AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

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

Forgot whether I got this from a trade or a purchase....anyway it pours out a slightly hazy copper color with a nice white creamy head. Aroma of grapefruit and citrus hops. Flavor is complex with a good balance of hops and malt with some spice and sweet flavors here and there, but still with the nice hop flavor of the summer version. This brewery never fails to impress me.

Bottle - Thanks beachbum25! - Pours a hazy amber with a large tan cream head...aroma is resinous and floral, sticky toffee, oranges and citrus...flavour is dank hop extract immediately, sweet caramel, not terribly hop bitter, rather gets it from a burnt sugar bitterness...dark fruit and ample carb...warming and tasty...

Originally had this one rated higher...then I had Decadence "Evil Dead Red". This is a very good...the summer version with a much maltier backbone. The color definitely cools some degrees as well; from firework orange to Santa red. This beer still creates a huge head and tremendous lacing. Got to try it.

22 oz bomber from Liquid Solutions. Pours a golden copper color with a small white head. Nose is of butterscotch, pine and earhy/grassy hops. Taste is the same with a bitter pine oily alcohol finish. Cardboard and metallic aftertaste. Sorry, i don’t get what the big deal is over this, i find it WAYoff the mark and am pouring the rest of the bottle down the drain...did i get a bad bottle?! will end the night on a DFH 90 minute....

2004 bottle- Pours a hazy amber in hue with a fluffy slight-off-white head with aromas of flowers and citrus. Flavors of the same with a bitterness that attacks your tongue after swalling. One of the best IIPAS out there. 2001 edition--This may be the best IPA ive had yet. Very tastey, not to hoppy, fruity yet creamy almost.

Thick sheets of off-white lace cascade down the sides of the glass after a tall, moderately creamy head slowly recedes. the body is a cloudy, rustic brown/red blend, very pretty and earthy. The aroma is absolutely toplling over with pineapple and mandarin orange notes, closely followed by sweet salted grapefruit, peppermint, pine, copious caramel malts and a dash of acidic lemon. The flavor just expands on these notions. Moderate to heavy malt sweetness is quickly laid to rest by tremendous bitterness that’s never too acidic, just pleasant and wrought with ripe tropical fruits and fresh bundles of pine needles. In this particular case, the pine has a minty character that seems to replace an all-too-often encountered cleaning product association I’ve encountered when pine is a force to be reckoned with. The finish is very smooth, bitter and drying, complex, satisfying and of great length. Mouthfeel is quite full bodied, soft, well carbonated(though never too much so), relaxing and warming. Very good, though I remain adamant in my preference of the summer version of this offering.

22 oz. bottle. Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a large foamy beige head. The aroma is sweet caramel malt, citrus hops, and pine. The flavor is a wonderful mix of the chewy sweet caramel along with the citrus and pine hop flavors. The finish is bitter and long lasting. The 9.5 % is not noticeable in the beer at all which makes this one dangerous, as it is so easy to drink. I’m glad AleSmith sends their love to Ohio.

Aroma was very grassy and hoppy. Color was a crisp orange. I like how it had a defined malt presence throughout the storm of citrusy hops. Nice spiciness to the finish. I liked it, but I dont feel it deserves top 50 status.