7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottled, thanks to BierKönig for sharing. Nut brown, clear. Rich aroma of wood, vanilla and asparagus. Very sweet and full bodied with pleasant soft mouthfeel. Very bitter finish. An enormous beer with lots of bourbon character. The sweetness however overloads my senses and the expected sensations does not take place.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Feb 2005
at 05:40
7/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
2004 bottle. Good bright coppery-orange colored body, hazy with a big white head and fair lacing. Aroma of heavy coriander, pils malt (honey) some wet grass clippings. Flavor begins with a big burst of dry citrus, alcohol and powerfully overbearing coriander. I’m not getting much complex yeastiness, though it is distinctly Belgian. Lemon, dough, honey, lots of candi sugar and residual sweetness. Mouthfeel is thick, viscous and lightly syrupy. Body is medium-full. Finish is dry to the extreme, astringency, no doubt from the coriander and alcohol. For all of the good ingredients in here and the dedication to quality, I just can’t get around the tremendous amounts of coriander. Mixing that with the firm alcohol prove to be too much for me and it just comes off slightly brutal on the palate. I don’t really like how the coriander and alcohol ARE this beer. I’d much rather they were just elements. I thought this was a 2003 bottle, so I’m a bit mad that I opened it, now that I realize it is a 2004. If ever there is a case of a beer needing more time in the cellar, this is it. Though it’s going to need a miracle to meld all of that coriander in to something more palateable. Definitely giving AleSmith the benefit of the doubt though, and my score reflects that potential. Will revisit and rerate in a couple years.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Feb 2005
at 15:09
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Bottle #27/225. Big thanks to John (JCW) for sharing this rarity! Murky orange-brown body, thin off-white head (more accurately, thin off-white bubbles). Fermented fruit aroma, caramels, pear juice, oak, vanilla, and muted grapefruity hops contributed to a very nice aroma. The flavor initially hits strong with oak and vanilla, opening up to big, full caramels, butter (butterscotch?), fermented fruits (cherry, apple, apricot) with alcohol notes in the finish. Grapefruity hops were present but subdued. Neither too sweet nor too dry. Complex and quite tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Feb 2005
at 21:20
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle. Many thanks to Marc for trading thisone! Black body. Brown head. Good lace. Nose of ’drop’ (some kind of candy). Moderately bitter,moderately sweet initial flavour. Heavlily bitter initial flavour, lightly sweet very long finish. Heavily bodied. Lively carboantion. very sirupy and complex (spices burning to my tongue for minutes) mouthfeel. Although I’m not into stouts, I defenitely appreciated this new experience.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Jan 2005
at 15:52
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Clear straw-colored body, huge off-white pillowy head. Appealing aroma of biscuit, caramels and spicy, earthy, floral hops. Light, biscuity malt body with plenty of spicy, earthy hops and hints of pine, finishing slightly sour, perhaps an indication this is getting on in months. This bottle came from Joe’s (marinaro500) mountain of beer...I hope it hasn’t tipped over and trapped him, although being buried under hundreds of amazing beers wouldn’t be the worst way to go.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Jan 2005
at 21:02
7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle. Amber beer with a nice cream colored head. Nice clean grapefruit aroma. Big grapefruit and pine flavor with a bit of sweet malt backing. Slightly creamy mouthfeel. Medium-full body. LIngering grapefruit and pine with a touch of sweetness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Dec 2004
at 12:24
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
High quality beers are the norm from Alesmith, and this seasonal makes me glad yet again that they are available in Ohio now. Deep reddish amber pour with a thick and foamy light tan head. Thick, fluffy lacing too. Heady hops and citrus in the nose, along with a bit of pine. Medium-bodied. There is not an insane level of hops in the flavor, which is kind of a break in the style. As a matter of fact it might be the most well-rounded Double IPA I have tried. Citrusy hops and spice is rounded out by a definite malt undercurrent. The finish is lingeringly bitter. The alcohol is well-hidden throughout. A great beer.
Tried
on 19 Dec 2004
at 19:41
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Intense ruby red ale with no head or carbonation. Raisin and c-hops aroma, with notes of prunes and vanilla. Sweet malt and c-hops, prunes, fruity, with notes of chocolate. Balanced alcohol warmth with piney hops. Smooth and treachurous barley wine. Thanks to Sickboy.
Tried
on 19 Dec 2004
at 09:11
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Dark stout with no head. Deep toffee coffee aroma with light hops. Sweet sweet coffee with vodka alcohol with roasted bitter chocolate. Rich oily mouthfeel with creamy body. Nov. 28 2004 at MartinT.
Tried
on 18 Dec 2004
at 22:27
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Hazy dark amber-brown in colour with a thin off-white head that seems to last a while. Aroma of peat, roasted malt and a good small fruityness, basically from pit fruit. Medium-bodied; Great sweet flavours with a smoked peat flavour throughout showing some good roasted malt bitterness as well. Aftertaste lasts a while and leaves the mouth sweet and smokey, a nice combination! I sampled this 75 cL bottle at the November RB party at Founder’s in Alexandria, Virginia on 20-November-2004.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Dec 2004
at 22:29