AleSmith Horny Devil - AleSmith Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aged as recommended, for about a year. Peachy colour, looks elegant. Smells yeasty and malty. Above average mouthfeel that is cuvee-ish dry, rich, and the alcohol hits you later. Corriander and fruit. White pepper. A very good Belgium for a lighter colour.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2009 04:13:32 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.58/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Yeastified ripe pumpkin with butterscotch borders. It's immediately apparent that AleSmith doesn't have the same penchant for carbonation as most Belgian brewers because the head isn't explosive in the least. It's pale orange-tinted alabaster in color and is firmly creamy. No huge frothiness, no Alps-like rockiness, no slathered on Belgian lace. It isn't a bad look, but it can't hold a candle to the best of this style.

I like the nose quite a bit, probably due to the authentic Belgian yeast strain that, according to the brewery, was obtained from a Trappist monastery. Which one, they don't divulge. It may not be quite as complex as some, but makes up for it by being especially aromatic and especially spiced orange fruity. Coriander *and* clove? Very nice.

Although the head wasn't explosive, the beer itself sure is! I'll say one thing for AleSmith beer, like it or not (and I love it), it isn't shy when it comes to flavor delivery. Horny Devil hits the taste buds like a ton of very delicious bricks that are in no hurry to leave. I'm not entirely sure, but I think that I could identify this beer as a non-Belgian BSPA. Something about it is different, though it is very, very good.

For one thing, it's fruitier (oranges and apricots) than usual. For another, it's sweeter than usual. For yet another, the coriander adds a delightful 'other' spiciness that one doesn't usually taste in a beer of this style. Sweet, spicy fruit... all things that I enjoy. Especially when delivered in beer form by one of the best breweries on planet Earth.

Sweet has company. Bitter and sour, in their best Sunday finery and as well-behaved as can be, are present as well. I never doubted the Horny One's desire and I certainly don't doubt her performance, but--initially at least--I doubted her complexity. Now I'm not so sure. As the beer warms, I'm able to appreciate more nuance under all of the bright, bold, palate-crushing flavors. I can't get over how much the coriander adds and wish that other brewers would do something similar with their BSPAs.

I don't doubt the 11%, but man oh man, this has to be one of the most drinkable double digit ABV beers in existence. Some brewers can't mask 7% nearly this well. As I pour all but the final two fingers of beer into my glass (so far), I get loads of dark particles that just have to be coriander-crusted yeast. Even more flavor! Hot damn!

The body is full and lightly syrupy without being overdone. There isn't a great deal of carbonation left--there wasn't an abundance to begin with--though what's present is doing yeoman's work lightening things enough to keep the beer supremely silky in the mouth. Some might find the sweetness and stickiness unbecoming of the style, but I'm not one of them.

This beer is yet another example of the brewing excellence emanating from Southern California in general and AleSmith in particular. Style after style hits the bull right smack dab on the nose and Horny Devil is no exception. After drinking AleSmith beer, I always wish that I had picked up at least a case when I had the chance. That, more than anything else, is the mark of a world-class brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2006 22:25:13 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Believe it or not this was the first time I had tried this one. I picked it up last night as it was ridiculously hot out but I needed a good little nightcap, so I wanted something a little bit lighter. Big 750 ml bottle with the red foil cap was a welcome sight and I quickly dove right into it at about 50 degrees, pouring it into my Terrapin snifter. I was a touch disappointed by the look to be honest, as it was just a bit dull. Very hazy, golden yellow color came though immediately, but no head at all. Only the slightest broken crown around the edges and a good amount of carbonation streaking up were the only signs of life in this one, very strange occurrence indeed.

The aroma was very nice. Lots of yeast and coriander here. Almost a peppery like note bouncing around in there as well. Hints of grass, and honey as well as some light touches of wheat and lemon. The flavor was very peppery, with a pronounced zing on the tongue from the first sips. Nice and lively feel, which was good as I was afraid it was going to come off dull, but was pleasantly surprised. Coriander riddled throughout this one, which on its own, this would be an excellent Belgian ale, but with this added level of spice it just got that much better. Very dry finish, with the moisture zapped from the tongue and a nice bitter taste left behind to balance and play around. Not hardly a touch of alcohol in the flavor at all, though at 11% it definitely was felt by the end of the bottle. A very nice sipper, and light enough in feel and profile for even the hottest of days.

Overall I thought this was very good. Not sure what was up with the look of it, but it did not detract from the overall experience at all. I thought this was a classic ale for Alesmith and something that I would love to try again. Will have to try this one on tap one day as it seems to be outstanding!

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2008 23:54:03 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of drabmuh at a recent tasting. Served in a Bruery tulip.

The pour yields a bright golden brew with a really nice white head with good retention and a nice bit of lacing. The nose is mildly fruity with some grain and bread. The fruit character is quite prominent in the nose. Some light tropical fruits with a bit of cherry and melon. Light pear and spice as well. The taste follows up on this. Everything is a bit light and not all of the fruity components combine all that well. Feel is crisp with a bit of an alcohol bite. Pretty good, but not something I would seek out again with better Belgian varieties much more widely-available.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 13:14:37 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2004 vintage.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, burnt orange body with a very thin, subsequently short-lived, white head.

Smell: Pleasantly fragrant aroma smelling of alcohol-soaked peaches and apricots, candyish malts, silkweed honey, an underlying spicy coriander character and sweetly-scented honeysuckle.

Taste: Rich honeyed maltiness with a sweet, toothsome taste of confectioners' sugar. Pleasant kick of spices marked by a well-defined coriander taste. Toss in a splash of Kajsijevaca apricot brandy. Additional fruit flavors of peaches and white grapes. An incredibly light bitterness is all that remains of the hops at this point. The finish is warming with a lingering touch of sweet fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-high carbonation, which, thankfully, brings some appreciated levity to prevent any syrupiness.

Drinkability: As always, an outstanding job by the good people over at AleSmith. In fact, I don't recall ever having a brew from them that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2009 17:19:53 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy honey color with a huge head; lots of retention and lacing (I have read in other reviews that there have been carbonation problems but this seems to have been corrected.)

Smell: The coriander comes through loud and clear, but there is also some bubblegum and fruity esters, too

Taste: A fruity blend of candi sugar and peach/mango provide the opening, with the coriander making its appearance a bit later on; after the swallow, the coriander lingers while the sweet and fruity flavors persist with just a hint of bubblegum sweetness throughout

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with buoyant carbonation; some warmth after the swallow

Drinkability: Not my favorite style, so this is a bit hard to drink; top notch if I were rating it as a beer judge but I won't often return to it

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2008 02:02:19 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a murky honey gold with a foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form randomly around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, yeast, spices, and some slight citrus peel aromas. Taste is the same with the spices lingering on the finish. There is also a slight alcohol kick with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slight crispness and a medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer and a good American example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 06:18:02 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of Black95tt: Poured a light orangey color ale with a good foamy head with little retention. Aroma of spices is clearly dominating with some traces of the Belgian yeast. The spices that probably include coriander also dominate taste as well as slightly funky yeast, some sweet malt and a light dry finish. Alcohol is well masked which I appreciated but body was a bit too watery for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2006 18:16:38 | More by Phyl21ca

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's unusual that I've never reviewed the Horny Devil because it's one of my favorite beers, and I've had more than a few bottles of it! Of course, in a way that does make sense because I'll quite often just skip the review and enjoy the beer to its fullest when I'm enjoying something that fits my personal tastes (mainly sour Belgians, but this one is good too!).

So what is it that catches my attention in the Horny Devil? Well, I guess it's the combination of softly sweet, and ever so lightly toasty, bready malt and low-key coriander. It's round and supple with a great drinkability.

It initially pours a very clear, brass-orange-gold body beneath a full head of white foam that dwindles readily to a thin collar leaving only thin webs of lace about the glass. The yeast pour brings it into full cloudiness.

The nose, however, redeems it with a rich, sweet, and bready malt that's accented by a delicate prick of alcohol and a minor waft of spice.

The body is medium and it's smooth and supple across the palate with a restrained, natural carbonation. However, in older bottles it does develop a bit more crispness.

The flavor is exactly as the nose suggests with just a bit more depth. The bready,vanilla-ish, lightly caramelish, and subtly toasty malt acts as the stage for some entertaining swirls of yeasty fruit, spice, and alcohol. It's basic, but very well-balanced and quite drinkable (with the exception of its strength).

In my opinion, 3 years seems to be the max on this one before it starts to shrivel up. It doesn't develop any more character through aging, and all that happens is that it becomes more crisp and dry. There's a wide medium ground, but I find it best fairly fresh - within a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2005 20:54:17 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bright orange/peach color, small offering of foam.
Sweet, fruity aroma, pronounced spiciness, from the coriander and Belgian candi sugar. Very nice.
Taste: big, big,big, and bold in the mouth, slick and delicious, though it drifts away off of the palate quickly, though never exactly leaves. Fat fruit, utterly tasty, though it could stand to be a bit more complex. Like an extra-strong tripel, with a fuller body. Alcoholic strength becomes heavier and more predominant in the overall feel, and I actually like it better as the bottle drains. Funny, that.
Full-bodied, long, fruity, spicy finish. A nice brew for sharing with friends, celebrations, nice dinners....wish I had a bottle for every happy occasion that comes my way.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2005 10:03:40 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a powerful pale malt scent that is balanced nicely with a spicey coriander aroma. It's got a wonderful fruity yeast aroma. It blends well with the malt aroma. The taste is great. It has a damn good malt flavor.It's warm yet, mellowed out with the coriander. It goes down easy and finishes with a kick ass fruity yeast taste. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn fine Belgian style brew. It's got great malt character as well as excellent spice and yeast content.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2007 22:43:50 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Beer is yellow and hazy with a wispy white head of tiny bubbles, minimal lacing and apparently low carbonation.

Aroma is bready with some mild yeast character. Smells fine I suppose.

Beer is thin and sweet up front with a dry bitter finish, in-between there is a mild breadiness and a few yeasty esters. I am unimpressed.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 23:59:59 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this beer.

The beer pours a yellow color with a large white head. The aroma is great. I get a lot of coriander, oranges, white pepper and yeast. The flavor is more of the same with some alcohol (it is quite boozy), Belgian yeast, coriander, wheat and orange juice. This tastes like a Belgian White on steroids, but it is not a coriander bomb like a lot of the Double Whites I have tried in the past. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 03:39:53 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a cloudy, golden orange color with a small, white head of soapy, bubbly foam. It left sheets of white, soapy residue on the sides of the glass.

S - It smelled fruity - apple and pear - a bit like a Tripel. Nice yeasty/spicy notes, too.

T - Estery and yeasty with sweet fruitiness. Good spicy bite with some grassiness. Nice subtle caramel sweetness.

M - It was crisp with a sharp bite. A dry finishing beer with a medium body.

D - This is really a nice beer. Good looking and great taste/aroma.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 01:41:56 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy golden yellow in color. Although it has a light amount of visible carbonation, the beer poured with a massive three finger high bright white head that has excellent retention properties.
S: The smell has light to moderate aromas of yeast in the nose along with some hints of candi sugar.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has hints of pale malts and peppery spices along with a slight amount of bitterness. No traces of alcohol are perceptible.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and rather dry on the palate with a high amount of carbonation.
O: This beer seems to be overly carbonated however the bubbly nature makes this beer especially easy to drink considering its strength.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 02:43:29 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

2.8/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

No real head on this beer. It is a very clear golden color. There is a bit of weird aroma emanating from my glass, I am not quite sure what it is though. It tastes a bit cidery. It is thin bodied, lightly alcoholic in the finish, and there is a light sweetness running throughout. I detect an astringent mustiness as well. This really needs to be highly carbonated, this is just lightly carbonated. Does this get better? It must, right? Not too interesting at all. So disappointing coming from this brewery, it is in fact a drain pour for me, I have much better things in the fridge waiting for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2003 14:57:25 | More by Gueuzedude

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.8/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours bronze into my Duvel Tulip with one finger of rocky ivory colored head. Above average head retention & below average lacing

s: Huge fruittyness: apricot, grapes, & candy sugar

T: Candy sugar, honey, apricots, with leafy & lemony hops up front. White pepper, pear brandy boozeyness with nice warming sense & pineapple as this warms. Finishes crisp with apple skins, & a bit of cinnamon, & some more pineapple

MF: Oily, low carbonation, pretty sticky & super balance

Drinks great for the ABV & style. Rivals anything I had in Belgium. AleSmith is quickly becoming favorite Cali Brewery!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2008 05:33:10 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew poured out as a slightly hazy looking golden yellow color. The head was big and fluffy leaving a nice lacing. The smell of the beer had an interesting soft fruity aroma to it, the smell of Belgian yeast and some wild flowers are in there too. The taste of the beer was floral with a little hop bite to it. The mouthfeel was bubbly and tickled the taste buds. Overall I found this beer to be pretty good overall and it's worth trying if you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 02:25:22 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a blonde yellow, with an average white head, with very good lacing.

S: Estery, pears and bananas.

T: On first sip, you are hit with a heavy pear ester flavour that dominates the drink at first, but then evolves in to a malt and apple tasting drink, with a bit of hops at the end and peppery spice, with a slight medicinal character.

M: Smooth and refreshing with a nice bite.

D: A very good BSPA, you'd never know it was 11.00% alc./vol, there's virtually no alcohol taste at all, a very good production.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2008 05:45:06 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to PhxHrn for this!

750 ml bottle, poured into tulip glass:

Pours hazed golden with a thin white head. Dotted lacing sticks.

The smell is fruity, bready, spicy (coriander).

The taste is of orange, lemon, with a sugary/honeyish sweetness. Mild sourness and gentle pepperish/coriander spiciness balance it well.

It has a creamy medium body.

Nice balance and taste. Alcohol very well-covered for 11% abv.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2009 15:07:28 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A 750 mL bottle shared with Phatz, weeare138 and Beerbeing.

A: The ale is a hazy blonde ale, one that revels in its yellow paleness. The head is moderate but nothing to get too excited about.

S: The ale has a sweet spicy aroma that showcases a strong coriander element.

T: The ale has a sweet, strong spiced body. There are some honey elements that provide a strong sweetness. Those notes are balanced by an intensely strong coriander pepper element that overtakes all other elements of the beer.

M: Can you say coriander? The ale overloads the spicey element, creating a big pepper bomb.

D: The strong spices and big abv make pounding this ale impossible but the flavors are nice and almost reminiscent of a Chimay blue.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2007 00:48:24 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Split a large bottle with a friend over lunch. It poured a slightly hazy straw yellow in the restaurant's (Little Ortino's) Kasteel glasses. The slight alcohol heat was understandable, but the beer was unusually acidic. I was hoping for a super Duvel, was more wine-like with a yeasty, spiced edge. My friend was not a fan. But while the flavor was a bit off the mark, little things like the mouthfeel and carbonation were on, and I wonder a little if the beer was mishandled and poorly stored. Either way, this came off like a Belgian strong pale that's veered off course.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 01:25:31 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Golden honey tone with a suprisingly thin white head leaves specks of lacing quite disappointing appearance. Aroma: Rich complex honey tinged fruit tones tropical fruit like some pineapple and mango type flow. Taste: Very sweet with the alcohol leaving it's mark on the palate very heavy in the plethora of flavor going on here with rich syrupy notes of pear, mango, and pineapple comes a dry finish. The sweetness is this beers primary flavor attribute but also one that cuts back on the drinkability. Mouthfeel: I would say medium bodied ale with a lot of texture from the syrupy fruit a bit cloying due to the sweetness. Drinkability: Very tasty and flavorful however the lack of carbonation takes away from the crispness turning into a strong alcoholic syrup, it's better than that but I am quite disappointed from this offering from Alesmith. The IPA, ESB, and X were fantastic so far just a lot of rich flavors take away from the drinkability here.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2004 21:51:55 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark straw color with a slight cloudiness. I'm disappointed with the very light head. Surprising lace--spotty.

Lots of citrus aromas; more lemon than any other smell. Light coriander and a touch of butter.

The flavor features a tart start. Mid-taste, there is a pale malt flavor with a smidge of spice. The aftertaste returns to the sourness with strong alcohol warmth. Full bodied for the color. High carbonation.

This is a potent brew with some very good flavor. It may be too powerful for the flavor profile. I will be curious to see what my friends who frequent Belgium might say.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2007 00:05:54 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle Pours a cloudy straw yellow, no carbonation, no head, but some lacing. Scents or orange, coriander, a little alcohol. Nice taste tangy, sweet, with a hint of alcohol. Medium body. Very drinkable at 11% ABV which the bottle sez. I like this offering from AleSmith, very nice would buy again and recommend to people.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2006 20:25:50 | More by Wasatch