AleSmith Decadence 2008

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

Bigups to snojerk for this incredibly interesting drink. An english barleywine with a distinct belgian yeast strain to add a wild and slightly sour aspect to the otherwise fruity and sweet beer. Aroma is mainly sweetness with some purple fruit. Flavor is big malt and cherry plum flavors. There is some sweetness again followed by the pungent sourness that is different but very interesting. Pours a dark brown with slight tan head. Points for uniqueness but not sure how approachable this beer is now or even with a little bit of age on it.

Bottle thanks to SamGamgee: Pours a transparent dark copper amber with a frothy, well-lacing cream-colored head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt and lots of light fruity notes with a touch of tartness and grapefruity hops. Body starts with good fullness and some sticky caramel candy sweetness with a tart fruity balance before a more bitter, warming citric hoppy finish. Apart from the tartness, this would be another world-class barleywine from Alesmith.

From the Bottle at the Falling Rock Tap House, Denver 26/09/2009 Big malt aroma. Amber coloured and rich on the palate with some alcohol present. Malty with a creamy and slightly dry lasting finish.

750ml bottle. Thanks to Andrew for crackin this. Pours a murky red brown with a thin head. Doughy malt nose with caramel, toffee, and red fruit. Flavor has less of the malt focus and more on the fruit. With the tart sourness of the fruit, the flavors come out messy. Drinkable and not bad, but odd. This doesn’t seem like much of an English barleywine. Maybe some souring critters snuck in here and threw the whole thing off.

750ml. Pours murky amber with white head. Nose of caramel, slight cottn candy and nuts. Flavors of toffee, sour cherry, caramel, cotton candy. Odd for a barley wine but seems more like a yeast issue like fs collaborative evil.

750mL bottle. Poured rich, ruddy brown with an easily-resuscitated, tight-bubbled beige head. The aroma picked up brown sugar, toffee, and a decadent bouquet of ripe redder fruits, replete with seeds, meat, and tart skins.. honey and vanilla showed with warmth.. a bit too much apparent acidity, but still quite enticing. The flavor opened with tangy fruits skins, prickly alcohol, and dry, spicy yeast.. toffee, caramel and the aforementioned fruits anchor the core, and are complemented by a little blackstrap molasses and brown sugar.. finished with sour fruit skins and peppery alcohol. Heavier-bodied with tight, rolling carbonation on the palate.. the warmth was where I expected it considering the ABV.. the sourness wasn’t quite right, but it almost grew on me.

On tap at Hamilton’s in San Diego. Pours a deep dark brown color with a lasting one-finger tan head. Aroma is caramel malt and toffee, vanilla, dark fruit, and some mild tartness. Flavor is good, strong, and a little tart, with caramel and toffee, raisin and sweet cherry. Body is medium for a barleywine and there is a little tart acidic bite. ABV well hidden. Overall solid.

750ml bottle served in a Duvel tulip. Poured a dark amber with a finger of light tan head. Malty aroma with a slight sourness. Big full bodied beer. Lots of dark fruit. Unfortunately the sourness carried over in the flavor. I can’t tell whether there is an infection, but looking at other reviews, I’m not the only one getting this flavor. First Alesmith beer that I haven’t really enjoyed.