Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee - Bourbon-Barrel Aged
AleSmith Brewing Company

Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee - Bourbon-Barrel AgedSpeedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee - Bourbon-Barrel Aged
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From:
AleSmith Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #17
ABV:
14.2%
Score:
100
Ranked #44
Avg:
4.63 | pDev: 5.83%
Reviews:
148
Ratings:
1,070
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 11, 2024
Added:
Jun 01, 2014
Wants:
  507
Gots:
  186
We traditionally brew Vietnamese coffee, known as cà phê sữa đá, with a phin-style filter that gently percolates water through ground coffee. The result is a chocolaty and bold tasting coffee that perfectly complements the notes of oak, vanilla, and bourbon in this massive barrel-aged stout.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LiquidAmber:
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.45/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a half finger khaki head that dissipates to a thick cap with solid lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, coffee, bakers chocolate, vanilla and light bourbon and oak. Flavor is dark toasted malt with light char, dark chocolate, bourbon, oaky vanilla and hints of caramel. Long, lingering chocolate, bourbon and coffee finish. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. A surprise find; Alesmith has always been a favorite of mine and a must buy when down in Southern California, but has had very spotty (or absent) distribution up in Seattle in recent years. A treat to actually get a version of the Vietnamese coffee Speedway, which has been on my try list for over a decade. And it was worth the wait. Beautiful deep flavor that stays balanced and flavorful throughout the taste, seemingly gaining greater depth into the finish. Bourbon is somewhat subdued for a barreled stout, but even that adds to the impression of balance. The coffee flavor is excellent and chocolate fine. Wisely offered in a 12 oz. Bottle appropriate for the big ABV, although I easily could have sipped on this all evening. Nicely done.
Dec 29, 2022
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.92 by Tbone10 from Wisconsin

Mar 11, 2024
 
Rated: 3.88 by ThaKennster from Texas

Jan 21, 2024
Photo of Holderness
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts

4.52/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2023 vintage. First of all Speedway Stout and its variants are amongst the darkest stouts I've encountered. Due to the barrel aging and higher ABV there is only a deep brown head for a few fleeting moments before it dissipates to nothing. Vietnamese coffee works really well in beer, IMO -- it's rich, nutty, and inviting in the aromas without coming across as syrupy or stale. Also getting strong wet barrel notes, vanilla, coconut, black licorice, cacao powder, and burnt brownie ends. Melted coffee ice cream comes to mind as well. The taste largely follows the nose. There's a lot of the same rich, nutty coffee notes and they are balanced by the intensity of the roasty, herbal base stout and the rye and bourbon notes from the barrel aging. Unlike with the base stout, the mouthfeel leans more oily than velvety. Overall a long time want and this did not disappoint

91/100
Jan 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.33 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jan 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.61 by Can_if_you_can from Minnesota

Dec 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.15 by dontknojack from Louisiana

Dec 17, 2023
Photo of josanguapo
Reviewed by josanguapo from Spain

4.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
De Beerepublic.eu. en copa Teku. Con pistachos. Jugando a Hogwarts Legacy.bEl paso por barrica no se nota mucho, pero si un delicioso perfil a café. El alcohol esta increíblemente bien oculto, nunca hubiese sospechado cuanto lleva, resultando fácil de beber e incluso presentando cierto.tinte refrescante
Dec 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.49 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

Dec 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by PprBurke from Virginia

Nov 30, 2023
Photo of BubbleBobble
Reviewed by BubbleBobble from New York

4.12/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours near black, ruby-edged, about 1" tan head with good retention for ABV; very good lacing as well. Nose is vanilla, molasses, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, chicory; as it warms, more wood and bourbon aromas. Taste has leather and tobacco up front, dark chocolate, wood and bourbon spice; sweetened black coffee. Bourbon character masks much of the coffee here, however, along with some of the sweet vanilla notes I recall from the non-BBA version. Mouthfeel is moderate with low carb, nowhere near as thick as and chewy as other contemporary stouts at this ABV. A good beer, but definitely prefer the non-BBA version.
Nov 26, 2023
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12 fl oz. bottle, 2022 vintage.

A: Pours black & opaque. Small gathering of tan bubbles that doesn't stay long. Inky. It's got 'legs' for sure.
S: Smooth, oaky, buttery. Notes of chocolate / vanilla come forth more as it approaches room temp. Coffee is nil.
T: Boozy, warm, roasty. Again, body is creamy, but flavors of actual coffee bean or roastiness are pretty absent.. Still, it is chocolatey, boozy, and decadent tasting. A dessert beer for sure.
F: Smooth & creamy. Thick & heavy. Boozy, full. Alcohol warmth.

Overall, nice, but I'm not terribly blown away or anything, was definitely expecting more pronounced coffee flavors from this. 4.25 overall is a generous rating in my opinion.

AleSmith Brewing Barrel-Aged Vietnamese Coffee Speedway Stout (2022) -----4.25/5
Nov 24, 2023
Photo of Scotchboy
Reviewed by Scotchboy from Idaho

4.2/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Stumbled across a bottle in Ontario and picked up, definitely don't regret it. Thick, viscous opaque motor oil pour yields a minimal brown head. Strong, rich coffee aromas...boozy and bitter palate...chocolate, coconut, and vanilla abound. Good stuff.
Oct 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.56 by petrusek23 from Ohio

Sep 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by Gfunk27 from New Jersey

Sep 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.39 by ArsMoriendiOU818 from Virginia

Aug 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.12 by sweemzander from Illinois

Jul 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.74 by dan_amdg from Illinois

Jul 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Juggerr from New York

Jul 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.54 by rbrefbeerman from California

Jul 03, 2023
Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee - Bourbon-Barrel Aged from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 1070 ratings