AleSmith Barrel Aged Decadence 2005

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Wow what a beer. thanks to craig! Amazing brew after 5 years. Pours a murky brown with very little head. Aroma is just wonderful. Caramel, dried pears, golden raisins, toffee, oak, whiskey, brown sugar and maple syrup. Flavor is just amazing. No oxidation at all. Just amazing caramel, whiskey, toffee, fruit, toasted oak, marshmallow...ummm yeah this is unreal.

Bottle generously shared by cbkschubert -- thanks, Craig!! There can’t be many of these bottles still around, so I’m very fortunate to have had a pour from this one. The Shaft theme actually came on the radio when this bad motha (shut yo mouth) got opened. Pours a murky amber color with a tiny ring of beige bubbles around the edge of the glass. Smells incredible -- like every BA AleSmith beer I have tried -- huge bourbon, vanilla, and cocoa. Tastes of sweet malts, orange peel, caramel, coffee, and cereal. Boss.

Bottle 37/280 via Jason. The beer pours to a dark murky brown with ruby hints body and no head by the time I started rating. In a side by side with the regular Decadence, it was darker and murkier rather than the lighter, sexier, and glowingly radiant non-BA version. The aroma is tart bourbon and oak with toffee and more oak. Notes of nougat and caramel with some vanilla. The flavor is oaken vanilla, bourbon, toffee, nougat, and a very complex malt. The beer is unreal. The palate is rich and full bodied and creamy with a nice warming feel. Very complex and insanely good. Thanks for sharing Jason!

750ml bottle #77 of 124. This was one of the brews released on 9/28/07. Poured a dark murky brown color with only a moderate amount of brown head, that faded quickly. Smelled deep and dark of vanilla and bourbon. Tasted so smooth, much less of the bourbon flavor than I was expecting, which was a good thing because I didn’t want it to be too overpowering. Tasted surprisingly sweet, vanilla and dark fruits. This was one of the smoothest and most complex beers that I have ever had. I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely wished that I had more. Oh well, next year.

(big thanks to footbalm for this bottle.batch #1,257/280)orange/brown body with no head.very nice complex aroma of oak,vanilla,bourbon,brown sugar,orange,and cinnamon.the flavor carries what the aroma does,along with some caramel and alcohol.this is super complex,yet super smooth at the moment.alesmith does it once again.

2005 bottle #21/124 Pour a deep mahogany brown with no head. Aroma of wood, tobacco leaf, caramel, bourbon, and alcohol. Tastes of caramel, roasted almonds, a smooth toffee flavor and huge boubon and vanilla tastes with a lot of alcoholic warmth to the somewhat spicy sweet finish.

Courtesy cquiroga, thanks Chris! #12/124. Dark amber brown with just a bit of off white carbonation. This style of beer is perfect for barrel aging- rich toffee, cookie, and aged malt, dried fruits, tobacco, light cocoa and a ton of barrel- vanilla, earthy charred wood, bourbon sweetness. The extra time in the barrel did a lot to cool down the alcohol, there is still a touch but it just helps to dry out the finish a bit. Full body, smooth, rich. Awesome beer.

Dr. Bill’s ’09. Thank you Peter. Pours a viscous, very dark brown-black with a dark honey-gold rim and virtually no head--just a few dark tan bibbles. Aroma is incredibly deep and rich with Bourbon, vanilla, oxidation, earth, treacle, dark caramel, and a trace of smoke. The flavor is as fresh and vibrant as ever with a lot of sweetness and Bourbon aspects. Those fade after the attack leaving a massive collection of various roasted malt and barrel-aged flavors to sort themselves out on the palate throughout the massively long finish. The body is big and round with a lot of strength but kindness too as it feels like its taking it easy on you, yet holding nothing back from the experience. This is a superb offering. What a treat.

Bottle thanks to jarspag, #37/280!! Poured much deeper than the regular Decadence.. plum-tinted mahogany with a short, creamy cap of deep beige head that receded quickly to a light ring. The aroma picked up a hefty influence from the barrel, but remained marvelous.. very lightly smoked aged caramel paired with smoky caramel.. some lighter oaky booziness makes it even better!

Flavor picked up plenty of lightly-smoked caramel, toasted caramel, and vanilla with minor hits from the bourbon.. picked up some more bourbon as it warmed, but it never took over.. warm, lightly-smoked finish stuck around for quite a while! Perfect execution of the barrel-aging and a wonderful underlying beer. Phenominal beer!

Bottle. 213/280. Clear amber colour with a little nice head. Wonderful aroma of wood, oak, alcohol, dried fruit and hints of spices. Also very wonderful smooth flavour of dried fruit, malt and caramel. Ends up with a strong and smooth ending af caramel, this is art. This beer is totally down rated......