AleSmith IPA

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
San Diego, California USA

(bottle, thanks Bartzilla!) Pours hazy copper-orange with a lasting white head that leaves sticky lacing; a perfect five. The aroma is just great. First, I get a big blast of grapefruit, and a cotton candy-like sweetness, followed up by mandarin orange and ambrosia salad. Some pine and grass emerges as well. Wow, this is something else. The taste however, fallls flat. There’s a little caramel taste in here, with just a weak hop finish. The complexity that the nose displayed is not exhibited at all in the flavor. Mouthfeel is medium. This beer is paradoxical, the aroma is probably the best I’ve ever smelled in an IPA, but the flavor is very run of the mill.

Rating #300! bomber, thanks to Sparky27. Amazing.... for sure, the best IPA I’ve ever had - it lives up to it’s rating as the #1 IPA. pours a deep golden with a nice thick white head which holds well throughout as a nice lacing and slim top. piney hop aromas... solid full body over the palate, with a huge hop presence. sticky, chewy and creamy. slight malt undertone... huge bitter finish which sticks with you - literally. lots of citrus fruits from start to finish. the hops in this one will smack you.... a true delight.

OK, the pivotal, highest of high, in terms of IPA beers. Pours medium gold from bomber forming large foamy head. Aroma of hopped up pine resines, citrus flowers with an apricot mash of peach and malted buds. Flavour was of a full flavoured beer, premium IPA style beer. Full on hopped pine resins with a slight grapefruit and rhine character. Wet forrest flowers with pepper endings demands to be heard too. The holy of holies? Damn near, this is truly the best beer to experience in terms of overall style and comfort. Bring me kegs! A remarkable beer to behold and experience!!!

Finally got to try the highest rated beer of my favorite style. Bomber poured into small tulip glass. Hazy cascading orange forming a billowy head. Thick webby lacing. Awesome aroma of floral hops, tropical fruit, peach, and bright citrus (tangerine, grapefruit). Flavor marked by zesty grapefruit hops-fresh and spritzy- like a twisting of grapefruit rind on the tongue. Has a robust hoppy bitterness which is at the same time mellow and smooth. Clean resiny finish--no astringency. Nice biscuity malt foundation to support all the hoppy goodness. I’m not sure if this or Bells Two Hearted is the best single IPA I’ve had, but this has to be way up there nonetheless. Bottle from Pacific Standard.

Bottle. Nice dark golden color with very long lasting and fluffy off white head. Aroma is wonderfully hoppy with citrus and pine resins dominating. Flavor is really great with the malts offering a good balance. A first rate IPA that I will buy again.

Bouteille 650ml, courtoisie de Hogtownharry. De couleur dorée-ambrée et claire. Nez de houblon résineux, citrique (pamplemousse), légèrement herbeux (herbes fraîches) et floral, fruité (agrumes, abricots), malté de biscuits, léger de caramel et avec des traces de pain. Moyennement ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen ainsi qu’une texture crémeuse et légèrement résineuse. Goût amer de houblon citrique (pamplemousse), résineux et moyennement floral (une amertume sèche et fraîche, présente toute la gorgée) accompagné d’un goût fruité (agrumes sucrées, abricots) lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté de biscuits au caramel avec des notes de pain et de céréales puis en finale l’on assiste à un regain d’amertume de houblon plus asséchante, herbeuse (herbe fraîches, notes de thé et traces de menthe) et légèrement plus résineuse ainsi qu’avec des notes d’alcool. Post-goût long et sec, amer de houblon résineux, citrique, herbeux et légèrement floral ainsi qu’avec un léger goût fruité (zest d’agrumes, noyau de pêche) et de traces d’alcool doux.

bomber into pint glass. Pours hazy amber orange. Big slightly off-white head. Sweet citrus and pine hops and sweet malt aroma - smells like hopslam. Strong but smooth hops (not extremely bitting). Alcohol is hidden really well. Soft and medium bodied on palate. Overall: Check this out if you can find it. I got it at "From The Vine" outside of Columbus; really sweet store.

BOTTLE: Obvious sediment in golden color with thick white head and fabulous lacing. Very piney with a hint of grapefruit in the nose. Flavor is extremely piney, like picking up a tree and eating it. Palate is lively but oh so dry. This is just too much of an IPA for my liking, or at least not as balanced as I’d prefer.