AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

Orange-copper with small head. Spritzy big hoppy beauty with a nice balance of citrus, caramel, pine. Profile reminds me of some nice Green Flash hoppy brews...beautiful West Cost hop monsters.

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.

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.

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.

Rerate. 22oz bottle, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a bright, clear yellowish-orange color; pillowy yellow head with fantastic retention and lacing; a gorgeous pour. Dense, resiny and fresh citrus / piney hop aroma; very light malty presence behind. Full, resiny mouthfeel: very dense hop presence with a good viscosity from hop oils and a chewy, earthy maltiness; a generous beer. Lengthy, maple syrup and earthy malt finish; citrus and herbs. 8.5.8.4.16=4.1.

Original rating: 22oz bottle, courtesy of gears81. Thanks, Jake! Pours a clear, light golden-orange appearance with an off-white head. Plenty of citrus hops and alcohol in the aroma: lemon and grapefruit. Huge, resiny mouthfeel: plenty of fruity bitterness, balanced by a candy sugar backdrop; ideal levels of carbonation, lively but drinkable; hugely textured, dank, and balanced. One of the best double IPAs I’ve had, and much more enjoyable (for me) than its Winter counterpart - better restrained and less hot than many of the stronger Alesmith beers. Long, bitter, resiny finish. 7.4.9.5.18=4.3.

Bottled. I think this is a summer release of the Holiday Ale. It’s huge and very complex. There is so much flavor and huge hop that it’s like a tap dance explosion on my tongue! Thick creamy head, hugely bitter and certainly not for the whimpy lite sissy yellow beer drinker. This one is for serious beer pros only.

Very tastey beer. Needs to be drank very cold or the alcohol taste is overwelming. Watch out this stuff will knock you on your ass. Tough to discribe taste,Kind of flowery with a thick fruity taste.