AleSmith Decadence 2007

Pour is black as all hell with frothy brown head. Aromas of roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. Flavor is coffee, vanilla, and chocolate. Intesnse flavors is this guy. One of the better porters i’ve had.

750mL pours near pitch with big tan head that cascades beautifully. aroma it of big dried fruit and some chocolate, vanilla, and alcohol coming through as well. mouthful is a bit tangy with the dried fruit taking precedence but that is followed up with some bitter cocoa and then some alcohol. nice big porter with tons of character.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. Pours a dense brown/black hue, huge thick foamy head dissipates to a thin layer of brown froth, web-like lacing on the glass. Aromas dominated by rich coffee malts, tones of chocolate, toffee, caramel, hints of darker fruits and grassy hops, vanilla and alcohol in the background. Taste is unsurprisingly dominated by coffee and roast malts, hints of bittersweet chocolate malts follows along with a moderate dose of grassy-earthy hops, transitions to some toffee and caramel, big bold malts and hops throughout, finishes bitter with an alcohol burn. Mouthfeel is full-bodied, silky smooth and creamy texture rides the alcohol warming sensation, moderate to lively carbonation. Drinkability is moderate, this is one hefty porter with a good dose of hops and alcohol, i really like the interplay between the sweet and bitter coffee malts and the bitter hops, the hot alcohol limits the drinkability as if you’d ever be able to get more than a few bottles of this gem, congrats to Peter & Alesmith on another anniversary winner!

Looks like I’m against the grain on this one. I was expecting something good coming from Alesmith, but I have not been impressed with either of the Decadence beers I’ve had. This pours very dark brown with a patchy tan head. The aroma has milk duds-like chocolate, vanilla, dark breadiness and some oxidation. Medium body that has some harshness and sharp carbonation. The taste starts with toasty malt and then a fusal alcohol blast destroys everything. There’s some roast and fruit underlying, but it’s so hard to catch nuances when the alcohol is so prevalent and stinging. This goes in my list of greatest disappointments along with Stone 10th. So it goes.

750ml from South Bay - thanks, Joey! Very active pour, with a big dark body and a thick 2-inch beige head. Nose is roasts, strong molasses, a trace of milk chocolate. Nearly a year after I cracked a fresh bottle, there’s still a good bit of heat on this one. I really dig the smooth creamy mouthfeel, but at the same time, the beer seems like it has inner conflicts: that is, it tastes almost like there’s a hoppy ASA locked in mortal combat with an imperial porter (like maybe someone poured a bunch of 06 Decadence into some Speedway?). I mostly enjoy this collision of styles, but there are times when I don’t think it hangs together as well as it could.