AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

WOOO super piney with strong citrus greeting to my nose. Dense copper hue with a whirlwind of sediment and a thick fluffy head leaving behind a share amount of lacing. Flavor bursts of grapefruit citrus, floral, pine, spices, and some scotch kick from the alcohol. This double IPA should be available all year round but then a new creation for christmas would have to be made. Just a suggestion.

Thanks TampaBrew for the share. Pours hazy yellow with a white head and noticeable sediment. Nose is caramel, orange, citrus, lemon, loquat, and peach. Flavor is same with lingering floral hops and citrus bite. Medium-bodied and summer in a bottle. Bitter, but nice malt backbone. Malty, but enough hops to make it noteworthy.

2007 bottle. This one pours a hazy golden yellow with a big fluffy white head that lingers forever leaving big globs of lacing. This is a beautiful looking beer. The aroma is big on citrus hops up front with grapefruit and oranges but also a noticeable pine hop scent as well. There is a faint caramel malt scent as well but the hops are the star in this one. The taste mirrors the aroma with a huge citrus hop kick up front, mainly grapefruit. This gives way temporarily to a more bready malt backbone before the pine hops kick in and give a nice bitter finish that lingers for a while. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and sticky with hop oils. It just coats the mouth with hoppy goodness. This is an extremely drinkable DIPA and is another great offering from AleSmith who rarely, if ever, disappoint. Probably a top 5 DIPA in my book.

22 oz bottle: Pours a perfect honey amber hue. Lofty billowing peach coloured head, mostly lasting, leaving sheets of lace. Nose of apricots, vanilla, cherry, big citrus, perfumey, floral radiant hops. Chewy pale malts provide firm structered backbone for a total onslaught of hops from every direction. Alcohol is evident in dry warming finish. All grapefruit, pine, sticky lingering hops. Quite a nice brew I say. Thank you ALeSmith for rockin your brews out east hey!

Cloudy gold pour with a small white head. Aroma of orange and various sharp citrus fruits. Flavor is spicy and earthy with pine and grapefruit hops dominating. Great beer.

Bottle. Poured an orange/amber color with a thin off-white head that leaves light lacing. Nice hoppy aroma of citrus and pines backed with caramel malts. The flavor follows much the same. Moderate bitterness. Medium body. Well balanced and enjoyable. (Rating from June ’07)

Nice sweet aroma. Slightly cloudy yellow with decent head. Very balanced but lots of hops still. Really good imperial IPA. Alesmith continues to impress.

Hoppy aroma with some floral aspects. The beer pours out a deep golden brown color with a medium tan head. The palate is very full and coats your mouth. Tons of big hop flavor right up front gives way to a huge malt bill.