AleSmith Decadence 2008

On tap at Hamilton’s in San Diego. Pours a deep dark brown color with a lasting one-finger tan head. Aroma is caramel malt and toffee, vanilla, dark fruit, and some mild tartness. Flavor is good, strong, and a little tart, with caramel and toffee, raisin and sweet cherry. Body is medium for a barleywine and there is a little tart acidic bite. ABV well hidden. Overall solid.

750ml bottle served in a Duvel tulip. Poured a dark amber with a finger of light tan head. Malty aroma with a slight sourness. Big full bodied beer. Lots of dark fruit. Unfortunately the sourness carried over in the flavor. I can’t tell whether there is an infection, but looking at other reviews, I’m not the only one getting this flavor. First Alesmith beer that I haven’t really enjoyed.

bottle thanks to markus. Pours amber, with medium head. Aroma of hops, caramel, sugary sweetness. Flavor of a typical barleywine, nice hop backbone, thinnish, not much alcohol. Good beer.

Bottle. Thanks to Hopscotch for bringing. Moderate aroma of cookie for the malt, cooked orange for the hops, with hints of brown sugar, honey, dark dried fruits and wine. Head is small, wispy slightly off-white, with fair lacing and good legs, and is mostly diminishing. Color is murky brown with lots of particles. Flavor starts lightly sweet, heavily acidic and sour, then finishes lightly sweet and again sour. Palate is medium to full, creamy with a soft carbonation and a dry and tart finish. Disappointing. This has to be an off bottle. It came off way too sour and painful to the back of my jaw to drink. I do see the potential for a great beer through the nice aroma.

Bottle. Toffee colored pour, somewhat clear and with a small amount of bubbles. Aroma is vanilla, english caramel malt. Flavor is the same, a little too sweet and the palate seems thin and watery (despite the high alcohol). Sort of fruity flavor also, which is weird.

Bottle... Poured deep, ruby/amber with a thick, beige head. Big molasses, little bit of hop bitterness. Dark fruit esters, ginger, and a wine-like alcohol flavor that had a raisin accent to it.

sample from the bottle at Dr. Bill’s Tasting at Falling Rock during GABF on 9/26/09... dark brown pour... medium body... citrus notes... malt forward body... some dark fruits... somewhat of an oak finish.

Sampled from 750 ml bottle and shared by BDR. Pours a hazy reddish dark brown colored brew with a fast dissolving off-white head. Aroma of caramel malt, some tart berries and a touch of toffee. Taste is full bodied, flavors of caramel malt, tart berries a touch of cherry, some citrus and a little raisin. Finish was slightly tart with some light bitterness. I would allow this one to age a little as the alcohol presence was noticeable.