AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

I had no idea this was an IPA till after i had a few sips. I got tons of fruit in the aroma, peachs, apricots, some citrus. Pours a rich amber with huge white head. The flavor was so exciting. So much going on for an IPA, a lot of double ipa’s have just one intence hop character but this had so much complexity. I feel lucky to have shared in the bottle!

2006. Peach/orange colored pour. Dense, rolling white head, composed of miniscule white bubbles. From within these small orbs explode large bubbles. Great head retention, unrelenting, immovable. Aromas of apricot, honey, piney hop resin, narrowly escaping sugary maltiness. Smell so soft and supple. Taste confirms the aroma is not an illusion. Vicious malts seemingly overwhelmed by very agressive, spicy PNW hops. Earthy grapefruit, sharp acidity leading to a very dry finish. The alcohol is not well hidden, but this is a lovely treat nonetheless. Excellent.

I saved this one thinking for Xmas thinking it to be the winter one, but turns out it’s the summer! doh! Anyhow, this pours a a warm light golden brown with a relatively insignificant thin dense offwhite head. The nose is far from insignificant. Great big hops come out and bite me in the nose. Light sweet pale malts mix well with citrusy hops. In the mouth this is a nice creamy dream. Foaming up just right, but thick enough on its own anyways. A bit of alcohol warming, nice. The flavor is the star of the show in this beer, all else was prelude. A sumptuous marriage of sweet rich malt with aggressive hops. Light and sweet to slightly caramel malts with big in your face citrus to slightly piney and herbal hops. The finish really gets you on the sides of the tongue and down in the back with the bitterness, while the sweetness is still obvious. The aftertaste is the big hops with hints of vanilla. This beer finds balance in a territory of sweetness where most brews are off kilter. A really nice beverage, if only I could get it locally! Update: January 11, 2008. I had another bottle. Less impressed this time. Hops were more subdued. The malt stood out a bit more. I guess this is what you expect from an IIPA with age on it. It wasn’t bad, don’t get me wrong, but it was different. I think with another year on it... it could have been lovlier. I’m leaving my rating unaltered for now.

It smells very hoppy, with some citrus fruits and metallic. It tastes very similar with a dry and bitter finish and medium body. Its also very sweet, almost a caramel sweetness. There is definitely some alcohol in there, noticeable in the flavor more than the aroma.

thanks to pailhead for sharing . Pours a pale copper very nice white foamy head. Aromas of spices yeast citrus followed by a nice whiff of hops. Mellow hop appeal I’m not sure on the date of this one seemed to mellow vwry niclely some hints of spice with a mild hint of earthyness.

22 Oz Bottle. An old familiar friend leaps from the glass, Cascade hops. Backed up by some other pals and a toothsome glow of sweet oranges and persimmons. Sultry, sophisticated and delightful. Pours a clear, pale amber, fringed with a nice off-white lace. On the tongue, a pink peppercorn glow, with copious resin, hard biting citrus pine and long lasting white fir needles. Malt gets swept under the rug, in preparation for a true hop fanfare, however, it’s bit planty and coarse to me, with some heavily biting and edges and swift kick of hot alcohols. There’s a peculiar amalgamation of bright pales fruits and dripping resonation saps. Excruciatingly dry, leaving and almost unpleasant wasp of pine nectar coating the tongue. I’m struggling with this summer version, it doesn’t work as well for me. This needs more malts, less bitterness and a more congealed alcohol presence. Lots of spice and pepper, however uniform. A nip of bready yeast cruises in at the backend.

22 oz bottle acquired from Hair, thanks! Amber with a medium off white head. Aroma is citrus and caramel malts. Taste is caramel and sweet malts, with alot of citrus to back it up, a moderate amount of bitterness. well balanced and very enjoyable.

Pours chilled as a murky dull orange with a nice fluffy sticky white head with great lace. Aroma is a bit dirty and yeasty, but lot sof american hops like cent and cascade- citrus, light pine, and earthy tones. Good bitter ho flavor with orangey citrus, pine, sticky pine sap, yeast, dirty sweet malts, and more dirt and earth. Carbonation was a bit high as well. Perhaps a bit old since this was pbviously made for the summer 06 release and it is now winter, but I wasnt as impressed as I thought I would be.