AleSmith Decadence 2009 Dunkel Weizenbock - AleSmith Brewing Company

jrallen34

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into my Rochefort glass...Tons of light tan carbonation domintes the pour, good retention, but a squeeky glass as it falls leads to poor lacing marks. However, when you swirl really nice lacing. Lightly clear beer, dark brown with purple highlights...Aroma is medium and very sweet, tons of caramel, figs, nuts, honey and banana. Really nice and balanced...Taste is lighter not as sweet. Light dark fruits, caramel, but shows off a lot of alcohol.

Overall, its not a bad little german style, but not worth purusing because its a Decadence.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 02:24:01 | More by jrallen34

jbeezification

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

04-08-2013 14:38:11 | More by jbeezification

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Two reviews in one day? Wow. Thanks, Carlos!

Gushing over my counter, this beer is a mildly hazy blackish dark brown with reddish brown highlights. There's a thin, light brown head with pretty good retention and minimal lacing. The nose is great. It delivers all I'd want from a dunkel weizenbock. Banana bread esters, whole wheat bread, some chocolate, a little clove, this is a beautiful blend. A touch of cola is also present. Alcohol is shockingly well hidden.

The palate is initially way too fizzy, but once the carbonation settles down, this improves quite a bit. A nice, moderately sweet banana bread character along with some clove, yeast, whole wheat and dark caramel is present. The sweetness is moderate, probably a little overdone, but it works here. The mid-palate has a mild spicy phenolic character to go with a mild chocolate character. Sweet on the finish with caramel-drizzled banana bread, this beer nails the essence of the fruity banana bread character that weizenbocks are supposed to have. Medium in body and a little to carbonated early on, this really does shine once it warms up, quietens down and has had time to open up. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 09:25:50 | More by DefenCorps

abrand

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750 mL bottle poured into a weizen glass.

Pours a cola brown color with a huge off white head that slowly fades. Smell is quite sweet with grapes and plums. Some malts as well. Taste is sweet and smooth. Very good tasting beer. Lots of fruits including raisins and plums with a malty finish. No alcohol is noticed. Great tasting beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and still great carbonation. Overall this is truly a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 23:38:27 | More by abrand

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

08-12-2012 12:32:05 | More by t0rin0

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour at the bottle share hosted by Adam Fine Wine & Liquor held at Sophie’s Place in Redondo Beach, CA.

Pours a clear dark copper with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, brown sugar, yeast, spice, and some fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with dark fruit flavors and a spice finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some solid aromas and flavors that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 03:26:23 | More by UCLABrewN84

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -14%

05-05-2012 01:52:28 | More by ygtbsm94

ObeMaltKinobee

California

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

05-01-2012 08:55:59 | More by ObeMaltKinobee

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 3/2011 notes. Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a cloudy dark red-orange amber. Nice thick white head and lacing. Looks nice. Aroma is a strong blend of light fruit, banana, caramel and some phenolic components. A medium bodied creamy ale. Tastes great with dark and light fruit, caramel, light spicing and only a hint of wheat. Very nicely made. A somewhat astringent finish takes away from an otherwise superb bock.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 02:53:43 | More by LiquidAmber

claspada

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of BeerWorld in a trade about a year ago.

Pours a semi-translucent brown in color with plenty of ruby red highlights and an average sized soapy khaki colored head that dissipates surprisingly fast.

The aromas begin quite muted but open up dramatically as it warms. A great deal of caramel candied maltiness with lesser amounts of toffee, light milk chocolate and an underlying dark fruitiness highlighted by ripe figs. There is an underlying banana bread yeastiness which is extremely mild and well integrated at this point.

The tastes follow the nose but with a bunch more dark fruitiness. Plenty of dark caramelized malts coupled with light sweet milk chocolate and light candy toffee. Really a ton of raisin fruitiness and caramel candy flavors, but it def not too sweet or anywhere near cloying despite my flavor descriptors. What keep it in balance is the nice lager weizen yeast. It adds a nice dryness and mild spice/clove balance which is awesome.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is initially sweet and yet dry and clean thanks to the weizen yeast characteristics. Really a great balance which is always a plus in my book.

Overall this is the second best Weizenbock I have ever had. It is more malty than the traditional Aventinus example (which is top class for me), but this is a really nice American take on a style which is traditionally too yeasty and not a huge favorite of mine, but this was super. Still drinkable with zero alcohol which is always impressive for a lager of this ABV. Def recommended and absolutely well worth seeking out for fans of AleSmith or fans of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 02:12:57 | More by claspada

jophish17

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -14%

12-09-2011 02:03:29 | More by jophish17

pperez38

California

4/5  rDev -1.7%

12-01-2011 08:24:19 | More by pperez38

brandoman63

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.7%

11-22-2011 21:36:16 | More by brandoman63

Exiled

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

11-19-2011 18:31:51 | More by Exiled

earitt

California

4/5  rDev -1.7%

11-17-2011 19:55:37 | More by earitt

HopStoopid120

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1.7%

11-16-2011 03:50:52 | More by HopStoopid120

richbrew

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1.7%

11-15-2011 13:42:45 | More by richbrew

westcoastbeerlvr

California

4/5  rDev -1.7%

11-14-2011 22:48:04 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

ZX6Chris

California

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Opened this for no good goddamn reason at all.

Alesmith Decadence 09. Malty, dark fruit!!!! There's a real strong sweetness that lingers on the finish. It's like sucking on a hard candy. Highly carbed and creamy. This could of easily been port barrel aged. It's so fruity with such a nice mild sweetness that it's more like a BSDA or Quad. A little heat still, this could age well for years to come.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 23:25:39 | More by ZX6Chris

scottfrie

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks for opening this gusher, Mike. Served into a snifter.

A: A gusher of a bottle exploded upon opening but made for a great looking beer in the glass. This beer poured a murky dark brown with a huge off-white head that faded into a great thick fuzzy film that left decent lacing.
S: I get dominant notes of sweet fruits including sweet berries and grape jelly.
T: Follows the nose with flavors of sweet grapes and raisins, spicy sweet fruits, dark fruits, plums, prunes and a bit of vanilla and chocolate. The finish is heavy and contains a bit of ripe banana.
M: Medium-full body, very frothy carbonation that bubbles up on my palate, and a tingly, airy mouthfeel.
O: Enjoyable flavors but the over carbonation took away from the mouthfeel and drinkability. Definitely worth a try though. Thanks again Mike.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 20:32:35 | More by scottfrie

ckeegan04

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Huge light brown head sitting on top of dark chocolate colored beer. Faint reddish hues around the edge. Very active carbonation.

S - Big boozy aroma up front with a strong backing of banana, dark fruits and a bit of dark bread. Beer sweetens up nicely as the beer warms.

T - Bready wheat notes with lots of dark fruit. Alcohol is a bit overwhelming initally but as the beer warms a bit the booze fades. A toffee like sweetness comes on as the beer warms as well.

M - Medium bodied, but not as chewy as I expect out of weizenbock. Good carbonation makes the beer rather lively in the mouth.

O - Another excellent beer from AleSmith. A tasty weizenbock but not and amazing one.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 22:38:17 | More by ckeegan04

Trilogy31

California

3.38/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a amber brown with nice clarity with a frothy head that quickly leaves light lacing in its wake - very similar in looks to the coton i popped recently. The taste brings nougat, rich slightly burnt caramel, bananas foster, sweet belgian spices wrap up the nose. The taste brings an earthy forest floor quality, creme bruleed banana, along with unsweetened toffee. The finish brings a light touch of heat and seemingly is undercarbonated. Decent beer, but not worth its pedigree.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 03:18:38 | More by Trilogy31

mdfb79

New York

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 06/25/11 notes. Shared this one with a few friends; been holding onto it since it was released and been looking forward to it. Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Bruery tulip.

a - Pours a murky, very dark brown color with one to two inches of off white head and moderate carbonation evident. Head leaves no lacing and doesn't have much retention.

s - Smells of caramel malts, toffee, bananas, cloves, light spice, oak, and roasted malts. Very nice mix of bananas and caramel in the nose.

t - Tastes of bananas, cloves, caramel malts, roasted malts, toffee, oak/wood, spices, and light pepper. Bananas a little more forward than the nose, but still very nice.

m - Medium to full body and moderate carbonation evident. Very smooth and creamy, with medium sweetness to it. Great mouthfeel.

o - Overall I really liked this beer. Lots of caramel mixing with bananas and cloves, and great mouthfeel. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 15:16:53 | More by mdfb79

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

deep dark brown, with nice reddish highlights that circled the bottom and the sides of the glass. Rich head of off white, eggshell color comes up about an inch before settling down and leaving in its wake a nice an well rounded cap of foam and lacing.

Aroma is ripe with dark fruits, chewey caramel and rich toffee notes. Warming brings up even more fruit, dark figs, plums, lots of sweet bready malts and lots of funky flavors coming through now. Butterscotch mixed with a lightly tart fruit note, this was very complex and has held up remarkably well. Smooth, steady carbonation and while not being too light or heavy, it certainly won me over with its well balanced and rich profile.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 02:01:57 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to overlord for the bottle. Served in a snifter.

Pours a very dark brown with a half-finger of an off-white head and some spotty lacing. The nose smells like banana, clove, and too much roasted malt and chocolate for the style. All but the malt is a bit too faint for such a big beer. The taste has quite a bit of stronger malt and not enough yeast character. It's actually pretty plain. Medium body with light carbonation. I don't really have all that much to say about this. As it warms some more sweeter malts and dark fruits come through, but it's still not all that impressive.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 14:26:02 | More by Thorpe429