AleSmith Barrel Aged Decadence 2005

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

Bottled (213/280) thanks to Mads! Ruby colour with a big beige head. The aroma is of Dark fruits, raisins, pruens, wood and vanilla, so is the taste, sweet and smooth. Medium to full body with a sweet warming finish. A great Beer!!!

Bottle, thanks to Mads for sharing. Clear orange brown coloured with an off white head. Aroma of dried fruits, fruits, vanilla and woood. Flavour of fruits, wood and vanilla with notes of hops. Well balanced.

Bottled (213/280): Amber coloured. Unclear. Beige dense head. Sweetness, wood, alcohol, spice, dried fruits adn prunes in the aroma. Flaovur is very smooth and complex. Vanilla, light herbal notes, prunes, wood and distinct barrelnotes. Is medium to full bodied. Light dryness. Has loads of wood and spice in the end. Fantastic IMHO. Thanks a million to Ughsmash for this gem.

(Bottle 75 cl) Courtesy of madsberg. Pours a cloudy, dark, orangey brown with a small, off-white head. Distinct aroma of oak and bourbon. Quite full-bodied, extremely complex, lots of roasted malts, dried fruits - raisins in rum - and again these great bourbon accents. The finish is rather bitter. Very pleasant. 270607

Bottled. Hazy dark chestnut coloured. Aroma of liquor, sweet fruits, wood, vanilla and some caramel. Sweet flavour with the same notes as in the aroma. Very vinous. Full bodied. Rather smooth mouthfeel. Very complex and pleasant.

Shared bottle thanks to CMUBEERMAN. Vintage 2005, 172 out of 280. Pours dark ruby orange with a thin off white head that quickly disappears. Aroma is bourbon, wood, pine, pickles. Flavor is bourbon, molasses, caramel, pine, wood, pickles, alcohol. Well blended and quite delicious considering that I don’t care for barrel aged too much.

From a 750mL Bottle. Sampled twice, first at Dr. Bill’s 2006 party, and secondly at the 2nd Annual Woodshop Tasting. Rating is a compilation and contemplation on the notes from both tastings, as well as notes from the plain Decadence tastings. Pours a transparent color of rich chestnut brown with gentle ruddy hues, topped with a thick layer of creamy beige head. Lots of bourbon and oak in the aroma, creating a nice blend of caramels, whiskey, and vanilla. Dry and rich all at the same time. A touch of gingerbread cookie and molasses add a bit more complexity, but the bourbony oaky dryness tends to dominate a bit. I recall the non-barrel-aged version to have an abundance of light complex fruits, but these seem to be a bit more hidden behind the oaky barrel character. Full bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel with a silky smooth texture. Flavors of rum, brown sugar, cinnimon spice, and caramelly malts start out enticingly on the palate, but again, the dry oaky characters of the barrel tend to crowd the delicious malt dimensions the beer is trying to offer. Finish is a bit hot, leaving me exhale a puff of an old-timer’s breath. Quite good overall, but the barrel is a bit too prominent for my tastes. The non-barrel-aged version was so good to me, I expected this one to add even more complexity to an already phenomenal beer. Instead, I found it to hide a bit of it’s character.

05 vintage, Bottle #230 of 280. Big thanks go out to SDbruboy for delivering this lovely brew to my doorstep. Head is small but lasting, tan in color with a spotty laceing. Lightly hazy deep amber colored brew with ruby red edging when held up to the light. Nose is soft bourbon, vanilla, cocoa and dark fruits with a whiff of lumber. Body is med/full, lightly oily and coating, silky smooth and luxurious. Plenty of balanced woody and bourbony flavors rolling around not to mention vanilla, light roast, caramel and dark fruits. As you sip on this one it just amazing how the flavors all meld together, none being dominant, cept maybe for the bourbon and ever so slightly. Hated to see it end! Lightly sweet finish is lasting, malty and fruity. Alesmith does wonders with it,s barrel aged brews and Cliff has done wonders getting them to me and for that i say Thanks to you once again Cliff. Any chance of a BA Grand Cru?