AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

Bottle courtesy of kmweaver. Pours a hazy, deep amber-orange with a creamy, beige head that reduces to a cap, leaving behind wispy lace. The nose is a nice, big, grapefruit front with a caramel backing and candy sugar coming in at the finish. If they made hop candy, this is what I imagine it would smell like. Medium-bodied and creamy, while on the tongue, the palate transitions to a lightly dry and lingeringly bitter finish. Huge grapefruit hops and a solid, malty caramel backing finish with a green, woody-dry conclusion that hints at a bit of spruce-like hops. This is a very nice beer. It certainly lived up to my expectations, and I will be keeping my eyes peeled for another bottle. Thanks again, Ken!

A: Same as the winter edition nice copper orange color with a big frothy bubbly head made up of lots of tiny bubbles. S: Lots of sweet malt coming right at you in the nose. The hops are there though and they let you know it. Tons of floral aromas with hints of pine sap. Very nice. T: Tastes as good as the winter variety but the hops are a bit in your face. The malt balance is wonderful and the sweet malt teams perfectly with the bitterness of the piney hops. I really like this one. M: Nice and thick coats the mouth and the stomach what more could you want. D: Very drinkable for a DIPA

Like walking through a pine forest with the limbs smacking you in the mouth. I don’t know what the description is talking about...It is pure pine. Murky yellow pour with lacing that you have to scrape off with a chisel. Very refreshing.

22 oz bottle. Summer 2008 edition. Pours a cloudy, golden, orange with a 3 cm dense white head that is slowly diminishing. Aroma of pine and citrus hops. Some kind of sweetness too in the aroma. Initial flavor is balanced between sweet, sour, and hoppy. At the end the hops dominate with a fierce bite that hangs around until your next sip. Medium body, heavy lacing, light carbonation, and a slight alcohol presence noted. Overall a very well done beer, but what beer from AleSmith isn’t?

Bottle from AllAboutStout. Pours hazy orange/yellow. Beautiful creamy, finger thick head. Nose is a wonderful blend of resin hops, pineapple and malt. Flavor is just as good as the aroma, with a sweetness of pineapple and malt, with a clean, dry, hoppy bitterness in the finish. Great brew.

bottle. pours a hazy gold peach with a medium white head that lingers at the edge and leaves a lot of thick lacing. big nose of pink flowers and grapefruit and bubble gum, mingled with a milkshake malt scent and a hint of alcohol. big flavor with citrus hops and maybe a small sprucey note that i didn’t pick up in the smell, again with a hint of alcohol. the malts come out really nicely in the flavor to give it a very nice double ipa balance, and there is tiny bit of a smoky flavor as taste fades to palate. finishes obviously big on the bitter, with just a touch of sweetness. medium bodied and quite carbonated with a slightly filmy mouthfeel. a good beer that got much better as it warmed a bit.

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.

Nice refreshing hop flavor. Caramel and pine hints. Aroma is floral and hoppy. Overall, this brew is nicely balanced. I can’t wait to try the winter release.