AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

’04 batch, bottle-conditioned, not aged, bottle straight from the brewery. Piney, citrusey, and some darker flavor I can’t figure out; crisp, clean, dry finish, little aftertaste... it’s easy to drink and disappears quickly. I’ve had this on cask, and I don’t remember it being different. Definitely one of my favorite beers. Don’t miss this one. Not challenging like Stone’s Ruination (another great IIPA) this was easy to drink (like Double Bastard). I gave samples to two persons who "don’t like beer" and they liked it.

2005 summer edition on cask @ O’Briens... damn near one of the best beers i have ever had! Smooth like butter on the palate with hints of carmel and a very slight spicyness in the aftertaste. I still can’t believe how good this beer is, both in the bottle and on cask!

Bottle, summer release. Wow, I’m not sure if I’ve ever have been this excited about the appearance! Pours a bright hazy orange color with this awesome, creamy frothy light tan head that retains amazingly well. The aroma is piney, citrusy, with some caramel malt and some alcohol. This beer is really very tastey...a perfect balance between the pine/grapefuit notes and the caramel malt. The mouthfeel is creamy,malty,and warm...with a nice amount of hop bitterness providing a bittersweet warming brew. I would like to a fresher batch of this to see how much more hop punch there may be...just so I have an excuse to buy more of this wonderful brew.

Bomber consumed at Stone Bistro because it topped the draft offerings the day I was there. Pours a dull hazy orange with off white head. The aroma has a sweet sugary maltiness mixed with juicy pine and some citrus hops. Not nearly as pungent as the winter version. The mouth feel is thick and chewy with a plentiful bounty of pine and grapefruit hoppiness that mixes brilliantly with a river of malty sweetness. Toward the finish the hops seem to split into bitter pine hops and grapefruit hops as well as sweet orange juice. Easily quaffable.

Tasted with OhioGuzzler and side-by-side with YuleSmith (Winter)... The Summer Yulesmith is orange in color with a huge pale yellow head. The aroma unmistakedly pineapple and is so rich and full, that it just rolls out of the glass as its poured and you can smell it from an arm’s length away! Flavor is sweet, orange, and slight alcohol, with a great hop bitterness throughout. Perfect mouthfeel and carbonation. This beer is great, but a bit young. I bet it would be awesome with a year or so of age to let the bitterness and sweetness meld some more. 22 oz bottle (2006, 8.5% alcohol), $8.99 at Dilly Deli.

Pours a murky orange brown with a huge off-white head. Big grassy hop aroma. Flavor of citrus and pepper fill the mouth. Starts with the perfect amount of bitterness and end slightly malty. Dry finish. Alesmith does it again.

On draft at O’briens. Dead on in flavor for me. Another A++ beer for Alesmith. Re-rate bottle 22 oz. This is an awesome example of what I think a Double IPA should be. Grapefruit and a strong hop presence in the taste. Awesome brew!

650 mL bottle. Deep golden amber with a big fluffy white head. Good hoppy earthy aroma of grapefruit, pine, malt and yeast. Thick creamy palate. Sweet malty caramel taste to back up the huge complex taste of mixed fruit - orange, banana, peach, and pear, with a pine taste and a sweet floral lingering finish. Damn good.