AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

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

Bottle from craig! Nice dark amber color, BIG white frosty head. Good lacing. Smell is hops and some sweet spices. Flavor is hops, malt and a small hint of vanilla. Quite smooth, good thickness to it. My first AleSmith and a good one!

Bottle. [Courtesy of wetherel]. Clear medium amber red color with a large, frothy - creamy, good lacing, mostly - fully lasting, beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, moderate to heavy hoppy, grape - pine, orange. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. ;o)) (080208)

Bottle. I was really surprised to see this in NYC, and at the Bowery Whole Foods... Garnet red pour with a thick, cream colored head. Really sweet smelling, but not overly so. Piney hops, citrus. Considerable toffee/caramel malt presence also. Little bit of alcohol comes through. Smells great. Really well balanced with a great hoppy finish. Vanilla on the front. Great beer, arguably the best ASA I’ve had to date.

In short: Wonderful rich caramel and american citrusy/resinous hops. This to me is a IIPA and a fantastic one.
How: Bottle 22oz, about 3 months old. Bottle received from Secret Festivus dude, thanks a lot whoever you are.
The look: Partly cloudy copper body with a large beige head
In long: Nose has a lot of caramel and grapefruit. Taste is rich and smooth caramel perfectly balanced by citrusy and resinous pine-tree hops. The bitter finish is sharp and a little citric when cold but smoothens out as the beer warms up. No alcohol presence whatsoever, drinks itself like a 5%. Lively carbonation. The flavour spectrum is nothing groundbreaking but the execution is top-notch. This is a highly drinkable tasty beer. To me the Winter YuleSmith is not quite as enjoyable as a fresh Summer one but they are both among my favourite American hop-fix. I can’t never get enough of these two. Note to AleSmith’s brewer: there are also these things called Spring and Autumn, now get to work.

NorCal Feb ’08 - Insane. Yep. Completely insane. This beer is so damned drinkable, you’ll be lying on the floor in no time after a few of these. The succulent hop aroma is resting squarely on the shoulders of a huge malt presence which makes it just almost perfect. Citrus comes out loud and clear, with the caramel smoothness keeps it all chugging along. Appearance is a clear, copper in color with a beautiful thick creamy head. Flavor is amazingly refreshing with a strong resinous hop punch to the tastebuds and then the smooth caramel flavor calms it all down. Just an outstanding beer. Damn, I wish I could get this in Northern Cali.

Thanks bmartin. Pours a pretty hazy red with a ridiculous head. Man its absurd. Four fingers thick, creamy, tan. The nose is really nice, sweet, caramel, spicy and piny hops, some alcohol. The flavor is very big, very rich, sweet caramel malts are balanced well with spicy hops, citrusy grapefruit peel, a little hot from the alcohol, dry. Very nice and full mouthfeel. Warming palate that leaves waxy citrus peel at the side of the tongue.

The color was a deep ruby. The head was very thick and frothy. The aroma was citris, hops, alcohol, and light pine. The flavor was alcohol, caramel malt, hops, waxy/bitter, and citris. The palate was very thick bodied. The finish was hoppy.

Loving this one. Always into the imperial reds, and the bottled conditioning is a bonus. Pours nice dark hazy red-orange with generous creamy off-white head that sits around for awhile. Great balance of malt and hops. Slight floral notes, nice fruits and caramel malt. Somewhere between a double IPA and a barley wine. Wonderful.