AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale

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

Summer 2006 Version- Now this is a IIPA. Never noticed vanilla in the aroma of a IIPA, but (as the descriptor says) this one does have a vanilla nose. Grassy, flowery aroma. Biscuity, malty background w/ loads of hops. Finish is dry w/ a mild alcohol spiciness.

The biggest prize from my trip to California. Pours a hazy orange colour. I had a bit of a cold, but I could still smell a a lot of citrusy hops in the nose. Very well balanced for an IIPA. Fantastic taste of grapefruit followed by pine, then mellowing out as I can taste the malt backbone. Well crafted beer.

2004 bottle. Pours a rich amber color with a thick head of clinging lace. Aroma is hops and grapefruit. Flavor is hops, grapefruit, melon, hops, flower, hops, and hops. Mouthfeel is thick and coating. A nice IPA that accentuates the hops even more as it warms. Rerate, courtesy of Zinister. Thanks!
2007 bottle. Flavor is much more cohesive, with notes of pine and grapefruit making an appearance (the aforementioned absent from my first sampling). A very full and synergistic effort. GREAT IPA!

This amber ale poured with a generous off-white head eliciting a strong malty aroma. There was a slightly sweet malty initial flavor with an intense bitter hoppy finish with floral hints. This was a very nice brew indeed.

Bomber from SecretSanta. Opened this one to celebrate the real opening of the football season. Great looking, orange with a beautiful fluffy head that never went away. The aroma is enough to scare away the weak at heart, a ton of hops, but they mingle nicely with vanilla, caramel, oak and little bit o honey. Of course the dry hoppiness dominates the palate but a slight tingle from the vanilla and the oak makes for an interesting and full mouthfeel. After a bit, the orange peel comes out a bit more. Despite the dryness, it goes down remarkably smooth. Thanks again Secret Santa!

Review #300 for me. Summer edition. A: Beautiful brilliant vermilion body with a bunch of visible carbonation. It is topped by a nice fluffy white head. The body has the slightest bit of cloudiness to it but is otherwise beautiful. S: Like a pine forest jammed into the glass. The aroma is primarily pine but is backed by caramel and some heavy malt. T: Just like the flavor, only more balanced. Pine is dominant but the malt backbone is strong enough to maintain a balanced beer. Some of the caramel is present and becomes more evident in the late aftertaste which leaves a nice caramel sweetness on the tongue. Bitterness is strong but not overwhelming. M: Very nice body for a DIPA. It’s on the heavy end without being too thick. I think that the piney hop aroma and bitterness make it seem a bit heavier than it really is. D: I’m more partial to the citrusy hops than the piney version but this is pretty good. Alcohol is hidden well.

Rerate from a bottle. Nice balanced aroma, with a solid malt and hop presence. Flavor was just as well balanced and really tasty. Just going to drop my rating by .1 On tap at Stone. Poured a copperish color, pretty good sized head. Flavor was really good, with lots of citrus, grapefruit, and floral. Hops strong but not overpoweringly distracting. Very good.

Bomber. Pours a crystal clear amber with 2 finger rocky cream head and tons of carbonation. Nose is ripe citrus, malt and pine needles. Palate is sweet malt upfront followed by a puckering yellow grapefruit bite with a bitter resin finish. Medium mouth feel with nice lacing. Great DIPA.