AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

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

Pours a clear amber color with a small white head. Aroma is quite strong and hoppy, with grape and grapefruit but also with some spice. Flavor is complex and spicy with pepper, fruits and quite some hops. Very well balanced. Good carbonation.

This is the winter version. but because good ’ole Hollingshead keeps oldies, this was old to begin with when i got this months ago. It had a sticker when i got it, it might have been as old as 07? Sticker long gone... Pours an amber orange, pretty big head. Not much aroma, but then it’s a little old.. malty. Malty taste withs some hop remnants.. pretty balanced.. I prefer the summer version, but this is OK.. bigger mouth-feel. Hollingshead seems to have this more often, probably because the summer version is more popular, and sells out... This will do, good for a winter warmer tho...

Bottle, dark amber pour with strong lasting foam, aroma has strong citrus overlaid with malty caramel, flavors are caramel and grapefruit balanced with some pine, good Even handed finish

I have a green and red festive bottle for the Christmas season. I poured it into my large pills style glass. It produced a three finger billowy off white head that just stuck around. The body was a beautiful clear burgandy red in color. The aroma was piney and grassy not a hint of malts come thru in this one. It was pure hops in all its glory. You could smell them as soon as the cap was off the bottle. The flavor had a bit more malt than I expect in a west cost DIPA. It reminded me of when I sugar my grapefruit, it had about that same flavor profile to me. It had a medium feel in my mouth with ample carbonation. I will say the bottle also had it right, it finished dry. I easily finished the bomber myself today the drinkability is there. I would have had more but the bottle price is a little prohibitive for that.

Big, Bad and aggressive. A little too over the top. Still delicious though. I will buy another one of these and save it for a long long time and see if it mellows.

Now here is something to be excited about! Color is sleightly hazy medium brown with a firm medium brown head. Aroma is a great mix of hops and malts with notes of grape/oranges and toffee plus some mild chocolate. Flavor is very very pleasing. Medium bitter with a smooth yet full sweetness backed up by a warming alchohol. It doesnt get much better using "standard" ingredients like this. Thumbs up

Bottle from beermerchants.com. Pours dark amber with a white head. Aromas of figs, toffee, strawberries, chocolate, sweet spices. Very interesting. Flavours of ginger, quite vinous, dark chocolate, caramel, orange marmalade. Finishes sweet and laden with hops. Very nice.

Pours a beautiful dark amber. Crystal clear with 1.5 finger head. Snow white and lasts forever. Nose is very strong of caramel malts and citrus hops. Wow. Strang malt backbone. Killer hop flavor in the middle and IPA level bitterness bringing it home. Palate is very sparkley. Heavy mouth feel. Overall, I love this beer! Absolutely amazing. I normally rate beers quite hard, but I just cannot help but love this beer!