AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
San Diego, California USA

Pours deep red with rich brown-tan head. Lots of caramel, toffee, and earthy-herbal tea notes in the aroma, then citrus and pine hoppiness take over as the brew warms. Also some slight whiskey notes apparent from residual sugars. Lots of nice malt balance in the flavor; some herbal tea, biscuit, caramel and toffee, with pine and citrus at the finish. Really well balanced. Full, sticky palate.

Pours a very hazy reddish brown with tan-tinted head. Aroma is a chipotle/orange dark chocolate bar with nutty malt undertones. Flavor is very earthy/grassy notes with pine hues. There are mild notes of a citrus flavor present. Flavors of orange granola. Body is light with heavy carbonation. A very well done beer for this style. It is very enjoyable.

Bottle. Pours a deep hazy red brown color. Flavor is smooth roasted malt backround, some fruity esters, bread and ripe fruit, followed by a large hop wallop, big west coast grapefruit citric hops. Full bodied, creamy on the palate. Wow, this is a damn fine beer.

Thanks to Boltz7555 for the bottle. Pours a hazy dark orange with a thick creamy head. Huge dominant citrus pine grass aroma. taste is nice hop earthy citrus pine with a smooth spicy hop body that make this a joy to drink. Very resiny and an incredible easy to drink beer for the high abv.

2008 Winter bomber poured into a tulip. First off, this is one of the best looking beers I have ever seen. It pours a deep, clear copper with a huge creamy head that lingers as a cap for the duration. Sheets of lacing coat the glass from top to bottom. Beautiful. The aroma has tons of pine resin up front with hints of grass and citrus as well. The malts aren’t messing around either with lots of caramel sweetness underneath the dominant pine hops. The taste has lots of complexity with a very strong caramel malt base with tons of hops on top. There is a citrus hop kick up front but with a lot of pine hops in the finish. The mouthfeel is sticky with sweetness and pine hop resin and has lots of carbonation that tickles the palate. This is another great beer from AleSmith and very, very drinkable.

Pours to a hazy, dark copper with a one finger, tan head. Nose is hops, citrus and malt. This is much more complex than I would have thought. It’s sweet, creamy, hoppy, and warming while maintaining a very nice balance. This is an excellent brew worth looking forward to every year.

Poured from a 22oz bomber and served in a snifter. This beer poured a slightly cloudy, dark copper red with a thick, rocky tan head. Amazing retention and lacing. The aroma consisted of fresh pine, citrus, and rich caramel. Hoppy and malty sweet. The flavor included chewy caramel, fresh citrus, light pine, brown sugar, and just a hint of dark chocolate. Nice interplay between the malt and hops creating a good balance. The alcohol is hidden very well. The mouthfeel was full-bodied and slightly sticky. Light carbonation. Big and bold, but quite drinkable. Nice beer.

Looks just perfect with a deep frothy white head and a dark color pour with active carbonation in my Sam Adams Sensory glass. Smells good but not as outstanding as the profile would have lead me to believe. Taste is similar in profile to a barleywine. Mouth is pretty thick. Overall this is another winner from Alesmith.