AleSmith Barrel Aged Decadence 2005

Formerly brewed at AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Old Ale
San Diego, California USA

Serve in English pint, Snifter

Bottle thanks to ygtbsm94, tasted 05/21/2011. Pours thin, no head, deep brown with ruby highlights. I’m informed that this is the amber color of a well-aged wine. Rich nose of sweet caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon shining through, with slight oxidation/mustiness coming through, and alcohol more apparent as the beer warms. Taste has caramel, brown sugar and toffee, with strong barrel character, hints of pepper and tanins in the the finish, boozy overtones in the finish. Creamy and thick in the mouth, smooth. This bottle had aged very well, hopefully others have as well, a fantastic experience.

Sampled at the DC Ratebeer Gathering. Bottle 66 of 280. Pours a lightly oily, copper amber with one ring of beige head. Great nose, brandy, apples, rum, cane sugar, tropical fruits. Flavor is sweet, caramel, apples, pears, brandy, cane sugar, rum, tropical fruit. Full bodied, sweet, brandy finish.

Thanks to CaptainCougar for this one- Bottle 66/280. Brownish ruby pour with a small head. The nose holds giant caramel, blood orange, cherry cheesecake, and loads of molasses. The flavor warms up to show big caramel, cherry, molasses, wood, oak; not as sweet as the BA Wee Heavy. Very very nice.

Bottle #66 shared by CaptainCougar. Thanks! Pours a clear berry-red color with a thin tan head that fades quickly. Rich malty aroma with notes of toffee, toasted malts, berries, oxidation notes and leafy hops. The taste is toffee, berries, toasted malts, earth, caramel and faint whisky notes. A bit of booze. Medium-full bodied. Soft carbonation. Very nice.

dark nut brown, near purple, thin cream ring for a head. Heavy fruit skin, dates, prunes, light roast and oxidation. Flavor is more bitter roast, lightly rem of wee heavy 05, bit more vanilla and caramel, bit burnt through the end. Soft carbonation, bitter through the end. Quite nice, English, like jw Kees without the body.

Holy dump thanks to CaptainCougar! Massive bourbon vanilla notes with mounds of caramel, and hefty payload of toffee, and a metric ton of booze. Huge thick rich palate with a very sweet finish, sporting very little effervescence.

750mL #66/280 massive thanks to CaptainCougar. The pour is clear, tawny, deep reddish brown. Flatter with yellow bubbles. Nose is woody, red wine, cinnamon, wet wood, rich and tawny. Toffee and caramel. Taste is tart, salty, red wine sharpness and acidity. Very nice old wood character. Very nice but not superlative. Easy to enjoy at least. Mild mint.

Bottle shared by CaptainCougar. Pours clear tawny with no head. Aroma is bourbon, oak, brown sugar, caramel and cookie malt, no hops, fruity esters with spicy hot alcohol. Flavor is medium hot alcohol with brown sugar, caramel and cookie malt, no bitterness with a sweet palate and drying finish. Full body, high warmth, light carbonation.