AleSmith Speedway Stout - Kopi Luwak - AleSmith Brewing Company

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BA SCORE
98
world-class
-
206 Ratings

rAvg: 4.45
pDev: 7.87%
Reviews: 49
Hads: 157

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Brewed by:
AleSmith Brewing Company

California, United States

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout | 12.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (25), on-tap (16), growler (5), cask (3).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

View: Beers (52) | Reviews (17) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by seaoflament:

seaoflament

California

4.75/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm glad AleSmith did this brew again. I have been kicking myself for missing this one the first time around last summer. As Shane said before me, this version is the full on shit, 100% Kopi Luwak coffee. Last year's version was a 50/50 blend.

Honestly I didn't know what to expect. I had my doubts that just changing the coffee would impact the beer so much; moreover that Speedway Stout could actually be improved!

The only way to properly review this one was to have it side-by-side with the "regular" version of Speedway Stout, so I ordered one to go along with my Kopi Luwak version. Both beers had the same dark roasted color but regular Speedway had a nice, creamy, head on top throughout the entirety of the beer, while the Kopi Luwak only had a thin, mocha-colored-island-of-a-head near the center.

Wow! Damn good coffee presence! Smelling this one side-by-side with the regular version, the Kopi Luwak has a distinctly sharp roastiness with layers of chocolate and coco, but this one seems to be a little more earthy and fruity (with black currants). Hints of vanilla start to show up with an almost oak woodiness in the back. This beer almost has an espresso-like aroma on the nose, very rich coffee. I have to say that this smells amazing.

Very coffee forward, nice roast and coffee flavor, again with some earthiness and dark fruity currant flavors in the finish. Wood notes in the aftertaste. A bit of alcohol in the end but barely noticeable and better hidden that regular Speedway. Bitter roastiness in the end from roasted barley. Dark fruits like raisins and semi-tart black cherries covered in dark chocolate.

Low carbonation, slick on the palate. Just a bit of sharpness on the tongue.

Honestly, it's a step above regular Speedway, even the taste is significantly different. Regular Speedway seems thin and less roasted by comparison, lacking the initial burst of dark fruit flavors. This Kopi Luwak version had a slightly more complex roast profile. Very drinkable. I went up to get a 3rd sample but unfortunately I took too long taking notes and the beer was gone by then :o(

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2009 08:38:54 | More by seaoflament

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cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour is jet black, thick creamy dark caramel brown head. Nose is dominated by roasted coffee, not burnt, very clean. Lightly cooked caramel and some rich chocolate malt underneath. Taste follows suit with a bitter of the toasty bitter finish but it doesn't linger. Very well balanced coffee centered flavor, bright flavors, a touch of citrus in the finish. Body is creamy and thick, assertive carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Well done coffee beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 18:16:58 | More by cpetrone84