AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

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

Wonderful aroma of pine and citrus. Fantastic anticipation of HOPS!! Appearance is terrific. Color is amber brown with big off white head that is retained. There will be massive lacing with this fine brew. Flavor is initially malty followed by a very nice dose of hops. Finish is tasty and very long lasting. I have to agree with the other lobbying for the imperial IPA designation. The high alcohol and presence of a malt backbone argue for the imperial status. I love this beer.

22 oz bottle (Rozi’s Wine and Liquor House, Lakewood OH October 2006) served at cellar temperature from a Corsendonk glass. Big puffy light cream-colored head dies slowly atop the luminous, hazy and yeast-flecked dark gold-amber body.....pretty big PNW hop aroma, lots of typical citrus and pine but also nice hints of maraschino cherries, light creamy caramel, vanilla and lavender, fairly complex and quite enticing.....on the tongue, my first thought is "barley wine", this is quite hoppy but the malt balance is there and it’s immediately warming and a bit sherry-like (though fresh) with a slightly oily, juicy mouthfeel and rough fresh hops increasing continuously to the long bitter finish....burnt almonds and light pepper also show up, giving this yuletide confection a lovely complexity, a slightly different mood with every sip, almost....tingly carbonation might be a little on the high side but I can find very little to complain about this, and I’m plenty pleased as many W coast hop bombs haven’t been doing it for me lately. This does, in spades, and is the equal of any Alesmith bottle I’ve had yet. Awesome.

This one had hops out of its mind. A great beer. There was a good citrus element as well as a good sense of the christmas spirtit with the pine flavor. The coolest thing about this beer is that I was actually at the alesmith brewery talking with Peter as he showed us the big tank in which this very brew was turning itself into the great product it is today. Can you really beat that?

2002 release 22oz bottle pours a glowing hazy copper-orange color with a nice off-white head that leaves a sticky lacing in my glass. Wonderful aromas of fresh grapefruit, pineapple and pine, sticky and resiny pine and citrus flavors coat my tongue, hoppy as hell yet has a solid malt balance, full body with a full and creamy mouthfeel, nice sharp bitterness in it's lasting finish, wow I just wish I could get Alesmith in Missouri, many thanks go out to herbjones for chance to try this awesome brew.

Massive all around. Reddish copper-brown, but golden as the sunlight hits it. Chewy malts and massive hoppiness, expertly balanced, bending both arms of the scale. Piney and caramelly, citrusy and thick, warming and fulfilling. This is near perfect to me, a massive thick, chewy, wonderful treat. Thanks to herbjones!!!

A style that Alesmith does well because of the massive hops that are added to the beer. Bright floral and citrus hops play around in the middle and settle to a cloying bitterness in the end. A bit o'yeast and cookie in the front. Very huge beer; a fabulous beer all the way around.

Vintage 2003 (4.2) Holiday Yule: Nice malty spicey nose. Big foamy head on the amber brew. Great barley, malt and spice taste. MMMMHHHH - Thanks DaSilky! Vintage 2002 (4.6)Nice medium foamy head. Hazy dark orange. Bubble gum like nose. Hops a gogo, spicey, hoppy but smooth - suprisingly. Chocolate notes also. Cloves. Lonk kick on the back of the Tongue. Again Tanks a lot DaSilky!

This elixir pours into the glass with a deep amber/red body topped by a thick, off white head with lots of lacing left behind. The aroma is slightly sweet yet bitter and hoppy with a grapefruit note, a nice sweet maltiness in the background and a very slight metallic note. The flavor is bitter, piney and hoppy with a sweetness from malt and a touch of grapefruit. The finish is piney and bitter. Medium to full bodied, slightly dry and warming.