AleSmith Speedway Stout

bottle - Pours jet black with a dark, moderately sized head that really hangs around, leaving nice lacing. The aroma is of heavily roasted malts and coffee. The flavor is of course primarily the roasted malt and coffee, but is quite complex as well. The palate is huge and the 12% alcohol well masked and very warming. Then there’s a smooth, lingering finish. This brew is altogether excellent. I can see why it’s so highly rated. Certainly the Russian Imperial Stout style is highly regarded in general, but more importantly this is an exsquisite example of the style. Get it and enjoy.

"Sweet Jebus this is one BIG beer. Last weekend I was at the Stone Winter Storm, drinking 40 vintage, special, cask, and regular release Stone ales. This is pretty much the only non-Stone beer that not only stood up to the best they had to offer, but maybe even bested them all. Huge roasted malt, coffee, chocolate aroma and flavor. HUGE! 90IBUs provide balance, but it’s so malty and sweet that the high IBUs don’t overpower in the least. One of the best ever and worth every penny...$15 for a 750 @Stone...none of the stores had the 2009 yet. Awesome stuff!"

Served on 2/24/09 @ 44 F in non Chilled Czech Pilsner. Aroma is very similar to Trappist Rochefort 10, Appearance is black opaque, head moderately high in 400ml glass frothy. flavor is slighlty sweet, slightly bitter, body is full, texture is thick, carbonation is lively and finish is long. Overal this beer is very good. For my palate, it ranks very high.

Rating 900. Bottle courtesy of markwise. Thanks for the share, my friend. Pours a pitch black murky color with a massive tan-yellow head that settles slowly. Aroma is roasted and malty with notes of coffee, toffee, chocolate, licorice, ripe dark fruit, caramel, figs, raisins. Flavor is roasted and malty as well with notes of coffee, chocolate, honey, caramel, coffee bean, smoke, some hints of wood and brandy. Generally full body with a pleasing roasted malt finish. I agree that this beer deserves all the hype -- really something special.

750 ml bottle. Pours black with a large creamy tan head with nice lacing. The aroma is a wonderful blend of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, and caramel. The flavor is again well balanced between the roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, caramel, and molasses. The finish has a touch of black coffee bitterness. I didn’t have any clue while drinking this that it was 12%. Smooth and easy to drink, this was a special treat.

Bottle in Northfield, MA. Very black with the faintest head. Nose of malts and coffee. Fuel-powered taste of strong coffee and darkest chocolates. Very nice. A smooth mouthfeel and very creamy and crisp. Warming and delicious.

Bottle from Nov 2007, Thanks Miguel! Poured kind of cold into my New Belgium snifter. No apparent head. Just a small ring of foam around the perimeter of the glass. Smell was of chocolate , coffee. I sat enjoying the aroma until the beer warmed up to a suitable temperature, i.e. it didn’t give my fingers frostbite. Taste: Strong coffee taste, lots of roastiness. Kind of sweet. It tastes just like an iced coffee that you would get at Starbucks. As the beer warms there’s more complexity coming out. I get some dried fruit, fig, raisins, etc. No alcohol burn 12% you say? Hah! Mouthfeel: spot on for a stout. Not as thick as one would expect, despite there being quite a bit of sludge at the bottom of the bottle. Drinkability: Yes it is. Very drinkable. I would be able to put a bottle of this away by myself, although it would take an entire evening. One of the best stouts out there and aging it fo r a year or two definitely helps. Serving type: bottle

Pitch black with brown head. Smell of coffee and roasted malt but still fresh. Strong coffee and bitter chocolate taste. Sweetness is the but still very burned. BIG stout!