AleSmith Barrel Aged Decadence 2007

Formerly brewed at AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle from somebody... Pours black with dark tan head. Nose is very vinous, almost grapey with strong bourbon notes that really overpower the base. Vanilla, oak and white pepper. Kiss of cocoa. On taste, overwhelmingly one-dimensional, leaning towards vinous bourbony notes. Little nuance in this one. Meh.

Sampled at RBWG 2010, many thanks! The aroma is all barrel here, and also the flavor. Huge coconut, chocolate, and more. Really good stuff.

bottle, pours dark brown to black with a medium tan head. Aroma is all barrel with lots of wood and vanilla. This is so smooth and creamy. The base beer isn’t covered up lots of nice roastyness sitting next to the vanilla and bourbon/whiskey notes.

RBWG 2010. Pours dark brownish color with tan head. Aromas of bourbon, vanilla, oak and chocolate. Similar flavors. Medium body with minimal carbonation. Very nice.

Bottle 239/817 shared by Eric, you da man! Thanks
Appearance: Pours black with a small tan head leaving some lacing
Aroma: Roasted malts, bourbon, chocolate
Taste: Roasted malts, bourbon, dried chocolate, dark fruits
Silky and smooth mouthfeel. Very nice beer.

Thanks big time to footbalm for sharing this rarity. 750 ml bottle 239/817. Pours a pure black color with a medium foamy head. An aggressive and almost over the top bourbon nose, hot, nasty, wood and vanilla. The flavor is similar; a rich flavor of hot bourbon, vanilla, wood, very light chocolate and roasted malts struggle through the barrel. Very hot and quite a brew. Nice. Enjoyable, but perhaps this brew needs a few more years to allow more flavors to come to the fore. Still a quality drink as it is.

A: The pour is nearly black with a nice layer of mocha colored head which leaves some spotty lacing. S: The nose is full of rich chocolate, coffee, vanilla, bourbon, and a slight hint of oak. The alcohol is still noticeable despite the age of this beer. T: Despite the fact that the beer still has some noticeable whiskey (and heat), it’s still fantastic. The vanilla, chocolate, and coffee really work amazingly together to create a fantastic beer. M: The body is quite full and creamy with a nice warmth that lingers on the tongue. D: Even with the bit of heat that the beer has, it’s still fantastic, and gets better each of the times I’ve had it. I really wish I had a bottle of my own to sit on for another year or so.

Bottle shared by ygtbsm94 on 7/3/09: Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with a wispy-lacing light tan head. Aroma of complex bourbon oak and dark chocolate with some sweet dark caramel and vanilla. Starts with good dark caramel and vanilla sweetness with lots of warming assertive bourbon oaky complexity toward a drier, very hot finish. This definitely needs some time to age, but has good complexity throughout.

Rating #2,600. 750mL bottle at Woodshop 5.0, courtesy of WeeHeavySD. Thanks, Jon! Pours a dark cola color with golden edges; light-tan head with mixed bubbles and solid retention. Slightly warming alcohol, toasty bourbon, and pleasantly viscous notes in the nose; well-integrated; solid. Medium-to-full body: slightly harsh alcohol notes; average carbonation and reasonably smooth mouthfeel; slightly ashy, bitter chocolate, charred malts and a touch harsh overall, sadly; lots of alcoholic warmth here. Lasting finish of bitter chocolate, roasted, and lingering alcoholic warmth; slightly rough throughout, though tasty.

Sweet baby jesus! I just opened my bottle of this to share with local RB/BA folks, and I’m glad I did. This lived up to everything I could possibly have expected of it, with more sweet bourbon vanilla than I’ve ever gotten from a beer. Bar none. Just so unbelievably smooth with a taste that seemed to last for minutes. It’s really a unique beer.