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Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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RATINGS: 1279   WEIGHTED AVG: 4.1   EST. CALORIES: 218   ABV: 7.25%
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
AleSmith IPA used to be known as "Irie Pirate Ale." However, some nasty patent attorneys think the name is too similar to another brand, so we had to "cease and desist." It's a darn shame, but it beats an obnoxious legal battle, in both expenses and Excedrin. Don't worry though, we won't change the beer (which is a MUCH better IPA than that "other" brand). It was conceived as an American-style IPA to satisfy the yearnings of the most die-hard hopheads. Its high alcohol content may catch you unawares if you're not careful, but it's hard to resist once you've tasted it. Appearance: Deep golden to light amber color, and a nice beige head, with good retention when properly served. Flavor: Starts off with strong citrusy, resiny flavors, balanced by a nice malty sweetness, then fades to a dry finish with a lingering hoppiness and a faint hint of plums and black cherries. Aroma: Strong piney-citrusy character, with vanilla in the background. Mouthfeel (body/texture): Smooth, medium-bodied. Feels warm in the mouth from the alcohol.


4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
ManvsCity (167) - Redmond, Washington, USA - DEC 7, 2009
It is practically inconceivable this nearly perfect IPA could be surpassed in any way. The bottle conditioning smooths the carbonation on the tongue and creates a thick, dense head that lasts to the end. Aromas of grapefruit, bread, and butterscotch. Sublime flavors of robust hop buds, light malts, lemon, and faint spice. Finishes with a refreshing pucker. Any time I make it to CA, this is one of the first beers I look for.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Chickencoop (188) - California, USA - DEC 7, 2009
Poured a deep gold with a huge chunky head, very inviting on this frigid night. Smell were sweet hops typical of you west coast IPA. Taste was better than I expected, the hops balance nicely with the malty finish. Thehigh ABV was masked bu the balance. This was a better than expected beer and would totaly pick this up again.

4.4
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
mistersinalin (380) - St. Paul, Minnesota, USA - NOV 28, 2009
Still in Massachusetts, I had this beauty on the last evening. I always like a beer that gives you flowers and then tries to get you drunk. I really enjoyed this after a long wait to find it. It has a little more pine than I normally like but the whole beer works. A beast!

4.2
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
smith4498 (2151) - Miami, Florida, USA - NOV 28, 2009
Bottle from a trade with daknole. Pours deep hazy golden color with white head. Aroma of citrus fruit, alot of lemon. Citrus is the dominant flavor with some malts and a lingering mild hop bitterness. Medium body with lively carbonation, a resinous mouthfeel and a dry finish. Good stuff. Thanks Dak.

4.2
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 17/20
nwiseman (192) - West Lafayette, Indiana, USA - NOV 27, 2009
From bottle (the bottom to be more specific, which im told must have had a profound impact on my tasting experience) shared with brother Eric and awiseman. Aroma is sweet floral and citrus hops with an emphasis on the sweet. Didn’t get a good look at it in the light, but it look like semi-clear orange with a small rapidly disappearing head. Could definitely taste the alchol as well as the hops, although to be honest, the hops were as strong as I expected. It almost had a syrupy mouthfeel, which may have been contributed to by the sweetness. Went down very smooth. Not what I usually expect from IPAs, but a pleasant surprise.

4.3
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
RealPoser (40) - Tampa, Florida, USA - NOV 24, 2009
Bottle courtesy of Jason: Pours a light amber with dense head that dissipates faster than expected... but laces nicely. Nose is of grapefruit, dry hay and resin. Something about this aroma is extremely pleasing. Almost like right after a first spring rain. The flavor is exceptional... but not at all what I was expecting. The hops are subtle at first (very nasal driven) and the malt backbone is absolutely perfect. Hints of plum and caramel are extremely inviting. Body is light, with a nice dry and slightly lingering finish. This is by far, the best balanced IPA I have tried to date... and dare say, my new favorite.

3.7
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
Frovigalning (1320) - Örebro, SWEDEN - NOV 24, 2009
UPDATED: MAY 20, 2010 This is a beer I’ve been wanting to try for a while. It’s ranked as the nr 1 IPA at Ratebeer and our expectations where quite high. It had allot of fruity hops flavours but also some dried fruit. However I felt a bit like I wanted more everything from this beer. It did deliver but I think our expectations where a bit to high. I would love to try this again under better conditions though. Edit: Tried it at home but actually lowered the score from 3,8 to 3,7.

4
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 17/20
Fred82 (1759) - Montreal, Quebec, CANADA - NOV 22, 2009
Bottle at a tasting. Pours hazy amber with a medium head. Nose is fresh and citrusy hops. Very fruity and quite a lot of grapefruits. Taste is grapefruit, hoppy and quite bitter. quite fruity also.


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Rating Notecard:
Beer: AleSmith IPA Rating Avg: 4.1 No. of Ratings: 1279
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