AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
San Diego, California USA

Bottle, shared. Pours a cloudy golden/orange color with a lingering white head. Aroma is heavy pine and citrus hops, with sweetness in the form of malt faintly detectable on the nose. Taste is an EXPLOSION of hops that nevertheless remains balanced throughout, with pine and malt notes thrown in as well. The alcohol remained very well-hidden. Beers like this are the reason it bothers me that I can’t find AleSmith in New York - this is a total home run.

Wow, hop bomb! insane amounts of hops, but super juicy hops alos. Such a lovely wuenching beer. And very well balanced, one of the better DIPA’s out there.

22 oz bottle. Summer 2008 edition. Pours a cloudy, golden, orange with a 3 cm dense white head that is slowly diminishing. Aroma of pine and citrus hops. Some kind of sweetness too in the aroma. Initial flavor is balanced between sweet, sour, and hoppy. At the end the hops dominate with a fierce bite that hangs around until your next sip. Medium body, heavy lacing, light carbonation, and a slight alcohol presence noted. Overall a very well done beer, but what beer from AleSmith isn’t?

Thanks to kegbear for this bomber. Pours golden orange with perfect thin white head that stays for the entire brew. Aroma is big with floral hops, citrus, sweet malts and a touch of pine. Flavor is unbelievable with big floral and citrus hops, sweet malts, pine and a smidge of suger. Nice lacing and exactly what I hoped for from this west coast hop bomb. Perfectly balanced Double IPA. What else is there to same about this terrific brew.

Finally, a contender against HOTD Blue Dot. A 22 oz bottle from Liquor Warehouse in Huntington Beach, CA. Pours a thick white head and clear amber body. Aroma is killer with hops. Amazing balance between bitters and malt at first, followed by soothing finish.

Bomber. Mostly clear pour with a dark golden color below a thin even layer of white head. Nice clean, aggressive, peppery citric hop aroma propped up a tad by a light alcohol presence. Taste packs a wallop of hop bitterness, evens out a bit, then finishes with a lot of citric rinds. Strong tasting without being harsh. Very nice.

bomber. Pours a clear, pale yellow with a fluffy white head. Nose is strong witha mix of citrus and pine. Taste is citrus and oh so delicious. Mouthfeel is medium with carbonation and a bitter finish. Very impressed with this. This is one of my favorite IIPAs.

2nd bomber... wow, what a couple weeks gives this brew. Deep rich carmel corn salt hops, really has it all, slight snip of bitter on the finish. Acidity, hopps that almost encase the brew and will allow 2 years of cellaring. A WOW nose. Mid and finish are very nice also. I under rated this the 1st time, or like a couple other brews, Sculpin to point out 1, this is getting better in bottle and very quickly. That nose is a show stopper. Not sure if brews experience "bottle shock" like a wine does, but those having this shipped to them... Please Please wait for a couple weeks before opening one. Maybe the best aroma from a beer and close to the best wine, I’ve ever experienced. Wow Wow Wow is all I can think with a little bit of "out of control", is how good this brew is right now.