Double IPA
AleSmith Brewing Company

Double IPADouble IPA
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
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:
1,977
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
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jlindros:
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Got this as an extra in a great trade from Imperialbeachbrw. Didn't realize it was the summer DIPA release otherwise I would have drank it right away. I thought it was the red ale, which I could age a little more. Oh well, time makes fools of us all. I'll assume the hops would be blasting me more had this been fresher.

A: A nice big thick 1.5 finger head rises up the glass leaving the big bubbles in the middle where the pour went through. and a thick fluffy head where it did not. A pale golden orange color dazzles me, being very light golden color at the bottom where it thins, and a nice amber orange color towards the top where it thickens (in the tulip glass that is). Lots of little bubbles rise up the top through the semi hazy but mostly clear liquid. The loads of particulate at the bottom of the glass make me wonder if that will add to it or it went too long before drinking. I stir it up in a tornado of fury and watch the haze it adds to the glass. Big chunks of yeast now dance around the glass but don't change the aromatic or taste qualities.

N: If this has lost any hop aroma, then Alesmith are crazy people (although they are). Huge heavy hop aromas smash my nose. Some nice piney, citrus, and floral juicy hops come right out first. It's followed closely with some sweet malts, but those are pretty light, mostly its the kind of sweet malts that come with heavy abv DIPAs, with hints of alcohol. Hints of grapefruit make their way out, but remain pretty light. I can see that the grapefruit and citrus was probably stronger in the aromas when it first came out, but it's still pretty damn good!

T: The hop taste hits even harder. It has a pretty strong wet hop taste with troves of pine, citrus, and even more juicy hops than that. A nice backbone of lightly sweet malts, crystal and the like, stand up. It adds a slight spicy hop taste. Waves of bitterness hit in a few rhythms. The malts are accompanied by hints of alcohol. The hops get semi thick and chewy mid palate.

M: Pretty thick, lots of carbonation (opposite of a Tomme'd bottle), and touches of alcohol warmth and tingly. It also has a slight oily feel, but very slight.

F: It finishes even more bitter than it started. The bitterness just weighs down the tongue, which is helped with the sweet malty backbone that seems to linger with it. It dries out a bit with help from the heavy spicy bitterness. A slight hop oil and sweet malt stick around for quite some time after the swallow. Due to the heavy malt sweetness and crazy bitterness, as well as higher abv, it is a definite sipper beer, and takes a little time to finish.
Dec 03, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.91 by DOCRW from Kentucky

Dec 20, 2022
 
Photo of Sigmund
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
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, 2021
 
Rated: 4.18 by Mebuzzard from Colorado

Mar 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.2 by patre_tim from Thailand

Nov 14, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Jan 29, 2020
 
Rated: 3.99 by Futbolmanby from Michigan

Sep 09, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by ian_graf from Minnesota

Jun 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.9 by brandoneast from Texas

Apr 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.15 by csmrx7 from Canada (AB)

Mar 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Griffith from Connecticut

Mar 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.4 by PaulSlazinger from Pennsylvania

Mar 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by robebo44 from Virginia

Feb 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.35 by Unclevince from West Virginia

Oct 22, 2018
Photo of VoodooBear
Reviewed 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
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, 2018
 
Rated: 3.7 by Greener from Iowa

Sep 26, 2018
Photo of jacobdunne
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
There’s a simultaneous malt & fruity kick on each sip. The piney aftertaste is blatant and incredible. Yummy beer!
Jul 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.04 by arrowsmith_ from Pennsylvania

Jul 15, 2018
Photo of HorseheadsHophead
Reviewed 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
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, 2018
Double IPA from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 1977 ratings