AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

Small head, golden color. Full hop aroma. Body is strong and malty. A big hop flavor as you would expect, but I’m not put off by the bitterness. Finish is alcoholic, slightly bitter and a little roasty. Warming. A very approachable and balanced beer. Worthy of its high rating.

Bottle. A hazy amber color with an off-white head. A fresh grassy hop flavor with strong pine (almost mint-like). A smooth and delightful dance on the palate despite the intense hops. Amazingly easy to drink despite the imperial IPA status.

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!

Bottle. Pours to a nice hazy caramel/copper colored body with a tall foamy white head. The aroma is quite fruity with lemons and grapefruit taking the forefront. Flaked barley malts. The flavor is extremely malty. Barley, granola, some bitter oily hops. The palate is really full. Balanced oily/resiny hops and a rich mouthfeel. Pretty damn good.

Explosion of pineapple and tropical fruits out of the glass. Flavors are sticky-sweet fruits underscored with a tiingly pineyness. Superb.

The commercial description of this beer is very accurate. The orangish copper body poured very clean and clear, and the just gently off-white head seemed to continue billowing up after I had stopped pouring. Very good retention on the head, but I’m not sure that is nessecarily a plus, lots of lacing. The first sip is very floral tasting, bitter, and caused a warm dry sensation in my mouth. Alcohol is very prevalent. The hops jump out stronger and stronger with every sip and really build a unique taste on ones pallate. I gave the pallate the lowest percent rating out of all of the categories because of the warm dry sensation. It does make you want more and more, and I found it hard to just sit back and enjoy. It was the only beer I had that night and I finished the whole bottle in about ten minutes. (Fast for me). This beer stands very strong as far as double IPAs go. Its unique, complex, and does not let you down. Snaps for alesmith!!! On a sad note, the night I had this my friends were all celebrating a good friend of mine’s birthday and drinking Yulesmith on cask and Barrel Aged Speedway Stout. It brings a tear to my eye.

Thanks to CMUBEERMAN. Bottle. Pours hazy orange gold, off white head. Aroma is caramel, citrus, floral, hops. Flavor is the same with spicing: caraway and rye. Excellent.

Thanks to footbalm for the bottle. Apricot orange in color with small lacing type head. Smells citrusy like oranges, melons, and apricots. Nice firm body with a smooth mouthful. The flavor was a citus hop explosion that lingers. As this beer warms alcohol is detected, but it’s minimal. Well balanced and lush, this is a wonderful brew.