AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

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

22 oz. bottle from Jungle Jim’s. Muddy reddish-brown pour with a creamy off-white head. Big hop aroma of grapefruit, tangerines, and apricot. Flavor does not disappoint; big, bitter hops balanced with some toffee sweetness. Having sampled this in late summer to early fall this is at least 10 months old. At this point it is very close to barley wine territory. It’s an outstanding beer (does this brewery make bad beers?). Would love to try this fresh but the bottle I had was incredible.

Sweet hoppy malty red ale. Pours with redish pink head. Full round and sweet this beer is a touchdown.

Color is orange brown. Aroma and taste is deep and flourishing with with balanced spices and roast malt, hops, A very nice not christmas but "more" experience.

07 version: OMFG this is a holy grail beer, after trying the summer version, how could it get any better, but I find this another blowout... there is nutin but gold here... aromas, incredible fresh hops, some sweet and roasted malts, high depth... appearance, what can you say? It is perfect, huge fluffy head that just lays there forever, lacing, my whole glass is covered with the caked on beige bubbles... flavor, fogetaboutit.. it is outstandingly strong hops and roasted malts, some chocolate, some caramel, it is complete, palate is the only fall back since the alcohol sneaks through a little and packs a hawaiin punch... overall, out-freakin-stounding.

Release 2003: The color on the pour a beclouded burnished copper color with the head Bunyanesque in size, creamy in consistency and the color a toothsome light tan, as it ever so slowly decays the lace left behind forms a tight sheet to smother the glass. Hops citrus crisp dominate the nose, lying underneath is the sweetness from the malt, hints of caramel, pine, lime like crispness, fresh, a hodgepodge of aromas to entrance the senses. Start is sweet, full of malt, top is fair to middling in feel with the finish biting in its acidity, but the hops power their way thought to the taste buds, they spring to life with the biting spiciness, the bitterness is quite refreshing and the 8.5 percent ABV causes a nice warming sensation, as good as it is now, I always buy enough so I can sample for several years to come as with the 2002 release, reminds me I need to break one out and put it in the DBF for sampling soon.

Release 2002: It’s been close to two years since I had this beer, and I know that is way to long, finally the Alesmith brews are trickling over one style at a time, but at least their on the way.

The beer pours a murky amber color, tons of dross floating in suspension and resting on the bottom of the bottle, “Yummy”. The head is Herculean in size, the structure creamy, the color a beauteous light tan and as it evanesces, the lace forms a glutinous sheet to conceal the glass. Nose is dominated by the hop floral tones, sweet malt, fresh, crisp and clean, a real treat for the nose as well as the eyes. Start is ambrosial, loaded with malt, the top middling in its feel, finish is delicately acidic, the hops slam your palate, like the “Cubs” pounding out the “Homers”, on their way to the “World Series”!

Quite dry and lingering aftertaste with a bit of belly warming to boot, oh how I love these big old bad boys, once of the beers not meant for the weak or infirm, as it will take the hide off an Armadillo!

Clouded (bottle conditioned) orangey amber, moderate head formation. Aromas of fresh tangerine, accompanied by pineapple and pink grapefruit. Gains a little spice as it opens up. Sweet medley of fruit juices on the palate with tangerine and apricot most prominent, like a tropical breakfast juice blend. Makes a great forerunner to the hoppy citiric grapefruit in the second half.

2002- I set it next to a Hop Devil and the Yule Smith was noticeably more deep robust with colors of burgandy orange.Aroma is piney hops similar to Ruination though a lesser sharp than the latter. Nice lace work, First sip is strong hops, very similar to Ruination, less tart though.Reminds me of our yearly fresh cut Indiana Fir Christmas Tree ,malty backbone, something SR IPA lacks,balanced, complex, let it warm a little and the flavours bloom (Explode) like flowers in Springtime. Unbelieveable palate, perfect feel in your mouth, piney,cedary,and wonderfully complex. This beer gets better with each sip, I am glad it is a 22 0z Bomber,man I wish this was available where I live. San Diego overall has got to be the town for IPA's,Extermely Recommended a real winner ! Thanks Hopsrus, you did it again :)

Holy crap! This is good. I just had a Stone Double Bastard before this. After I drank the Double, I went out and bought a case. On my beer mission, I saw the Yulesmith and bought 4 bottles. I’ll be buying at least another case of this. I like this better than the Stone. Different styles of course. Double IPAs are my favorite these days with Alpine Exponential is at the top with this right below it. I’m in heaven here in San Diego with such good breweries. Mouthfeel is so freakin good on this. Oily and creamy like Arrogant Bastard. Has kind of a sweet, carmely aroma. Taste is piney and grapefruity. It is very smooth. Excellent! I can’t wait until Exponential comes back out. It might wind up my top rated beer. Rerate: OK, I just had a Dreadnaught before this. I’m really on a roll. One thing that Dreadnaught definately has over this is aroma. Dreadnaught spreads aroma throughout the immediate area, while you have to stick your nose in the glass to appreciate the aroma of this. This is less sweet than the Dreadnaught, and has a chalkier-dry finish. This leaves better lace in the glass than Dreadnaught. This is definately cloudier. This may also have a little more hops in the finish. Give me either one and I’ll be a happy man! Now I’ll have to get Ruination in the mix to see how it compares. One other important thing to note. This and Ruination are only $4/bomber while Dreadnaught is $6. Exponential is $7.50/64oz. growler. With price factored in, Yulesmith, Ruination, and Exponential can not be beat. Rererate: After drinking this for a while, I would have to say that I like Dreadnaught better. It is a little more drinkable. Nothing against this at all though. Rerererate: The 2004 summer release is the best yet. This batch is pretty much perfect. Amazingly creamy, smooth, balanced and complex. ReRate 040605: Drinking the winter 2004 release, and the hops are fading. The balance is a lot more towards the malt this time. ReRate 062305: 2005 summer realease - Solid coppe-orange color with an insanely rich, creamy head. Aroma is rich with caramel, medium to dark rum, hops, black licorice raisins, and some kind of berry or perhaps purple grape. Flavor is rich with caramel malt, some black licorice, whisky, and of course hops. The hops are pretty complex. They start off citrusy then turn piney. The malt richness reminds me of older versions of Hop 15, but this lacks the tropical fruitiness. Mouthfeel is incredibly rich, smooth and creamy. Very impresive, and in my opinion, is a bargain at $5/bottle. No change in score.