AleSmith Speedway Stout

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
San Diego, California USA

750mL bottle from John’s Marketplace (Portland). Pours Jet black with about 3 finger mocha bubbly head. Great lacing and the head lingers long into the pour. Aroma hits the nose with deep dark roasted molasses, with chocolate and coffee coming through strong as well. Touch of earthiness and dark fruit (raisin). As it warms, much more deep dark chocolate comes out. Very full-bodied, only a touch of sweetness. Then, a pleasantly bitter coffee comes bursting through. This fantastic espresso mocha finish stays long on the tongue and makes me want more. Very drinkable imperial stout.

750 mL bottle from South Bay Drugs (purchased February 2009; rated September 2009). Thick, black pour with a beautiful, bubbly tan head. Aroma of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of booze. Wonderful coffee flavor. Creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol surprisingly non-existent for such a high ABV beer. Beer is easy to rate when it’s this good.

Bottle from Hi-Time. Opened this one up at a labor day weekend cookout. Pours pitch black and thick, like motor oil, with a nice brown head and decent retention for such a high abv brew. The aroma is big roast, coffee and molasses. Creamy, semi-sticky sweet, but little in the way of an alcohol sting, and moderate bitterness. Flavors show vanilla, molasses, dashes of chocolate with the obvious big hefty coffee roast. Full-bodied. Not hard to drink for a 12% Imperial Stout. There are other Imperial Stouts I like more than this one but clearly this is very well made and overall quite good.

Source: 750 mL from KnB Appearance: Black as night, pours viscous with 2 fingers of a beautiful dark brown head. Aroma: Holy coffee and roast. Really enjoyable. Flavor: Tons of coffee and chocholate, with more roast. The finish tastes like a really strong pot of coffee. Palate: Smooth like velvet. The pure viscosity of the beer gives it a fantastic mouthfeel. Overall: Pretty darn good Imperial Stout.

750 ml. Jet black with a lasting disc of foam. Nose is Play-Doh, coffee, fruity oats, and chocolate caramel candy bar. Flavor is similar, with more coffee and mesquite char on the drying finish. Well-hidden 12%. Heavy body is velvety smooth and slightly sticky.

One of the best stouts that I’ve ever had. Chocolate, roasted malt, light coffee and more blend smoothly and nearly perfectly to create a really incredible beer. It’s dark as night with a small mocha cap. The aroma is a bit lighter than the flavor, but it’s still excellent. The mouthfeel is smooth and luxurious without ever showing its weight. I’m shocked that this beer is anywhere near 12% abv. It’s a real treat. I dearly wish that it was more readily available.

Whoa this is nuts. Aroma is a hint of sourness, roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, prunes/raisins, hints of cooked and oatmeal, and so much more. Flavor hints on a great malty sweet and sour with a roasty malt lingerness with touches of coffee that add just the right amount (not gross overuse of coffee like some), and so much more! Yum!

Thanks Mark for the hookup! They didn’t have this in Oregon, so this is much appreciated. 750 ml bottle; Liquid Sunshine VIII! Anyways, Nice big black body, and nice huge chocolate head. Very nice looking beer, but not as viscous like as I thought it would be. One of the freshest coffee aromas that I have ever had. I can’t begin to tell you. Not as pungent as I thought it would be. Not much of a sweet aroma either, but there is a subtle chocolate-malt sweetness in the background. Coffee is what stands out the most to me. I can’t believe how fresh that coffee taste is. Heavy coffee roast flavor that is really good. Best thing about the beer is the flavor. Slight alcohol burn, but nothing substantial. Subtle chocolate flavor comes through. Finally, I get to try the Speedway. Best coffee flavor in a beer that I have ever had.