AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

Multiple tastings, finally entering notes from a fresh bottle tasting. Amber pour. Big citrus and florally hop aroma, with some malt aroma to back it up. Big hoppy flavors with a big sweet caramel malty backbone. Good balance and appropriate body. From notes on an aged bottle: a lot less hoppy aroma, as to be expected. Drink this as fresh as possible, and store cold.

Thank you so much Tom/After4ever for this treat! It’s warm golden with a huge, nice and creamy head. the aroma has notes of spruce, fruits (citrus and papaya among others). The flavour is smooth with a delicious caramel foundation and a pleasant bitterness wit notes of spruce, fruits, citrus and papaya - it’s very delicious!!

#600 - 22 oz bomber summer Christmas In July 2005 edition - Pours copper and fairly transparent with a nice 3 inch rocky tan head that stays well and laces better. Aroma is a beautiful mix of grapefruit, lemon, pine, a touch of yeast, and some nice pepper spice. Flavor is a beautiful blend of grapefruit, over caramel malts, with a nice spicey pepper finish. Palate is amazingly smooth and balanced. Crisp clean finish. Creamy mouthfeel with no trace of the alcohol to be found. This is a fine crafted IIPA and delicious too. #600

Bottle thanks to a couple people. Poured a slightly hazy, fiery orange with a thick cap of beige head. Aroma began with sticky grapefruit resin and a bit of an alcohol bite (almost felt like it was catching on my nose hairs and issuing a slow burn)... pine and buttered tofee follow closely behind along with a pleasant aire of floral... heavy, complex, and engaging.
The flavor begins with slow, rolling bitter pine and toffee notes.. supportive and very tasty caramel base.. lots of grapefruit meat as well as bitterness.. floral notes and an expanded lighter fruit bouquet open up with warmth. Heavily-bodied, but not quite syrupy... flavors flow well with great balance between bitterness, base, and alcohol warmth. Woo!

Whew, what a beer!! A work of art is more like it really. How they make something so incredibly hoppy and drinking is a true art. This beer just explodes with hops, asserting itself right from the start. Resinous pine sap, juicy grapefruits abound. The malts are there and they do a nice job of keeping things from getting unbalanced, but nor do they detract from the hop delivery. Appearance is a orangish/amber color, hazy with a nice two finger thick head with some great lasting power. Flavors are piney, earthy, slightly spicy and sweet. A phenomenal beer.

Bright orange color with a sweet tan head and clingy nice glass lacing. The citrusy grapefruit aroma and spicy nose is very evident. More malty spiciness comes through as you breathe the aromas in deeply. The flavor is big hoppy grapefruit with some piney flavors. A slight pleasing sourness develops after the swallow. Very smooth even body.

Wow - what a great beer. Big grapefruity hops on the nose and even more on tongue. Slightly piney and the perfect amber/copper color for an IPA. Highly recommended.

Another big thanks to Shigadeyo for trading this one to me. Pours a hazy darkish golden orange with a small head. The aroma is mind numbing. Huge pineapple and grapefruit, malts, and mild florals. Flavor is big bitter hops, pine, malts and more bitter hops. This is a big sticky hoppy mess and I am loving every bit of it.