Wolf359
06-27-2005, 12:45 PM
Alesmith IPA 22oz bottle purchased form HiTimes in Costa Mesa
Appearance - The beer poured a deep golden/light copper color, perhaps just a bit darker than Stone IPA. The beer in the glass was fairly clear, but there was a ton of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Definitely pour carefully. The brew had a nice fluffy, creamy head that left quite a bit of lacing along the way.
Aroma - Wow! What an awesome display of complex hop aromas. There was a definite pine aroma, along with lots of complex fruits like pear, apricot, and strong citrus. There may have been some malt in there, but my nose couldn't pick it out from all the hops.
Flavor - I knew what to expect here based solely on the aroma. This is a hop monster, no doubts about it. Rich, complex hops flavor with a strong, but not astringent, bitterness. Bitterness stays around long after the beer travels down your throat, as does the strong citrus hop flavor. Fortunately there is ample malt somewhere in this brew, providing a good backbone for all the hops. I wouldn't call it balanced, but there's enough malt to almost even things out.
Mouthfeel - A very rich and full mouthfeel, but with a nice creamy aspect to it. Carbonation was typical of West Coast IPAs, a little bubbly, but nowhere near gushing.
Overall - This is one hell of a hoppy beer, even for an IPA, and I loved every sip of it. At 7.25% it's a bit "big" for my session drinking, but I'll always make room in the fridge for this IPA.
Appearance - The beer poured a deep golden/light copper color, perhaps just a bit darker than Stone IPA. The beer in the glass was fairly clear, but there was a ton of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Definitely pour carefully. The brew had a nice fluffy, creamy head that left quite a bit of lacing along the way.
Aroma - Wow! What an awesome display of complex hop aromas. There was a definite pine aroma, along with lots of complex fruits like pear, apricot, and strong citrus. There may have been some malt in there, but my nose couldn't pick it out from all the hops.
Flavor - I knew what to expect here based solely on the aroma. This is a hop monster, no doubts about it. Rich, complex hops flavor with a strong, but not astringent, bitterness. Bitterness stays around long after the beer travels down your throat, as does the strong citrus hop flavor. Fortunately there is ample malt somewhere in this brew, providing a good backbone for all the hops. I wouldn't call it balanced, but there's enough malt to almost even things out.
Mouthfeel - A very rich and full mouthfeel, but with a nice creamy aspect to it. Carbonation was typical of West Coast IPAs, a little bubbly, but nowhere near gushing.
Overall - This is one hell of a hoppy beer, even for an IPA, and I loved every sip of it. At 7.25% it's a bit "big" for my session drinking, but I'll always make room in the fridge for this IPA.