Speedway Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
AleSmith Brewing Company

Speedway Stout - Bourbon Barrel-AgedSpeedway Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
AleSmith Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #9
ABV:
13.3%
Score:
100
Ranked #141
Avg:
4.52 | pDev: 7.52%
Reviews:
397
Ratings:
2,375
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 11, 2024
Added:
Jan 01, 2004
Wants:
  2,037
Gots:
  659
We’ve matured our imperial stout in premium bourbon barrels for an extended period of time to create the perfect blend of flavors. Notes of oak, vanilla and bourbon add complexity to this beer’s already massive flavor profile of chocolate, locally sourced artisanal coffee and roasted barley. Designed to be enjoyed now or aged in the bottle for years to come, this special release is truly a unique beer that is as smooth as it is rare.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tectactoe:
Photo of tectactoe
Reviewed by tectactoe from Michigan

4.34/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Enjoyed at a tasting, alongside the regular Speedway and the Kopi Luwak variant. This one pours with a similar body to the regular Speedway - silky, black, and only showing some dark brown highlights at its very extremities. The tan head on this one was a bit darker than that of the original Speedway, but it dissipates much quicker also, leaving basically no lacing along the glass as it sinks down.

The aroma is as powerful as they come; it hits quickly with huge barrel qualities - soft oak and vanilla melding with a bourbon character that is slightly grainy and raw, but not quite enough to be abrasive. Some nice dark fudge rounds out the rough edges, alongside just a hint of coffee. Despite the unique coffee aroma being so strong and "out front" in the original Speedway, it's actually one of the most tame aromas in the barrel-aged version. Weird. Just from the nose, you can tell this one is gonna be a doozy. Robust bourbon, oak, and fudge stings and warms my nostrils one last time before I dive in and take my first sip...

The first thing I notice is that the body on this one is much creamier than the original Speedway - chalk that up to the barrel aging, of course. A nice mixture of bourbon and vanilla are the first things to attack the palate, with a slight bias in the bourbon direction. Again, the bourbon characteristic is more grainy and "pure" than in many other BA beers - very powerful. A strong oak presence backs the beer from nearly start to finish, with some light coconut flavors coming in at the tail end.

There is a reasonable heat to this one, feels maybe even a bit hotter than 12% ABV, not too sure how I feel about that yet. The fudge flavors are a bit more suppressed than I anticipated, but they come out much more during the latter half of the beer, along with some very light dark fruity and anise-like sweetness, helping to cut through the bourbon heat and the bitterness from the roasted malts. The strongest flavor in the finish is the grainy bourbon and a mild fudge sweetness. Low carbonation, smooth, chewy, creamy body.

Overall, the coffee was very unnoticeable on the palate, something that I loved so much about the original Speedway. The bourbon barrel flavors were huge, but perhaps a little "too huge" for my liking, as they seemed to overshadow some of Speedways excellent qualities. Still a very delicious beer, but I'd have to take the original over this one, without question.
Feb 25, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.27 by Gooseman80 from Illinois

Mar 11, 2024
 
Rated: 3.9 by Original_Gravity from Washington

Mar 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.06 by LunchMoney from Minnesota

Mar 09, 2024
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
(2023 version, 16 oz can, canned on 10/10/2023; purchased cold yesterday at the brewery... poured into a stemless wine glass)

L: darn near black liquid with an ample build of a relatively dark brown head... the head hangs for a bit, but falls, but why then is its lacing so purdy??... razor thin collar maintains

S: dark chocolate cake, espresso ganache, hint of charcoal... powerful grain and toasty cookie character... nutty accents and a prune brandy booze note slowly emerge... bourbon is not immediately apparent I think due to the heavy dark malty aromas, but delicate wood and vanilla overtones eventually meld with the rest of its potent snuffables

T: the bourbon barrel influence leaps out upon first sip but soon gets swallowed by the muddy, motor oily, muscular malts... cindery heat, burnt raisiny... thick malty but not all that sweet(?!?); the aftertaste seems dry; all suggestive byproducts

F: full bodied is pretty spot on, however, it has a slick, lithe texture likely from being smoothed with aging, not to mention the attenuating effect of the jet fuel booze... gets fluffier as it goes?... it's levity is phenomenal, but I like my legs

O: it doesn't quite have the subtle idiosyncratic nuances of the best batches of standard Bourbon County, but why am I comparing them?... Eh, tempting to ship home (2273)
Mar 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.48 by cbuzz24 from Mississippi

Feb 25, 2024
Photo of Scotchboy
Reviewed by Scotchboy from Idaho

4.3/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
16oz can pours out that inkish black that's so familiar in Speedway, with a decent-sized tight-bubbled light khaki head. Prominent barrel notes of bourbon and oak abound, along with present coffee and hints of smoke...rich and sweet on the palate, the barrel-aging seems well-executed here. Definitely worth trying, I liked this variant more than the Vietnamese coffee version; this one just seemed more cohesive, roasty, rich, and pleasant.
Feb 19, 2024
 
Rated: 4.31 by Bhubbard34 from Pennsylvania

Feb 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.33 by Manthon from Pennsylvania

Feb 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by PprBurke from Virginia

Feb 16, 2024
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dope from Massachusetts

Feb 04, 2024
 
Rated: 4.49 by IdrinkGas from Pennsylvania

Jan 21, 2024
 
Rated: 5 by mamaraza from Texas

Jan 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.43 by gelasin from California

Jan 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.54 by Can_if_you_can from Minnesota

Dec 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by timmy2b from New York

Dec 09, 2023
Photo of DokiDokiLitFam
Reviewed by DokiDokiLitFam from New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
2022 Version

Pours out a very dark brown. On a straight pour, very little foam is agitated out.

Nose is oak, roasted malt, and a peppery quality. Almost like rye spice. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that this was a rye barrel aged stout. Or perhaps even a rye based stout.

On the taste, however, there is more of a story. Oak and bourbon come through first on the palate. Behind that is the roasted malt bringing a dark bread note and a beautiful dark chocolate the sings throughout. I picture an overdone rugelach with a dark chocolate filling in my minds eye with this brew. The only sweetness being from what little is in the dough and the mildly sweetened chocolate. While the oak shows up quickly, it dims down as the palate progresses, and the more subtle flavors appear. Like a tide retreating to show the rocks that sit beneath.

Mouthfeel is fullbodied but not oily or cloying. It has heft, but not the residue that often accompanies. There is drying for sure, most likely due to ABV and barrel tannins. The carbonation is considerable too, for a stout at this percentage. Mild compared to most anything else, but surprising in this regard.

Overall this is what I expected from Alesmith. A respectful, expert brew. The base brew is a hallmark; an example of how often "less is more". The barrel aging brings it up a notch while still maintaining that level of composure and elegance. I had no doubt that this would be a world-class offering.
Sep 11, 2023
Photo of BeerDawgs
Rated by BeerDawgs from Georgia

4.84/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
2016 bottle, aged for 7 years and cracking it on my last Saturday night in my house in Georgia
Jul 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.29 by prototypic from Ohio

Jun 18, 2023
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 4/18/22, had 6/15/22.

Pours near black and opaque, with a half inch foamy head and light foamy lacing. Aromas of coffee, bourbon, roasted malt, vanilla, oak, some chocolate, light caramel and char. Flavors of bourbon, coffee, roasted malt, vanilla, oak, some chocolate, light caramel. Has a decent amount of hop bitterness. Smooth, a solid full body, appropriately carbonated.

Coffee and barrel for days. Vibrant aromas and flavors, with a bitterness that’ll leave a chip on your shoulder.
Jun 13, 2023
Speedway Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 2375 ratings