AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

Pours orange, with a large, tan head. Aroma is citrusy hops, fruit, and spices. Flavor is hops, both citrus and pine. malt, caramel, and fruit, too. Pretty good balance. Body on the heavy side. Thanks to WeeHeavySD for this bottle.

Well after hearing about the summer YuleSmith over a year ago and buying a bottle i thought all along it was the same brew as the winter ale. When did they start to classify them as seperate beers? Anyways, this winter bottle produces a dark burnt orange with very fluffy topping of head. Aroma is a stinky socks type of smell that Fat Tire has but this ale isn’t as stinky. Has minimum amount of hop scent and big background of malt and sweets. The drink is a rich flavor of sweet sugars used and semi dark malt and just the right touch of hop. Very heavy and well balanced.

Sampled at the Knoxville tasting courtesy of Shigadeyo, thanks Craig. I have been wanting to try this one for a really long time, ever since it got split into new ratings. I never knew this was a different beer until then. Pours out a dark redish color with a light yellow colored head. Smell is hoppy, fruity, sweet, and pine needles. Taste is smooth and rich and slightly bitter, but not too much. Very rich and flavorful. Reminds me of a double bastard quite a bit, but smoother. Great shit here.

Brownish orange. Very sweet, caramelly aroma, mixed ith a woodys, resiny smell. Very smooth. The first flavor is juicy, sweet malts, with big citrusy notes - oranges, lemons - then a sticky, resiny finish. Really enjoyable.

Clear reddish-amber color topped by rich, frothy head. Nose of bubble gum, cotton candy, citrus rind, and resiny pine needles. Full-bodied maltiness and warming alcohol balanced by lingering bitterness. Slick caramel and citrusy hops. Minerally, dry finish. A maltier take on the San Diego Pale Ale.

Pours a medium amber with a huge fluffy tan head. Great lacing on the glass. Aromas of Berries and grapefruit. Flavors of dark fruits, citrus fruits, spices, and hops. Very well balance with a nice alcohol warming. Mouth feel is full and dry. Awesome ale. Thank you AleSmith.

This is an amazingly well balanced BIG BEER. Bright copper in color with a Huge, rocky beige head that coats the glass rather than laces it, it has a strong grapefruit/pine/floral hop aroma countered by caramel and toffee from the malts. The first taste is a serious bitterness, kind of like chewing on a hop flower, but this is quickly followed by a rush of caramel and bready malt flavors. Add to this a hit of citric fruitiness and a mild alcohol burn, and you have an artful blending of flavors sure to satisfy most serious beer drinkers... especially the hopheads in the crowd. The finish is dry and lingeringly bitter. We need AleSmith distributed in Chicago!

Moved from the YuleSmith (Summer) where it was egregiously placed at the time of the split. I just picked up a YuleSmith Summer Imperial Pale Ale, so I’ll be "re-rating" that anon.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=837>Liquid Solutions, Portland OR<font size=-1>

22oz Bottle: Pours a beautiful deep hazy amber/purplish with a consistant creamy tan head. Very fruity aroma, it’s full of fruity hops. Lemony, sherbert like with smooth and sweet resins. Loads of hops in the flavor also. Has a smooth lemony fruityness. In the beginning it’s slightly sweet and sherbert like fruityness, with subtle apricot notes. Chewy malts, with a roasty rye bread hint hold the body up perfectly. Tons of pine needles, with more grapefruity hop flavors coming out in the later flavors. Long, piney bitter dry finish. Everything is perfectly balanced. The loads of West-coast hops blend harmoniously with the chewy, delicious malts. Alcohol is masked completely (My bottle was labeled at 8.5% ABV). Great stuff!