AleSmith IPA - AleSmith Brewing Company

kaseydad

California

4.46/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Finally trying this after numerous fly-bys.

Pours a very nice dark amber colored ale. Almost peach. Big fluffy off-white head. Impressive. Mucho sediment on the bottom of bottle.

The smell has a lot of tangerine, orange, pine, pineapple and floral whiffs. Light hops.

The taste is very balanced. Fruity and hoppy on the first taste with a well done malt backbone to even out the ride. Light bittering, salivating aftertaste. I must say I am very impressed with the balance here. They nailed it for the style.

Big and chewy mouthfeel.

Overall I was very impressed with the entire session. This IPA is very well done. The balance of the malt and hops is almost to perfection. A lot of IPA's are leaning on either side but the Alesmith crew schooled the competition in this style. Very refreshing and ABV is well done for enjoying more than one at a session. Bravo.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 00:57:26 | More by kaseydad

flydudehsv

California

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy apricot glazed amber with a quickly disappearing head..The aroma was extremely piney and had strong notes of wet freshly cut grass, grapefruit...starts with a nice balanced bitter grapefruit flavor, showing subtle piney notes but remaining quite balanced. I used to think this beer was more over the top, but its surprisingly balanced..maybe a tad bit too much...maybe....Alcohol is completely hidden though...and its not as sticky as some IPAs can be. A really good IPA, one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 07:17:48 | More by flydudehsv

timc100

Illinois

4.64/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

approx 2-3 week old bottle. AleSmith finally in IL! Couldn't be happier, now just to get HotD here...

A: Pours a slighty hazy bright orange with a foamy white head.

S: Best smelling non-imperial IPA I've come across. Big west coast notes of pine, bitter and sugared grapefruit peel - dryness. Huge dank skunky pineapple and mango astringent notes pound through. Fantastic stuff

T: Great balance between crisp, refreshing, dry bitterness from the pine and grapefruit, and the dank sweet tropical fruit flavors. Will load up come summer

P: Feels like a refreshing IPA. Light to medium body, active carbonation and dry. My preferences lean towards a bigger body and more of a resinous gloss-lingering affect on the mouth, but nothing wrong with this. Great for summer

O: This is a game changer. I have been drifting away from non-imperial IPA's but this brings me right back - big (relatively), complex and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 17:08:48 | More by timc100

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.86/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

AleSmith Brewing Company - AleSmith IPA - 1pt 6fl oz bottle

First off, don't be fooled by the simplicity of the branding here, this brew is one of those brews that everyone should try.

Look - Pours golden with an amber hue and a slight foamy head that dissipates quickly. Great lacing. Filtered with moderate carbonation.

Smell - Sweet with grapefruit and resinous hops, very appetizing.

Taste - Smooth, almost creamy with a great integration between the malt and piney hops. Slightly bitter at the end, just right.

Mouthfeel - Wow, this is insanely drinkable and rests ever so gently on the palette. Alcohol content is nowhere to be seen and that is a highlight.

Overall - One of the best overall brews I have ever had. I am pleasantly surprised with the quality of this brew and highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 12:49:25 | More by JMScowcroft

vkv822

Oregon

4.31/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22oz : tulip

Clear bright, copper orange with a thick, foamy white head and nice webbed lacing.

Big juicy, citric grapefruit hops upfront, crisp clean hop character.

More grapefruit hops upfront with a faint pale malt backing.

Medium body with prickly carbonation and a faint hop oil feel.

Really nice IPA, as it has a big juicy hop character, but maintains a crisp, clean feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 08:13:25 | More by vkv822

rringler

California

4.39/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Clear, dark amber, with very fine particulates in suspension. About a finger's worth of off-white head, that sticks around pretty well and leaves good lacing.

S: Strong malts, though there some floral/grassy smells in there too.

T: You can taste the herbal/spicy hops from the beginning, and they continue all the way through the taste. Starts kind of malty sweet but finishes with a moderate amount of bitter hops. No boozy taste from the 7.25% abv.

M: A little lighter than some other IPAs. Good to good+ carbonation, and a little quicker due to the lighter body.

O: A pleasant surprise. I'll be honest; I passed on this one a few times because of the very plain bottle labeling, but the contents are excellent. Another great IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 21:09:03 | More by rringler

AgentMunky

California

3.64/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a Dogfish Head IPA glass.

A: Four fingers of tight, tight head (first time using the glass...did I pour it right? Some carbonation. Great retention. Heavy lacing.

S: Dryish, piney hops. Hint of earthy onion. Pleasant, but unremarkable.

T: Identical to the smell. With a lemon twist.

M: Thin, crisp, and tasty. Lightly dry on the end.

O: I was expecting a lot more from this beer. It's very drinkable, very pleasant, but perhaps too unassuming.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 06:34:34 | More by AgentMunky

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.16/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: translucent golden color, bright white head. Lacy legs.

Aroma: citrus, pine, tropical fruits, tangerine, flowery hops, slight malt backbone.

Taste: pine, grapefruit, citrus, orange flowers, grassiness, touch of sweetness and bread.

***Perfectly balanced, not the biggest hop punch, but doesn't leave your palate bruised and beaten, lending a great deinkability.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 01:17:31 | More by EgadBananas

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.18/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bomber to specialty ipa glass, no freshness date

Pours a clear shallow gold with minimal carbonation and a finger and a half of foam, pretty good retention. Smells of strong hops, thick citrus and pine with a nice sweet malt. Taste follows the nose well, nice hoppy profile balanced well with a pale citrus malt. Feel is a little light bodied with a nice crisp and bitter bite, good bitter finished. Overall this is balanced too well for my taste, I like my ipas a lot more on the hoppy side, from a balanced point of view it's great

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 01:22:40 | More by lordofstarside

Vancoubeer

Washington

4.16/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured out of the bottle and it looks like beer. Its been filtered and looks like any normal beer but one things stands out. The head retention. The fact that it does not look like it is going away says that this is going to be a sticky beer with tons of hop oils in the flavor. Lacing galore all over my glass. Am I wrong? the smell is no different. I get tons of sweet hop juice. Citrus hits the nose strong and it appears there is this sweet malt character as well. Amazing for such a filtered beer to have such a sweet citrus like smell. I know it sounds weird but most of the filtered IPAs I have had are bitter instead of smelling fruit like. Now for the taste. Not as much citrus in the flavor as I thought but its there and there is a hint of bitterness but overall, this is one tasty easy to drink IPA. For a standard IPA, its pretty darn tasty. Nothing mind blowing but this has hops in the west coast tradition. Lost of the m but when it comes to bitterness, it takes a back seat when the malts come in to mellow it out. So for the flavor I would say I get that citrusy earthy flavors most IPAs are known by. I was more intrigued by the smell though. Nevertheless, the mouthfeel for this beer does it justice. Its full bodied. Sticky and carbonated just right. Overall this is a great IPA for people that are not looking for a bitter hop bomb but for one that is looking for some nuances. Well done. Easy to drink and worth the 6 bucks I paid. Is it the best ever? No but for a standard IPA there will be very few this good. Try this out.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 05:18:00 | More by Vancoubeer

vitALEity

California

3/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - very light orange, minimal head and lacing

S - mild citrus and pine - nothing that impressive

T - balanced but very light - not what I really like in a west coast IPA. It needs more of everything. A bit too sweet also.

M - its fine, but like the aroma and taste, nothing great

O - Maybe I have an old bottle? There is no brewed on or best by date. I hate when breweries dont put this crucial info on their bottles. This is a pretty "meh" IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 02:39:30 | More by vitALEity

BradMacMullin

Massachusetts

4.81/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Purchased a bottle at liquor store in the Pearl District in Portland OR

A - interesting orange color - 2 fingers and nice lacing

S - citrusy hop smell. Grapefruit and pine

T - Great well balanced hop taste - pleasant surprise

M - Light amount of carbonation and not overly fruity or heavy on alcohol

O - Heard this was a bit like Pliny and I see it. Not as good but easier to get. Very good beer

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 01:20:27 | More by BradMacMullin

atr2605

New York

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-pours a golden orange color and slightly hazy with good head retention
S-a bit subtle overall, has orange citrus, pine
T-orange/grapefruit citrus with malt providing a nice backbone but not lending alot of sweetness. Bit of malt flavor in the aftertaste
M-medium bodied
O-A nice, clean citrus IPA that is very drinkable and full of flavor. Only complaint is the aroma seemed to lack a bit, but still great beer

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 01:32:39 | More by atr2605

KFBR392

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: A bright golden orange color. Oh it looks so beautiful. A unique color for an IPA but in a wonderful way. A decent amount of lacing on the glass but didn't stick to the sides of the glass like many elite IPAs I've had.

Smell: Very subdued here, almost too much so. But the aroma that is there is truly heavenly, bright citrus blasts that come in waves. Orange peel, mango, and other tropical fruits. Very pleasant.

Taste: Wow, such a wonderfully rounded citrus, hop, pine flavor. The bright citrus flavor seem to reign supreme here but the balanced flavor is elite. The fruit flavors attack the front of this beer and eventually yield to a creamy pine flavor. One of the best single IPAs I've ever had.

Mouthfeel: Incredibly drinkable mouthfeel. Goes down at an alarmingly smooth rate. The dry pine flavor sticks on the palette.

Overall: A masterpiece. My favorite of all the Alesmith beers. This beer really reminded me of Pliny the Elder with such a rounded perfected flavor (I really just wanted to brag I've had Pliny the Elder). An incredible value and will is a must buy.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:21:10 | More by KFBR392

GotWad629

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a burnt orange with a small head that dissipates quickly and leaves a good amount of lacing.

This is a citrus bomb with hints of grapefruit, pine, and even some vanilla.

The taste matches the smell. There is a well rounded hop presence of citrus with a nice malt backbone. Hop resin lingers on the tongue. It is beautifully balanced.

The carbonation is perfect. It helps to cut some of that lingering bitterness keeping it very smooth.

This is possibly the best IPA I've ever had. A perfect amount of citrus and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 01:34:31 | More by GotWad629

Brandywine

Washington

3.96/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: Poured a clear orange amber with a fingers worth of white head. Big bubbles.

Smell: Pineapple, mango, peach, guava, honey, sweet citrus like a candied orange. Subtle pine. Huge sweet tropical fruit notes. Smells amazing.

Taste: Lemon, resinous notes. Intense citrus. Grapefruit. The tropical fruits that were screaming on the nose are very subtle on the tongue. The bitterness from the hops is balanced nicely by a solid malt backbone. Tropical fruits come out more as it warms up. There's notes of mango.

Mouthfeel: Medium with light carbonation.

Overall: This really failed to live up to the nose, which was fantastic. Overall I found the taste too citrus forward given its lack of complexity. Still good but disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 06:10:06 | More by Brandywine

da_beers

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

IPA - AleSmith Brewing Co.

A- light amber color, two finger head, good lacing

S- huge citrus scent, balances out with a sweetness, pine throughout

T- pine and citrus, some malt, hops in the end

M- has a bit of a bite to it at first, finishes smooth, carbonation is spot on

D- very drinkable, carbonation makes you want to keep sipping and not put down

O- excellent beer, IPAs are my favorite and this is one of the best I have had

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:48:20 | More by da_beers

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into snifter glass.

reviewed 01/03/13.

Appearance: yellow bodied beer with big 2 fingers of white head. Good retention and lace.

Smell: big citrus nose, oranges, oranges, and more oranges. some grapefruit notes. tropical fruits and floral notes. bready and sweet malts.

Taste: Also sorts of oranges! A hint of grapefruits and tropical fruits, mango, papaya. A touch of pine on the back end. Malt backbone is fortifying without getting in the way of the hops. Good balance and nice complexity with the citrisy hop profile! Mild to moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel: low end of medium bodied beer. Moderate carbonation. This beer is so bright, fresh, and clean. It drink effortlessly smooth.

Overall: This is a crazy good regular offering from Alesmith! Love the fact the the hops are bo big without being overly bitter. It drinks so easily, I could see people knocking down a bomber of this beer themselves without a problem.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 20:35:41 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a really citrusy ipa. pours mostly clear copper color with a big tall delicate looking white lacey head that leaves trails after each sip. the nose is all grapefruit, bittersweet. the malt profile is rather unremarkable in both smell and taste, which is okay for me in this one, because it does what it has to while allowing a very unique and attention commanding hop bouquet to shine. again grapefruit is the main taste note, but there also something else acidic in here, maybe lemon, maybe pomelo. i really love the finish of this, which is as fruity as it is bitter, refreshing but dry, and with an alcohol content that cannot be tasted in the slightest. the feel is equally exuberant, with robust carbonation that tickles the tongue on every sip. body is medium to fuller, but the bubbles make it seem lighter than that, and a bomber of this is a joy to drink, wish i had two!

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 18:17:54 | More by StonedTrippin

VonThinker

4.03/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

My first review on this Xanadu of a beer site!!

22 Oz brown bottle, 7.25 % ABV, a fine Xmas gift from my bro

A : Pours a fairly clear, copper-amber, decent head of about 1 finger with off-white tone

S : Citrus is there, and pine prevails, perhaps also a mild honey scent

T : The hop bite is there but quickly develops into a crisp, citrusy-pine blend. Finishes a bit dry but lingers pleasantly on the back third of the tongue. The last half of the bottle transforms into a more earthy type taste as well

M : Medium body, light carbonation, not overpowering. Somewhat oily feel lingers a bit but the fine taste prevails

O: A fine IPA that I would definitely seek out again, reminiscent of Lake Placid UBU but far less of a potent feel

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 03:45:47 | More by VonThinker

scootpolute

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type: bottle
1 Pint, 6 FL OZ. bottle into tulip glass.

A - Pours semi-cloudy golden, with a nice white head...- some good lacing.

S - Hops and lots of sweet citrus - some orange & grapefruit tones...

T - Smooth & Bright! A great hop kick at the top, followed by some citrus, then ending with a bit of pine-like spices...Pleasant & refreshing!!

M - Great carbonation! There's a good fullness. Present, but not 'too' much fruity/sweet flavors...The final pine/spice balances the beer out wonderfully!

O - This one is great!! I think what make this beer so good is the fine line of not over-doing 'it' in any particular area (hops, fruity-flavor, pine/spice, carbonation, and last but not least, alcohol level). VERY refreshing and will get again and...…Goin’ to look for a tap ASAP!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 21:35:31 | More by scootpolute

snaotheus

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle pouredinto a large mug

Pours yellow-orange, slightly cloudy, medium sized white head. Fair amount of carbonation. Smell is very pretty, flowery, sweet, some citrus rind. Very nice.

Taste is hoppy bitterness -- pine and grapefruit zest, with a mild flowery sweetness in the background to mellow it out.

Mouthfeel is light, a little watery. Overall, this is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 21:24:11 | More by snaotheus

davednyc

New York

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

For a long while, an IPA was my go-to beer of choice. But I've also begun to get that "been there, done that that" feeling for some time now. This beer really stood out...

A - Cooper, cloudy, with a bit of a head and lacing out of the bottle

S - Strong (but not overwhelming), complex, floral, hops, citrus

T - Again, a complex floral, citrus thing going on.

O - Very nice, very distinct!

Got this as a gift at an early Christmas party. I'll be hunting this one down at the local sellers for sure!

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 22:59:37 | More by davednyc

gabedivision

New York

4.23/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 22 oz bottle to a tulip glass.

*no bottling date*

Pours a clean, transparent light copper/orange with a 1 finger inch pillowy white head that thins to a tight lace around the glass, decent sticking and lacing. Smells of spicy citrus, mango, peach, a touch of earthy onion, and garlic also. BIg juicy hop flavors on the tongue, mangos peaches, orange juice, piny and earthy hops, slightly bitter on the finish. Meduim bodied, sugary sweet, citrus, finishes dry and bitter. Overall; i took a chance on this beer, and i was very impressed, this is a classic West Coast IPA. I just do not understand why there is no bottling date on an IPA that is being shipped across the country, lucky for me, it tastes pretty fresh.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:14:29 | More by gabedivision

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber to hfs sniffer

A:honey at the bottom but more of a red dark amber sort of orange in between with a 2cm tan head

S: floral hops with hints of tropical fruit smells wonderful but not much else there

T: follows the nose a tropical floral hop taste that fades nicely into bitterness and fruit flavor it's tart like grapefruits and melons as it warms these fruit flavors come out more. It is also quite resiny like pine

M: crisp and light easy to drink for the abv it doesn't show at all. Oily with a light carbonation to complement the bitterness well this goes away and gets somewhat smoother as the beer warms. The beer also has a sticky resin like feel to it

O: really solid ipa great balance with hops taste and bitterness great mouthfeel smell is decent but wish it was more pungent color isn't great and bitterness is a little much for my taste but still great ipa but not my favorite still would definitely try again

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 02:48:30 | More by Pinknuggets