AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

Bottle: Pours an orange amber with a moderate sandy colored head. Nose is hoppy with citrus and florals, light sweetness. Flavor is crisp and hoppy, nice resiny citrus blend. Good malt presence. Decently hopped and overall very good, but I think the winter version wins the sibling rivalry. Thanks Jeremy!

Beautiful golden orange color with a huge, fluffy white head that hangs around a long time and leaves a heavy coating on the grass as it slowly recedes. Smells of pungent, bright fruit, lemon-lime and tangerine hops over sweet, mild malts. Tastes of bright citrus hops with little malt flavor but a pleasantly smooth, rich mouthfeel. The malt component emerges more on the finish, which is also marked by a lingering hop bitterness. They didn’t muck it up with a lot of specialty malts; it’s almost like a double version of AleSmith X. I live in San Diego and I’ve tasted some great DIPA’s; this is my favorite. It starts with the ridiculously thick foam that foreshadows the extremely rich texture; but in another sense it is light, in that it doesn’t have much toast/ caramel/ crystal malt flavor; it does have a touch of sweetness, which only seems to enhance the enjoyment of the hop bitterness. But it’s the smell that seals the deal - if you like citrus fruit bright hops more than piney-resin smells, this is for you. The bitterness is powerful but not quite in the ’I’ve got more IBU’ s thn you’ camp. A definite contender for my desert island brew.

full hop aroma--orange and pine--with some caramel in the background. this bottle a bit flat, almost no head, though the body is a beautiful clear amber. The flatness makes it seem quite heavy. Quite bitter, though well mannered, just barely, by the balance; definite alcohol presence & a little glow of malt way back there. slightly metallic finish.

Not much aroma but a ton of head. Quite hoppy. The bitterness dominates pretty much the whole way through, but that’s okay with me. Excellent.

My last review of this beer was foolish. This bottle is still not fresh (somehow very hard for me to find this fresh - this year was in NorCal for the fourth) but within weeks. Nose is a pleasing sort of grassy strawberry hop (not fervent berry, just not pine or resin). Color is a great glowing gold that’s hazy and even. Flavor is balanced, crisp, full of the aroma but with a sharper finish. If I ever have this on release day or -fuck my life - on CASK... this could approach Top 10 material.

Review #300 for me. Summer edition. A: Beautiful brilliant vermilion body with a bunch of visible carbonation. It is topped by a nice fluffy white head. The body has the slightest bit of cloudiness to it but is otherwise beautiful. S: Like a pine forest jammed into the glass. The aroma is primarily pine but is backed by caramel and some heavy malt. T: Just like the flavor, only more balanced. Pine is dominant but the malt backbone is strong enough to maintain a balanced beer. Some of the caramel is present and becomes more evident in the late aftertaste which leaves a nice caramel sweetness on the tongue. Bitterness is strong but not overwhelming. M: Very nice body for a DIPA. It’s on the heavy end without being too thick. I think that the piney hop aroma and bitterness make it seem a bit heavier than it really is. D: I’m more partial to the citrusy hops than the piney version but this is pretty good. Alcohol is hidden well.

Bottle. Malty and creamy aroma. Excellent malt and hops flavors. Creamy and buttery. Very well balanced with an even duration. Thanks to Bad Beer for this one.

Bottle at Toms Ultimate Glasgow Tasting: Poured a amber with white bubbles. Aroma is sweet fruit and hoppy. Taste was citrus and hops, burns a bit, however that burn is a pleasant one.