The Brü Revü – Alesmith Speedway Stout‏

The Alesmith Speedway Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee beans and is in the top 10 best beers in the world in many "best beer" rankings.  That is some good company and speaks to the high level of quality that Alesmith consistently delivers.  I made sure to bring a Speedway Stout back with me from San Diego and it had been "aging" in my fridge for about 6 months.  I figured Christmas Day was a good enough reason to pop open the Speedway Stout and give it a try.  The beer poured a pitch black with practically zero head.  The aroma was of coffee (of course), dark chocolate, and vanilla.  The first taste was stronger coffee and chocolate which mellowed and became much smoother and decadent as it warmed.  The Speedway Stout clocks in at a 12% ABV so by the time I finished my first glass I though this was easily the best beer on the planet! In retrospect I would put it up there with some of the best beers in the world, but to call it the best is more a matter of taste and mood.  This was a truly great beer that I was happy to get the opportunity to try.  It's a shame we cannot get it in Texas as I would love to drink more of this world class beer.

Alesmith Speedway Stout

Beer Bums Meeting – Christmas Party 2011!

The Beer Bums annual Christmas party that featured quite the marathon of excellent beer after excellent beer.  It was a good time getting together where we could bring something bigger and better than our usual monthly meeting.  See the below list of the fantastic beers we sampled.  Unfortunately I had to leave just as they were opening the St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, damn!  I know the rest of the Bums took good care of it.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Prickly Passion Saison  A good start, a tart saison.

Alesmith Wee Heavy  Wow, this one was fantastic.  This is what a Scotch Ale should be. 

Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison  A great Saison.  First time I have had an Ovila from Sierra Nevada, I need to try more.

Jester King Black Metal Stout  Another amazing beer.  Lots of coffee, chocolate, malt, etc  very good

Ranger Creek Mesquite Smoked Porter  I remember liking this one, but I can’t remember the details…

Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue  Whoa, this was great!

 

Malheur 12  I remember not liking this one as much, but my palate may have been worn out by the stouts and porters.  I need to try this one again.

Ranger Creek La Bestia Aimable Great, first time to try this one and was really impressed.

Widmer Brothers Reserve Lemongrass Wheat  OK, by this one I had a few in me.  Tasted like a citronella candle, I was mosquito proof!

Full Sail Sanctuary Belgian Style Dubbel  Really good.  Probably should try it again by itself.

The Brü Revü – Alesmith Yulesmith (Summer)

Yulesmith is another great Alesmith beer I brought back from San Diego.  They make the Yulesmith twice a year, in the summer and the winter. The summer version is an Imperial IPA and it is fantastic! Yulesmith hits all the right IPA notes with a good strong hop aroma and flavor with a nice malt backbone and a hint of vanilla that gave it a slightly sweet finish. It was a well-balanced beer that was velvety smooth with a rich complex flavor.  It was highly drinkable despite the high alcohol content and one that I wish I could get regularly, but unfortunately it’s not available in Texas.  There is not much else to say about the Yulesmith other than it was amazing!

Alesmith Yulesmith (Summer)

The Brü Revü – Alesmith IPA

The Alesmith IPA is another San Diego beer I had smuggled back from our vacation that I was looking forward to trying.  I have read a lot about the Alesmith brewery and how great all of their beers are, and their IPA lived up to all the hype.  Alesmith’s IPA is bottle conditioned which poured a hazy golden copper with a great fruity aroma.  What a great hoppy beer flavor without being too extreme.  It has some malt in the background to give it a good balance and keeping it easy to drink. The Alesmith IPA gives the Ballast Point a run for its money as my favorite IPA period and I would consider them #1 and 1A.  I hope it makes its way to Texas soon, as I need another one!

Alesmith IPA

 

The Brü Revü – AleSmith X

On our trip to San Diego I was on a quest to try any and all AleSmith beers as I read they were a highly respected brewery in the area.  All of their beers get great reviews so I was excited when I saw the AleSmith X on draft at one of the first bars we visited.  The X is their Pale Ale which I do not usually choose, but this was AleSmith so I had to.  With all of the anticipation and excitement I was NOT disappointed.  The X had a gold body with a nice fizzy head with a good hop and slight malty aroma.  It had a balanced taste between the citrusy hops and doughy malt that I was instantly enamored with.  The X went down smooth and before I knew it, it was gone.  It was one of the best Pale Ales I had ever had, and with this introduction to AleSmith I was definitely looking forward to trying the rest of their beers.  

AleSmith X

 

Sorry this is a terrible pic taken from my phone, but it's all I have!