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Speedway Stout - Velvet
AleSmith Brewing Company
- From:
- AleSmith Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- 97
- Avg:
- 4.39 | pDev: 9.79%
- Reviews:
- 32
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 21, 2021
- Added:
- Jul 19, 2015
- Wants:
- 114
- Gots:
- 30
Aged in 60-year old Spanish Sherry barrels, 24-year old Central American Rum barrels, and 23-year old Evan Williams Bourbon Barrels, then infused with Madagascar Vanilla beans and locally roasted Jamaica Blue Mountain and Kopi Luwak Cold Brew from Mostra Coffee.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JonathanC:
Reviewed by JonathanC from California
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had this at a tasting last night.
Mouthfeel: Typical speedway stout. Silky and smooth. Leaves a bourbon coffee characteristic that is undeniably Speedway coffee variant.
Taste: Strong coffee presence. Vanilla on the nose, but the coffee flavor overpowers the vanilla. It has a burnt marshmallow flavor. Very strong coffee. I think it'll be wise to let this mellow a bit. I'd give it 6 months before cracking a bottle. Let the coffee mellow out and I believe the vanilla will come through more. As it warms up the speedway characteristics really come to their own
Carb & Look: Medium Carb. Pours black with a brown head
If you go after this beer thinking its a VR killer or a FO killer, you're drinking the wrong beer. Remember this is a primarily a Coffee Stout with Vanilla added. Overall its a solid beer that probably only get better with time
Jul 25, 2015Mouthfeel: Typical speedway stout. Silky and smooth. Leaves a bourbon coffee characteristic that is undeniably Speedway coffee variant.
Taste: Strong coffee presence. Vanilla on the nose, but the coffee flavor overpowers the vanilla. It has a burnt marshmallow flavor. Very strong coffee. I think it'll be wise to let this mellow a bit. I'd give it 6 months before cracking a bottle. Let the coffee mellow out and I believe the vanilla will come through more. As it warms up the speedway characteristics really come to their own
Carb & Look: Medium Carb. Pours black with a brown head
If you go after this beer thinking its a VR killer or a FO killer, you're drinking the wrong beer. Remember this is a primarily a Coffee Stout with Vanilla added. Overall its a solid beer that probably only get better with time
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri
4.29/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.29/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2017. Bottle 295 of 550.
Pours black with a finger of khaki foam. Head retention is okay. Aroma is caramel, toffee, molasses, coffee, and roasty, toasty malts. There is a tiny kick of bourbon booze at the rear, but what is there is faint. Flavor profile is caramel, toffee, molasses, coffee, and roasty and toasty malts. Booze is regulated to the rear, offering a little swell of heat at the finish. Coffee is present, albeit it's buried behind the rest of the beer at this point. Perhaps fresh, or with a year or two of age, the coffee would sing a little more loudly. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a creamy effervescence. Overall, a bold stout with a little coffee left over despite the age. It's not horrendously loud, instead offering a more nuanced and subtly dynamic sipping experience.
Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 750mL bottle. Vintage: 2017. Bottle 295 of 550 (silver Sharpie on rear of bottle).
Feb 21, 2021Pours black with a finger of khaki foam. Head retention is okay. Aroma is caramel, toffee, molasses, coffee, and roasty, toasty malts. There is a tiny kick of bourbon booze at the rear, but what is there is faint. Flavor profile is caramel, toffee, molasses, coffee, and roasty and toasty malts. Booze is regulated to the rear, offering a little swell of heat at the finish. Coffee is present, albeit it's buried behind the rest of the beer at this point. Perhaps fresh, or with a year or two of age, the coffee would sing a little more loudly. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a creamy effervescence. Overall, a bold stout with a little coffee left over despite the age. It's not horrendously loud, instead offering a more nuanced and subtly dynamic sipping experience.
Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 750mL bottle. Vintage: 2017. Bottle 295 of 550 (silver Sharpie on rear of bottle).
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota
2/5 rDev -54.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
2/5 rDev -54.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
2017 vintage on tap.
Tan head. Dark brown black color.
Lots of rum, char, and burnt rubber. Covers up most of the coffee. Vanilla isn’t even present. Chocolate and cocoa.
Not even thick. What a joke of a beer. Not sure how this gets 4.44
Feb 29, 2020Tan head. Dark brown black color.
Lots of rum, char, and burnt rubber. Covers up most of the coffee. Vanilla isn’t even present. Chocolate and cocoa.
Not even thick. What a joke of a beer. Not sure how this gets 4.44
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
4.33/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown with a little hint of transparency, and a small beige foam.
Chocolatey and fruity, like raspberries. I smell the sherry, umami, bourbon oak and meaty a quality.
It goes in a different direction than the double barrel. Light and perfume like and elegant. Somewhat like a sweet red wine. Also a bit like salt water taffy.
Medium light and smooth body, with little carbonation.
Drinking this at AleSmith bar in San Diego, June 1st, 2019.
Jun 02, 2019Chocolatey and fruity, like raspberries. I smell the sherry, umami, bourbon oak and meaty a quality.
It goes in a different direction than the double barrel. Light and perfume like and elegant. Somewhat like a sweet red wine. Also a bit like salt water taffy.
Medium light and smooth body, with little carbonation.
Drinking this at AleSmith bar in San Diego, June 1st, 2019.
Reviewed by BeanBump from California
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This sucker lives up to its name; its rich, warm and insanely smooth. The various barrel agings mix well and make this one of smoothest stouts Ive ever had the pleasure of imbibing. Toss in a little vanilla and some kopi luwak and Bam! Youve got yourself a winner. Not the easiest Speedway variant to find but Alesmith will have it on tap a few times per year. If you can get your grubby little mitts on it - do it.
Aug 13, 2018
Speedway Stout - Velvet from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating:
97 out of
100 with
121 ratings
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