AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

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.

Pours a slightly hazy deep orange amber. Tall frothy white head. Spicy and floral hop aromas with evident malty sweetness as well. Some malt sweetness in the nose, followed by pungent spicy hop character. Big bitterness that bleeds into a cloying astringency. Finish is a malty heaviness with residual floral hop tones. Mouthfeel is on the heavy side of medium, rather sticky.

Dark amber-orange body with a fluffy tan head. Citrusy hop nose. Great hop flavor through and through. Really nice thick maple and carmel malt taste helping to tame those hops just right. Alcohol flavor is hidden very well while being followed up with a nice warming in the finish. Most Incredible Brew!!

650ml bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy copper orange, with a frothy-sudsy head that dissipates slowly. Aroma was all citrus with grapefruit, oranges and lemons. Flavor was hops forward with oranges, thyme, walnuts, and grapefruit. Mouthfeel was creamy, silky and smooth with good carbonation. Finish is medium in duration, dry and very clean with just a slight biter hoppy aftertaste. Overall this is superbly well crafted beer that quenches thirst well.

Poured a hazy burnt orange color with a HUGE foamy white head that settled with funky hill in the middle of the glass and laced the sides. Powerful smells of pine and grapefruit from far away. Closer to the glass the nose reflects lemons, spice and grass. Fairly heavy and syrupy mouthfeel, with some lasting sweetness easing the lasting bitterness of the hops. Flavor is very well rounded with heavy flavor of orange, lemon, grapefruit and pine but also a distinct malt sweetness of candy, cornbread and biscuit. I think the beauty of this IIPA is in the subtlety of it. Strong aromas and flavors don’t really overpower your palate, instead they combine for a very drinkable but strong brew.

Dark cherry red-orange color, lasting white head, lots of chunks in the glass (yes, I pour it all in). Orange all over the nose, very creamy and smooth on the palate with fresh bitter hops on top of all this. Wonderful.

bottle thanks to squidget. this 22 oz-er poured a beautiful dark amber with a foamy head that simply sat on top of the beer without disappearing. mild aroma as far as IIPAs go, but still very invigorating. citrusy grapefruit and lemon (like an herbal tea?), and yet plenty of malt that asserted itself to make sure that the aroma was not out of balance. absolutely perfect blend of malt and hops; drinking this beer is like a mouth orgasm. despite the fact that where i live is stout-ville and that i’ve never met a stout i didn’t like, the west coast makes IPAs that are practically to-die-for!

Dark amber color...cloudy, with a frothy tan head. The aroma was wonderful...bready, citrusy, floral tones. The flavor was full of bitter citrus tones and floral tones. The feel was very crisp, not too thick...dry finish. Thanks Odeed!