AleSmith Decadence 2011 Maple Smoked Barleywine - AleSmith Brewing Company

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Split a 750 ml poured into a duvel glass

A: pours a murky amberish brown with half a finger of amber/tan colored head which dissapates quickly into a film.... A little bit of spotting

S: caramel covered apples, raisins, brown sugar and delicious toffee and maple smoke, this has a great nose. I was afraid that the smoke might be overwhelming bit it blends in with the nose beautifully... There is a hint of alcohol in there as well that becomes more apparent as this one warms.

T: much like the nose except the smoke is turned up a bit, caramel and toffe notes along with brown sugar and a touch of raisin, at first the smoke
Comes in with a slight campfires bite, bit is then subdued by the malt and takes on a more Mapely note. but honestly the smoke is a bit heavy for me.

M: heavy bodied with low carbonation, drinks like apple cider i feel, dry on the finish with a touch of lingering smoke.

O: this is a very good and unique brew, and a very nice barleywine, te smoke is a touch to much for me, but this is deffinatly a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 02:46:54 | More by PeterIngemi

spdyfire83

Ireland

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

271st Review
75cl bottle to wine glass
Vintage: 2011

Thanks ricoch3t for this birthday gift!

A: Medium chestnut brown. 2+ (light tannish mocha) fingernail head on soft pour.

S: Smells of roast pig, smokey, and maple. Deep, rich, and complex. Hints of caramel sweetness and dark malt. Quite interesting and inviting.

T: Taste follows smells, but mostly smokiness here with a touch of sweet maple and caramel. Very smooth, but the ABV is quite distinct (could stand to mellow a bit).

M: Full bodied with loads of carbonation.

O: A really fun beer to try and one that I think would go excellent with breakfast - a huge stack of pancakes, sausage links, and eggs. The only things that could make this a bit more enjoyable would be: 1) slightly less smokiness, and 2) age to let the booziness mellow a bit.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 16:20:46 | More by spdyfire83

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a slim a pint glass with a ruby dark red body. Off white head forms to a nice size but falls quick. Nice cloud and great webs of lace.

S- Big dark fruits and caramel. Some smoke, spice and nutty malt accompanies this.

T- Maple sweets and smoky flavors come out here to mix with the big caramel Barleywine backing. Also some yeast spice, raisin, cherry and nut malts.

MF- Creamy thick body with lower carbonation levels. Bitter nutty finish with some alcohol heat to help you ice fish.

Big with some smoke and maple going on. The Barleywine aspect is strong but it's nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 02:44:39 | More by cbutova

BigPlay1824

New York

4.48/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed in a snifter

A: pours an extremely hazy deep amber color with two fingers of frothy cocoa brown head which dissipates rather rapidly and leaves a ton of lacing on the glass
S: nice deep maple notes with an incredibly deep sweetness and a really nice freshly cut wood note
T: really an incredibly well balanced barleywine, begins with a really nice malt backbone with a solid woody note and a sweetness which sneaks in through the finish and lingers beautifully on the palate afterwards as it becomes deeper
M: gentle carbonation tingle up front, drinks with a wonderful thickness as ive come to love in the style, finishes nicely without any alcohol burn but does have a slight sticky sweetness to it, maybe the maple syrup perhaps
O: this was a really incredible barleywine, really phenomenally well balanced and delicious, really wish i had some more to tuck away although it is pretty much perfect now

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 00:41:00 | More by BigPlay1824

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reddish body, hazy, with fine light tan head.

Big bold nose, bit of maple and a kinda American barleywine vibe.

Woody body with ample maple syrup, but really refined. A bit tangy.

Kinda standard body.

Nice, rich, kinda like what Voodoo Doughnut should've been like.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 01:52:14 | More by zaphodchak

FosterJM

California

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1346th Review on BA
Bottle to Excelcior Tulip
750ml gold foil wrapped

2011 Vintage

App- A lot of color in the glass. A good mix of Ambers, crimson, browns and yellows. A solid quick receding two finger head with no cling or lace. A nice medium density and clarity.

Smell- A lot more subtle than I was thinking it would be and for that I was very happy. A light smoke note with a little bitter hops and moves into a stinging booze with a damp orange and a small sweetness of the maple.

Taste- It's a bit smoky but not over powering. A little char like a campfire with some smooth and creamy malts and has like the nose a smooth damp orange flavor. The bottom of the bottle was much better and was a bit smoother and richer than the top pours.

Mouth- A small fuller medium body with a creamy medium carbonation. A rich malty flavor with some damp orange and a smoky residual flavor remains.

Drink- This was a tasty beer. A bit tangled but could be more layered to say the least. I would like to lay a bottle down for a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 04:15:53 | More by FosterJM

srandycarter

California

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark, thick somewhat clear amber. Not much head nor lace.

S - Sweet caramel, smoke, maple comes out very well.

T - Woody, malty, astringent, not much sweetness in actual taste, boozy.

M - Pretty close to flat, not much volume in flavor contrasts, ok balance.

T - One small one is enough.

Serving type: cask

06-01-2012 04:16:08 | More by srandycarter

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at city beer store in San Francisco. pours a clear, chestnut brown. tastes very malty with some smokiness coming through in the finish. Didn't detect much maple in the flavor. You can tell this is a big beer with the alcohol content. I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed with this. The label description sounded awesome, but didn't follow through in taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 04:24:22 | More by WeedKing4

casualcolors

California

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Handles its components well; for a smoked beer (which I have little tolerance for) and a beer brewed with something as sweet as maple syrup, there's a surprisingly nice balance, and nothing is particularly overbearing. That said, and especially given its namesake, there's a certain intensity missing (ala Abacus) that sadly I seem to personally require out of my barleywines these days. Drinks well, is only mildly cloying, is well balanced by a hint of smoke, and is generally a well put together brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 07:46:57 | More by casualcolors

mcallister

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chestnut in color and very carbonated. A large head of light tan erupts to 2 finger high then slowly fades leaving a thin sticky layer of lace in its wake.

Light smokey aromas. Maple covered bacon and country ham, toffee, date, sweet crusty bread, some citrusy notes with a nutty aroma on the end.

By the other reviews coming in I was thinking I may be disappointed. However this beer is rocking. Deep and complex with layers of flavor with each sip. Starts semi sweet with maple, plum, fig and date, golden raisin and thick cut bread. Then the smoked malts really shine through on the mid palate and finish. Hints of meat, cherry, lavender, a burnt clove flavor, and long bitter finish.

The heavily carbonated pour didn't transfer through to the mouth. Things are lightly carbonated creamy and vibrant. A delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 21:11:14 | More by mcallister

Drinkerofales

California

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours clear brown and copper, with purple-crimson in the light. A huge khaki head dissipates quickly to leave some chunky spotty lacing, and a constant supply of bubbles leaves a nice ring.

Smell is maple and wood, just as advertised, some roasted malt, and booze.

Taste is similar, but less in some ways, and more in others. The maple is definitely less, and there isn't a whole lot of smoke, but there is some wood and char. Booze rears it's head, and some very bitter piney hop on the finish.

It's a bit bubbly, and it kind of detracts from the smoothness of the beer. Some burn on the finish reminds you that you are drinking a barleywine, and these two aspects mellow out a little as it warms and airs out.

This is one that will definitely improve with age, and I will be picking some up to do just that.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 18:31:01 | More by Drinkerofales

nataku00

California

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a murky brown mahogany color with two fingers of tan colored foamy head. Head dissipated quickly, leaving some light lacing and a thin collar. Some carbonation visible at the edge of the glass, rising slowly.

Nose is toffee, toasted malt, esters, and sweet woody and earthy smokiness. Not overbearingly smoky when the beer is somewhat cool.

Taking a sip, smoked malt comes through along with some of the toffee. Fairly savory on the tongue, like toffee covered bacon. Middle of the tongue, some sweet esters come through. Finish is mainly smoke, though subdued. Good balance of smoke and sweet barleywine flavors, though not super complex.

Medium body with some surprisingly decent carbonation for an 11% beer, soft and lively on the tongue. An interesting smoked beer that I haven't been completely put off by due to being overwhelmed by the smoke.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 23:11:20 | More by nataku00

kojevergas

California

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught (I saw the pour meself; it wasn't a cask) into a plastic taster cup at Alesmith's tap room in March. Reviewed from notes. Expectations were high given the brewery, style, and description. Maple smoked? Sign me up!

A: Pours a half finger head of nice cream, good thickness, and bad retention. Colour is a maple brown-copper. No visible yeast particles. An appealing appearance.

Sm: Maple, light hops (mainly floral), toasted malt, and caramelized malt. A balanced mild to moderate strength aroma.

T: Maple throughout, with clean caramelized malts. Full bodied. Nice cream. Caramel. Hints of spices and bread. Balanced but simple. Well built. Not particularly subtle. Where's the smoke? Too timid.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some nice cream. A biteen too thick. Suits the flavours nicely.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, but very simple for the brewery. Disappointing in this regard. I don't know what effect the aging had. The maple is a nice touch. I'd have this again.

B

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2012 04:08:37 | More by kojevergas

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky brown with a khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks and dots of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some subtle smoke aromas. There is no real maple presence in the smell. Taste is of malt and subtle smoke flavors but there is a maple flavor that I am able to pick out. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good barleywine but it tastes better than it smells. I really wish the smoke and maple would be more apparent in the aroma and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 03:07:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

notchucknorris

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep amber color with a 1 finger cream colored head. Looks pretty nice.

S: Smell is way more faint than I was expecting. Caramel malt and some citrus hop resin. Not much else there.

T: The smoked malt is there, but it's way faint. As is the maple syrup. Mostly just a big malty flavor with some hints of brown sugar, char and a bit of currant. Claims to be a blend of a barleywine and a rauchbier, but really doesn't show much of either. Probably the most disappointing Alesmith offering I've had to date. Still not a bad beer but not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 21:53:27 | More by notchucknorris

pmarlowe

California

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On cask at Alesmith tasting room.

A: Pours a reddish amber with a half finger of khaki head. Good clarity. Frothy foam. Really good retention.

S: A good but not overpowering level of smoke, brown sugar, and red dried fruit. The nose is very faint.

T: Similar, although not faint this time. Some char and mild bitterness as well.

M: Medium body and almost no carbonation. I'm not sure how the cask treatment was supposed to improve this, but oh well. I think a tad more carbonation would have brightened this up a bit.

O: Pretty tasty and drinkable for a barleywine. Alcohol is almost completely hidden. More carbonation and fragrant nose would have gone a long way, though.

Serving type: cask

03-06-2012 06:09:38 | More by pmarlowe

HopHead84

California

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2/25/2012

Cask pour at the Grand reopening of the newly remodeled Alesmith tasting room.

A: Dark reddish orange with a big frothy beige head. Nice color.

S: Beautiful aroma. A duet of maple and beechwood smoke with accompanying brown sugar. Caramel blends with date. Citrus lingers in the background.

T: Sweet caramel with an upper moderate bitterness and a firm beechwood smoke presence. The combination of bitterness and smoke is palate wearying. Citrus is light. Finishes rich and smoky with a firm bitterness. Alcohol is evident in the flavor.

M: Upper medium body with low carbonation. I think this would be better on draft or from the bottle as carbonation might lift some of the bitterness and smoke off the palate. As is, the smoke-bitterness combo is a bit much in the flavor.

Overall: Awesome aroma but the combination of bitterness, alcohol, and smoke is a little too aggressive on cask. Still, this is a quality offering and I can see this being better in a different serving format or with a few months time.

Serving type: cask

02-25-2012 23:32:57 | More by HopHead84