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Double IPA
AleSmith Brewing Company
- From:
- AleSmith Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
Ranked #672 - ABV:
- 8.5%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #3,143 - Avg:
- 4.19 | pDev: 9.55%
- Reviews:
- 970
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 20, 2022
- Added:
- Nov 24, 2002
- Wants:
- 272
- Gots:
- 160
Also known as YuleSmith (Summer)
Every year we anxiously await the warmer months to unleash this Double IPA, the summer edition of our former YuleSmith seasonals. The flavor imparts orange, grapefruit, and tangerine hop notes with earthy, spicy, and resinous pine undertones. A sturdy malt backbone balances out the profound hop bitterness to create a refreshingly assertive and vibrant beer that offers an unapologetically bold expression of fresh American hops.
YEAR ROUND: No – July / August
Every year we anxiously await the warmer months to unleash this Double IPA, the summer edition of our former YuleSmith seasonals. The flavor imparts orange, grapefruit, and tangerine hop notes with earthy, spicy, and resinous pine undertones. A sturdy malt backbone balances out the profound hop bitterness to create a refreshingly assertive and vibrant beer that offers an unapologetically bold expression of fresh American hops.
YEAR ROUND: No – July / August
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BuckeyeNation:
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa
4.92/5 rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
4.92/5 rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Lightly foggy nectarine with honey colored edges. My usual pour produced a surprisingly large cap. As it settles, I can appreciate its magnificence. The firmly creamy foam is pale gold in color, with a cobbled upper surface that maintains contact with the pint glass in multiple spots. When the sticky foam bridges break, they leave a beautiful array of lace. What's not to love?
The nose is a hophead's dream come true. I remember wishing the Winter release had less caramel malt and more pale malt. Summer has granted my wish (kudos to the brewery for giving us two versions of the same great beer). Beautifully pungent American hops fill the atmosphere with sweetened pineapple, white grapefruit, candied orange peel and Scotch pine. I'm actually beginning to drool.
YuleSmith Summer is one of the most delicous, drinkable DIPAs that I've ever had. The only thing keeping the Winter release from perfection was, again, the use of a hefty amount of caramel malt. Which, by the way, turns it into an Imperial red ale (just ask the brewers). Both versions are great, but I slightly prefer this one.
I'm not sure how old the bottle is (it's definitely from *this* summer), but I expected a shade more hoppiness. Don't get me wrong, it's a tongue abuser par excellence, it just isn't as 'in your face' as I remember the Winter version being. When the brewery calls it balanced, they aren't that far off the mark.
The prodigious malt backbone contributes very little flavor. I'm reminded of sugar cookies and honey-like malts, though they're in the background. The foreground is occupied by wave upon wave of sunshine bright, C-hop deliciousness. Again, pineapple, grapefruit, orange, (and now) lemon fill every nook and cranny on every last taste bud. A minimal alcohol presence is easily ignored.
The mouthfeel isn't the perfection that the other version was, but then a lot of time has passed and a lot of beer has been consumed in the interim. It's midway between medium and full (for the style) and is a fraction too carbonated to be considered ideal. Time is beginning to soften things up very nicely.
AleSmith is a permanent member of my 'top 10 American craft breweries of all-time' on the strength of IPA, Speedway Stout and both versions of YuleSmith. Not that the rest aren't worthy, but those four are four of the finest ales that I've ever had the pleasure to drink. Bottom line: I can count on one hand the number of DIPAs that are better than YuleSmith Summer.
Reviewed sometime during the summer of 2008. I don't recall the exact date since there weren't separate entries at that time for YuleSmith Summer and YuleSmith Winter.
Sep 11, 2007The nose is a hophead's dream come true. I remember wishing the Winter release had less caramel malt and more pale malt. Summer has granted my wish (kudos to the brewery for giving us two versions of the same great beer). Beautifully pungent American hops fill the atmosphere with sweetened pineapple, white grapefruit, candied orange peel and Scotch pine. I'm actually beginning to drool.
YuleSmith Summer is one of the most delicous, drinkable DIPAs that I've ever had. The only thing keeping the Winter release from perfection was, again, the use of a hefty amount of caramel malt. Which, by the way, turns it into an Imperial red ale (just ask the brewers). Both versions are great, but I slightly prefer this one.
I'm not sure how old the bottle is (it's definitely from *this* summer), but I expected a shade more hoppiness. Don't get me wrong, it's a tongue abuser par excellence, it just isn't as 'in your face' as I remember the Winter version being. When the brewery calls it balanced, they aren't that far off the mark.
The prodigious malt backbone contributes very little flavor. I'm reminded of sugar cookies and honey-like malts, though they're in the background. The foreground is occupied by wave upon wave of sunshine bright, C-hop deliciousness. Again, pineapple, grapefruit, orange, (and now) lemon fill every nook and cranny on every last taste bud. A minimal alcohol presence is easily ignored.
The mouthfeel isn't the perfection that the other version was, but then a lot of time has passed and a lot of beer has been consumed in the interim. It's midway between medium and full (for the style) and is a fraction too carbonated to be considered ideal. Time is beginning to soften things up very nicely.
AleSmith is a permanent member of my 'top 10 American craft breweries of all-time' on the strength of IPA, Speedway Stout and both versions of YuleSmith. Not that the rest aren't worthy, but those four are four of the finest ales that I've ever had the pleasure to drink. Bottom line: I can count on one hand the number of DIPAs that are better than YuleSmith Summer.
Reviewed sometime during the summer of 2008. I don't recall the exact date since there weren't separate entries at that time for YuleSmith Summer and YuleSmith Winter.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.5/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Shared bottle at local tasting, thanks to gunnar. ABV is 8.5%. Golden colour, huge white head. Sweetish aroma of malts and orange marmalade. Distinctly hoppy flavour throughout, very bitter finish. Maybe not very complex, but good.
Mar 20, 2021Reviewed by VoodooBear from Puerto Rico
3.62/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Presentation: 12 oz. can, served in a Samuel Adams pint glass.
Appearance: One finger head that sticks around for a while and leaves some good lacing. Cloudy, dark gold color.
Smell: Dank, musky hop aroma, some fresh citrus peel with faint malt and grain notes in the background.
Taste: Bitter, but not overwhelmingly so. It has more of a juicy, fruity, sweet citrus character which is nice. A faint, piney aftertaste remains.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and medium bodied with medium high carbonation.
Overall: Nothing new or groundbreaking here, which is fine. A solid DIPA and a damn good beer.
Sep 27, 2018Appearance: One finger head that sticks around for a while and leaves some good lacing. Cloudy, dark gold color.
Smell: Dank, musky hop aroma, some fresh citrus peel with faint malt and grain notes in the background.
Taste: Bitter, but not overwhelmingly so. It has more of a juicy, fruity, sweet citrus character which is nice. A faint, piney aftertaste remains.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and medium bodied with medium high carbonation.
Overall: Nothing new or groundbreaking here, which is fine. A solid DIPA and a damn good beer.
Rated by jacobdunne from Colorado
4.45/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
There’s a simultaneous malt & fruity kick on each sip. The piney aftertaste is blatant and incredible. Yummy beer!
Jul 25, 2018Reviewed by HorseheadsHophead from Colorado
4.25/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Hazy orange with a rocky white head. Medium-plus retention. A thin film hangs out forever. Rings of lacing are left behind.
S: Huge yellow grapefruit and tangerine aromas; spraying oils, juicy flesh, and bitter pith. Some ripe mango and pineapple, honey and caramel, and massive pine sap and dankness.
T: Orange creamsicle, yellow grapefruit peel, honey, toasted white bread, overripe mango, pine resin finish. Moderately sweet, although the finish grows crisp. Moderate lingering bitterness.
F: Medium-plus, well-carbonated, smooth, creamy, and well-rounded. Finishes slightly sticky and resinous, but fairly clean for the style.
O: A superb example of West Coast Double IPA. A delicious hoppy offering.
Jul 03, 2018S: Huge yellow grapefruit and tangerine aromas; spraying oils, juicy flesh, and bitter pith. Some ripe mango and pineapple, honey and caramel, and massive pine sap and dankness.
T: Orange creamsicle, yellow grapefruit peel, honey, toasted white bread, overripe mango, pine resin finish. Moderately sweet, although the finish grows crisp. Moderate lingering bitterness.
F: Medium-plus, well-carbonated, smooth, creamy, and well-rounded. Finishes slightly sticky and resinous, but fairly clean for the style.
O: A superb example of West Coast Double IPA. A delicious hoppy offering.
Double IPA from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
1977 ratings
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