AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

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

on tap @ OBriens San Diego. Marron colored beer with nice head. Big hop & malt nose. Piney, citrusy, caramel sweet malts. Good but not great. seemed a little off. Could be the glassware as the Ballast Point Double Dorado also did Had a bottle @ Coles in Buffalo NY. Fantastic. Huge hop flavor & well balanced> Going to 4.1

Bomber shared with and courtesy of gputty. This is the winter imperial red version. Murky golden brown with red highlights. Beige head. Big, sweet tart orange nose. Thick foamy lace. Nice, crisp, bitter orange flavor. Lively, crisp mouthfeel. Lovely, spicy citrus bitter finish. The perfect end to a very up-and-down tasting day!

bottle from 2006 Pours dark, and slightly hazy with a fluffy off white head. Thick mouth-feel with hops, malts, and toffee. this is a great holiday beer with nice complexity and balance!

Originally rated on 3/22/2006, but I have to move my rating now that YuleSmith has split.

Pours a thick, deep copper, mostly flat, topped with a rocky, ecru head that lasts and laces. Amazingly delicious, multi-layered aromas, starting with baked bread, becoming sweet muffins with citrusy tangerine & prune, coriander & clove, lily & pine, ending with alcohol as it warms. Incredible. Big malts temper big hops. Thick & syrupy, I wished for a bit of carbonation to help liven the mouth and further spread the flavors of rich caramel, sweet citrics, raisin and milk chocolate. I could only find two things wrong with YuleSmith... an effervescent kick would complexify the palate; and better availability in the Chicagoland area would be a big plus!

<font size=-4>I grabbed the last bottle from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Chicago, IL 60638<font size=-1>

Smells like a christmas tree, I should just dump this on our fake one for that real tree smell. A hint of honey and hops besides the pine. Actually quite sweet, with honey, hops are presented nicely and smooth. The aroma is very strong and room filling.

This reddish/orange ale poured with no head, just a few bubbles, eliciting a flowery aroma. The malt is overwhelmed by the hop flavors. However, that does not detract from the overall flavor, which is crisp, bitter and spicy.

I have waited eagerly for this wonderful brew to arrive from my brother via FedEx. Today as I watched college football (GT vs UGA) a knock came on the door, there it was, finally, my YuleSmith! Hazy orange color with a small tan head and very nice glass lacing. The citrusy grapefruit aroma hits you the minute the cap comes off of the bottle. More malty spiciness comes through as you breathe the aromas in deeply. The flavor is a wallop of hoppy grapefruit with some piney flavors. A slight pleasing sourness develops after the swallow. Very smooth medium body. This is a seriously good Imperial IPA.

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.