmith Decadence 2008

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Diego, California USA

75 cL bottle at the Stone Bistro, courtesy of Dr Bill. Pours hazy dark amber with a small white head. Light wooden and dry hoppy aroma. Smooth fruity and roasted malt favoured. Light cherry fruity note. Lasting fruity and light bitter finish. Lovely.

Original Rating: 4.1........ I thought it was a creative use of sourness in a barleywine and I liked it super fresh. Pours a deep hazy brown with a light brown head and sticky lacing. Aroma is hops malt sourness, dark fruits and alcohol. Flavor is malt hops slight sourness, bitterness, caramel, toffee, alcohol burns a bit and fruity vinous characteristics run thru nicely. Fantastic bw. The sourness is there for sure, not sure if it’s slightly infected or intentional but regardless I enjoyed this barlewine quite a bit. Re-rate a few months later. Pours a deep hazy brown with a light brown head and sticky lacing and small floaty chunks throughout. Aroma is hops malt sourness, sulfur, dark fruits and alcohol. Flavor is malt hops a weird garbage like sourness, bitterness, caramel, toffee, and a weird chewy texture. The alcohol still burns a bit and the fruity vinous textures are now pungent infection that is rapidly growing inside the bottle. I bought 8 bottles of this stuff. The brewer stood behind the product when people asked but time has shown that it really is infected and it has ruined the beerl. Recall this shit Peter.

750ml bottle from joey at southbay......pours a mostly opaque dark plum brown with moderate light tan head.....aroma of ripened fruits, bread and almost a medicinal quality to it... flavors were really smooth and melded well. mostly dark fruits and caramel malt with a fruity tart fnish. definetely a warmness as it goes down. creamy mouthfeel adds points....an interesting and different take to a the barleywine style (intentional or not)

Bottle, courtesy of JohnC. Poured a dark amber color with a thin beige head. Nose is dark fruit, toffee, bread, and a little vanilla. Smells infected. Medium to full body with soft carbonation and a velvety mouthfeel. Lots of toffee/caramel and hop flavors up front. The backend has an unmistakingly infected feel to it, can’t put my finger on what infected it. Pretty sure it was not intentional infection however I think it adds an interesting dimension to this beer. I also like that it definitely is not an American Barley Wine. Finishes sour and drys the mouth. Very good.

750ml bottle. Pours a slightly hazy dark amber with a moderate tan head. Aroma is a big dose of fresh fruit, spice, caramel, toffee and some things I just can’t place but overall very pleasant. Flavor is more fresh dark fruits, caramel, toffee, and some light spice. This is not at all what I was expecting, but very tasty, enjoyable and unique.

Entered to celebrate my rating number 13,500. Bottled. An unclear amber beer with a thin orangey head. The aroma is sweet with primary notes of alcohol and sour cherries. The flavor is sweet and sour with notes of alcohol, sour cherries, malt, and caramel, leading to a medium tart finish. Lovely beer. Thanks Dr. Bill for sharing.

Pours a clear dark amber red. Smells fruity malty. Taste is more of the same with some hops. Flavors of toffe, spice, fruits,bread,and yeast. Not sweet but more on the sour tip. Good balance of malt and hops, but with a different sour flavor. Good brew.

750 ml bottle from bev4less. Pours an amber-red with a medium beige head that has fair retention and some lacing. The aroma is moderately strong with classic barleywine malts, toffee, dark fruits and vanilla. The taste is nothing like the aroma, this is an overtly sour beer with plenty of sour grapes, caramel, and mild bready hops. The mouthfeel is full and silky smooth. The finish is long and sour. Overall: wow this beer is really sour, much more so than I was expecting, and I’m not so sure this was the brewers intention. The sour flavor is not a particularly good one, I hope this balances out in time. Regrettably this is my least favorite Decadence brew to date.