Speedway Stout - Hammerhead - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
AleSmith Brewing Company

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like high quality chocolate truffles, chocolate covered espresso beans, vanilla, black cherry skins, cookie dough, toffee, and bourbon.

I really enjoy that Alesmith is still cranking out these delicious barrel aged beers in 2025, as Speedway is one of the most classic coffee stouts in the game. This has a real bodacious coffee flavor to it, authentic and with none of the typical coffee off flavors. This is super chocolatey, roasty and vibrant, with scorched black cherry, caramelly bourbon, some toffee, and a nice oakiness.

This is medium bodied, super creamy, and really drinkable. There’s basically no booziness.

This is just as good as some of the classic BA Speedway variants from the past.

2025 Vintage
16oz can poured into a snifter

A- pours jet black with a one-finger creamy dark brown head that has good retention long after the pour

S- bold and rich espresso up front jumps from the glass with compliments of dark chocolate, brownie batter, black licorice, charred malt, molasses, caramel, toffee. As it warms, the barrel emerges, giving notes of wet oak, barrel juice, vanilla bean, & more caramel, fantastic

T- flavor follows the nose with a bold shot of espresso up front that is earthy and slightly herbal. Notes of dark chocolate brownie better follow, as well as caramel, toffee and black licorice. Charred malt emerges before giving way to the barrel, which adds barrel juice, bold oak, vanilla, booze and a hint of coconut. The finish gives more espresso and dark chocolate, with a linger of bourbon barrel and espresso

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that turns velvety into a warming, silky finish

O- the best Speedway variant I've had in years. The espresso really sets this one off

From a 16 oz can dated 6/14/25. Poured into a Spiegelau Belgian beer tulip.

Black with a half-inch fairly dark brown head, settles down to a good foam ring and thin foam on the surface and bits of lacing here and there.

Notes of cocoa and coffee on the nose. Some of the barrel aging (vanilla, some booze) is also there in the background.

Flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee and espresso up front, also some roasted malt notes, with a strong bitterness on the finish. Some sweetness is there, I think from the alcohol, but is well balanced by bitterness. At 13+ ABV the alcohol is well hidden, perhaps a bit of warming as it goes down.

Pretty much a full-on body, just a tad thinner so not syrupy at all but thick enough so that the flavors linger for a while.

Very enjoyable barrel-aged coffee stout.

Canned 2025/06/14
Pours a brown foamy frothy 1 finger head with moderate retention, plenty of lacing, decent legs, jet black thick beer

Nose starts with coffee, fresh coffee and espresso, roasted malts, little char, cocoa, dark chocolate, baking spices and hint of cinnamon like, vanilla oak, a bit of bourbon, soft nutty coffee mixed with heavy roasted espresso, fudge, cookie dough

Taste again starts with coffee, fresh coffee grounds and a bit of espresso, roasted malts, fair overall roast with a little char but not acrid, thick fudgey dark chocolate, cocoa, a bit nutty again leading into cookie dough, plenty of baking spices, vanilla oak and vanilla fudge, fair bitterness from roast and mild spicy hops, a bit of bourbon and caramel candy, fair smooth alcohol, semi sweet sticky finish

Mouth is full bod, rich chewy thick, med to a bit lighter carb, light warming but smooth alcohol

Overall pretty nice, not a lot of barrel, but nice coffee and espresso, good base stout, fairly smooth for alcohol level, enjoyable

 

From the 16 oz can in a snifter. This excellent imperial pours a
coal black with a nice head of medium brown foam that settles to
a thick ring, thin dusty layer, and displays some nice lacing. Nose of
heavy coffee, mellow bourbon, char, brulee, dark bakers chocolate, subtle
vanilla, deep roasted malts, and dark berry nuances. Flavors hit the mark
with dark bakers chocolate, char, roast, brulee, vanilla, toffee, dark berry
notes of raspberry, mellow bourbon, and subtle oak. Mouth feel is full, smooth
rich, coating, warming, and finishing with a nice bitter malt note.

Overall, a SOLID imperial worthy of the Speedway moniker!

Cheers

16 ounce can, 2025 vintage, canned on 06/14/2025 stamped on the bottom of the can. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this one! Served in a chalice, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. The brew smells like roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee/espresso, bourbon and vanilla. I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some oak, dark bread and burnt/charred malt flavors noticeable too. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's rich and a bit creamy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this one a lot, but then I'm a fan of the Speedway Stout series in general too so that helps. Certainly worth picking up!

 

 

16oz can from Brewers Haven. Near black pour, wispy brown head. Chocolaty aroma, coffee, roasty. Taste follows with more chocolate than coffee, sweetness, and enough booze to be noticeable. Really enjoyable as a sipper.

2025 edition (13.46% ABV) poured on tap at Alesmith in San Diego. Pours jet black with no head. The nose is immediately bursting with fantastic coffee notes. On the taste I'm getting loads of fresh coffee and espresso, vanilla, bourbon, roasted malts, tobacco, and charred wood. Intense and great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a two finger chocolate head that slowly dissipates to a thick cap patches with slippery solid lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, quality coffee, cocoa and a hint of licorice. Flavor is dark toasted malt, drip coffee, bourbon, light vanilla and a touch of woody oak. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. This Speedway commits to a double dose of coffee goodness and delivers. Strong coffee flavor; I'm not getting espresso per se, but this does taste its infused with good coffee. Some bourbon and woody, oaky vanilla, but they are in the background. Fortunately, I was looking for a big coffee stout and that's the main show. The malt supports the coffee flavors nicely. One of the more coffee forward stouts I've had; enjoyable.

On tap at SDBW AleSmith Grand Prix 2016.

A: Impenetrable brown, thick looking, with minimal tan lacing.

S: The nose is just intense coffee grounds, nothing else.

T: Similar to the nose, with coffee grounds being the dominate note, but a little roastiness and booze peek through as well. The coffee comes off a bit harsh.

M: Full bodied with medium light carbonation.

O: Sort of one dimensional, with the barrel not adding anything. It was hard to drink very much of this, as it’s basically like drinking straight espresso. I would definitely prefer the base beer over this.