AleSmith My Bloody Valentine | AleSmith Brewing Company

3.48/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Dark reddish copper with a moderate beige head that retains for a good while.

Spicy aromas with spent grain malt. The spice is almost cinnamon, but unidentifiable.

Flavors of raisin, toffee, and big bready malts.

This has very heavy feel to it, you can feel it hit the gut, which is odd for a 6%.

★ 299 characters

3.55/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a nearly opaque mahogany with a little tan head.
S: It smelled like roasted barley and copper hops, with some citrus zest.
T: It tasted like earthy caramel and roasted barley, with some copper and citrus hops. It had a clean bitter aftertaste.
M: It was watery with a little carbonation. Decent body.
D: This was a nice red ale with basic scent and taste. The body was ok, but the finish was really smooth, so it was easy to drink. Nothing very impressive about this, but nothing wrong with it either. Just another average and forgettable drink, which is surprising from AleSmith.

★ 595 characters

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

L: Pours bright chestnut with ruby highlights producing a ¼” off white foam cap that quickly dissipates.
S: Fruit, light malt, dark sugars, faint fig and raisin.
T: Spicy with coffee, dark dried fruit, a light malty sweetness up front that dries on the finish. Some caramel and toast with a touch of grainy astringency on the finish. The malt is medium high with a medium to medium high dark chocolate bitterness. Well balanced.
F: Very creamy medium to medium full body, medium carbonation, mild alcohol warming.
O: A very drinkable big beer.

★ 550 characters

3.77/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a oversized wine glass. Bottled 12/1/15.

Deep honey mixed with a ruby red pour. Off white head with decent retention. Thin rings of lace circle the sides of the glass. Lots of caramel, spice, raisins, plums, and faint tropical fruit from the hops. Hop profile was pretty much faded. Caramel, toffee, and faint whiskey round out the taste profile. Very sweet taste from the malts. Very sweet, a bit chewy, and well balanced. Good Amber ale, but I'm missing the West Coast IPA characteristics. I was expecting a bit more.

★ 544 characters

4.02/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Hazy amber ale. Exceptional lacing. Earthy, malty, spicy pine like hop nose. Flavor much like the aroma with a strong hop presence. Dry feel. Sturdy body and solid carbonation. Well balanced.

★ 197 characters

4.27/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Look: pours a nice clear dark red, with ample carbonation and a off white head. Real pretty.

Smell: I get some floral and citric hops, not what I expected from a red ale, but nice.

Taste: the hops and the malt meld together very nicely. Caramel, slight citrus and some floral action in there.

Feel: well carbonated, barely any bitterness from the hops, if any, and a nicer medium mouthfeel

Overall: A nice red ale with plenty of flavor and pretty looking beer.

★ 465 characters

4.24/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Lots to enjoy here. Deep red hue on the draft pour, with an off white head. Floral hop scent tells of things to come. Is this named after Kevin Shields' visionary noisniks or the movie....or given the band was named after the movie both? Either way I love the blend of toasted caramel malt, hops and slight hint of cocoa. Body is medium and satisfying

★ 351 characters

3.96/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Comes out a deep clear red with a big creamy tan head. The head has great retention and leaves moderate amounts of small sticky lacing. The aroma is lighter but has nice aspects of both dark fruity malts and citrus hops. Probably more robust closer to bottling. The taste is more pronounced, if not more distinct. It still has a generic malt and hops quality to it but it's a very good generic quality. The body is mostly silky smooth with just a little hint of carbonation and the head adds to the creamy mouthfeel.

★ 517 characters

3.99/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Had a glass at the Forrest Hills Station House. This is a fine example of a malt-forward amber (most a pretty boring). The caramel is up front, but then it gets earthy and interesting. There's mild floral and juicy hops, over toasty, earthy barley.

★ 248 characters

3.7/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Served on-tap in a Shaker pint at Beer Run (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Dark red with 1/2-finger beige head with some stickiness and a thin rim of lacing.

S: Toasted and medium caramel malt aromas are the dominant feature but are prety closely matched with floral, citrus grapefruit hoppiness. No yeast or alcohol.

T: FLavor is a little muted compared to the aroma and the striking blood red appearance of the beer. Toasty and medium and dark caramel malt, probably English from the intensity of the maltiness, carry this beer with the grapefruit citrus, floral, and earthier dank notes mainly countering. Bitterness is moderate -- this is a solid West Coast red ale. No real alcohol or yeast presence.

M: A little hefty and flaccid in the feel to be honest, a little oily, moderately carbonated with medium body.

O: Pretty solid red ale but I would have preferred less intense caramel as I felt it clashed with the citrus and dank hopping. Body left quite a bit to be desired. Glad I tried it but one and done for me.

★ 1,020 characters

4.04/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour: On draft poured into a tulip. Appearance: Dark red almost ruby in color. Head and lacing present. Aroma: Clear and distinct hoppy character with accents of toasted malts. Dark berries chocolate notes also are present. Taste: Toasted malts make an immediate appearance with deep dark berries to follow. Juicy and crisp. Aftertaste: Juicy finish. Berry notes and bitter chocolate on the back end. A strong offering from one of my favorite brewers in San Diego.

★ 464 characters

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a chalice.

Appearance: Pours a deep brownish amber red with a moderate amount of bubbles. Solid finger of off white head which settles into a thin patchy layer.

Smell: A toasty and juicy balanced aroma of hops and caramel malt. Toasted malt with a scent of caramel, biscuit, toast, chocolate, and yeast. Citrus hop hints of grapefruit, orange peel, mango, and lemon. Earthy and floral hops with some hints of grass and pine resin. Some hints of candied sugar as well. A solid aroma.

Taste: Like it smells, a toasty and juicy balanced mix of juicy hops and caramel malt. Toasted malt with sweet hints of caramel, biscuit, chocolate, toast, and yeast. Citrus hop notes of grapefruit, mango, orange peel, and lemon. Floral and earthy hop notes of pine resin and grass. Some sweet candied sugar notes as well. A pretty solid taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Juicy, oily, and chewy with a drying finish.

Overall: A pretty nice take on a Red Ale. Good mix of sweet caramel malt and juicy hop notes.

★ 1,072 characters

3.92/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

In a pint glass this beer was a dark reddish-brown color. There was a small tan head that left a little bit of lace.
Aroma of bread, chocolate, and floral hops.
The taste improved a bit on the aroma. More chocolate, some toast. A little bit of floral/earthy hops.
Medium-bodied, with a little bitterness.

★ 304 characters

3/5  rDev -25%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

terrible beer. the head looks like the stuff that comes out at the end of your puke. Like a mix of bile and chyme. The smell is flat dead junky malt-laden hops. The taste is malty sweetness with a tinge of hops and a chemical caramelized tire aftertaste. Feel is pretty good. Slightly carbonated smooth silky with somewhat of a small hop fizz of carbonation. Dont recommend. Dont drink beer.

★ 391 characters

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a copper almost dark brown body with minimal head and lace. Aroma has notes of citric hops and a bready maltiness (not quite sweet or caramel). Balanced, medium bodied beer with a bready fullness that gives off a sharp citric hop taste, hint of grapefruit, along with caramel malts that add sweetness. Another simplistic yet solidly constructed beer from Alesmith that is a must try.

★ 393 characters

4.12/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Deep ruby, rich, frothy cream colored head. Scent of resin, caramelized sugar, grass and strawberries. Taste of caramelized sugar, resin, sap, a hint of grapefruit rind and a sort of fruit punch flavor. Damn good.

★ 213 characters

4.09/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a Spiegelau stout glass. Bottled Dec 1st 2015.

Deep red. Almost into dark brown from a distance and dark chestnut to mahogany brown appearances. Thick three finger head with a big creamy banana yellow color. Real impressive looker.

Inviting aroma. Soft brown spices more towards sweet and almost like a cigar woody quality with leafy hop sugars and punch. A soft caramel and brown sugars round out in the distance. Very nice and unique.

Palate sticks to some of the basics and done well. Quality hop forward with pine and dry spicy hop flavors in the mid palate, with a nearly juiced feel. Slight clean almost crisp body, making for easy drinking but less prominent flavors. Fleeting aftertaste, but with soft hop aromatic flavors of pine, slight caramel and citrus to grapefruit.

A neat light red with interesting character.

★ 867 characters

3.79/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Throw in some brown and dark red for this color descriptor. Great retention, average depth of head.

Aroma was all that nutty, malty, oktoberfest almost vibe.

Coffee from the malt, toffee and caramel then some bitter hop bite in the first sip. Just a sip, just a sip, beer or whiskey if you're with me, wet your lips. Chocolate malt and then some vanilla. Good amount of complexity to the beer, its good stuff.

★ 419 characters

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very malty, toasted, nutty aroma, with resin and earthy hops.

Flavor is resiny, grassy, with specialty malt fruitiness. The finish is moderately bitter. Definitely more malt dominant than hoppy.

★ 195 characters

4.19/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The look is phenomenal, a clear dark ruby, almost bloody, with a big fluffy beige head, tinted with some brown notes. Slowly recedes, leaves lots of sticky lacing. A nice pink glitter when held toward the light.
Thick caramelised malts on the nose, sweet and sticky, with a lot of blood orange and grapefruit juice in there, too. Biscuit, spicy leafy hops with quite some pine resin, faint peach compote and some light tropical notes. Some alcohol warmth creeping up, too.
Rich caramel glazed biscuit up front with a bit of butter on top, just a smidge. Fruit eases its way in, sweet and juicy with peach, faint mango and some pineapple syrup, then with a stronger citrus character, lots of grapefruit peel especially towards the end. A nice spicy note, too, with pepper, some woody notes (like cinnamon, faint ginger), enhanced by the rich hoppy finish, with pine and even a bit of dankness. Not overly bitter, but balances out the sweet maltiness.
Aftertaste has caramel glazed orange, some peach, faint tropical fruit, faint pine. A nice lingering mix of sweet malt and tasty hop. Medium body, a bit "fat" and sticky, almost creamy, but the nice carbonation lifts it up.
Pretty nice, a refreshing balanced bloody red ale. Don't wait for the next Valentine's Day to drink it.

★ 1,277 characters

3.81/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Drank straight from bottle in train home from work so will give look rating 3.75 based on other review averages until I can have it again from proper glassware.

Smells of juicy citrus hops up front, followed by biscuit, floral hops, graham cracker, grapefruit, piney hops, mint, pepper, citrus fruit and a crisp malty backing like dry toast. The fruit comes out more with the second whiff and has some lemon zest, orange peel and pineapple mixed with caramel and malt. Would very much like to inhale this out of the glass.

Tastes like it smells with citrus hops up front, but the malt that follows is more prominent with cracker, wheat bread, biscuit and more bready and even doughy notes coming through before the shift to some of the floral hops and spices. Flavor has cocoa powder, yeast and what seems like coffee grinds mixing in with the grapefruit, piney hops, pepper and malt backbone. The fruit taste is lessened and more toasted grains come out as this shifts from hoppy smelling to grainy tasting with accents of lemon, orange peel and light spices. The aftertaste is like dry powder Ovaltine, with the chalky consistency, mixed with some potent citrus hops - odd combo that somehow works.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth as it slides across the tongue with ease and the mild carbonation lets it go down like a milk stout, as the body is medium with a slight chewy feel but it's thin and watery at the same time. Good beer that I'd like to try again from a glass to get the full experience.

★ 1,503 characters

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours crimson with a one finger beige head, with good retention and lacing. The aroma has caramel, toasted malt, citrus, and some chocolate.

Has a nice balanced taste. Tastes just like it smells with caramel, toasted malt, citrus, and chocolate. I never would have thought that the tastes in this beer would have blended so well, but they have.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and easy to drink. I would buy this again without hesitation.

★ 459 characters

4.19/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours garnet colored with 2 fingers of tan head. Lovely lacing & head retention

S: Toastyness, some herbal & woody hops

T: Follows the nose, much dryness, a little herbal & woody hop up front. So much malty dryness with some restrained hoppyness mixing in as this warms, a little cocoa & cinnamon??? Finishes dry, toasty, sweet& with a little chocolate an old school amber/red with a minor twist...

MF: Medium bodied, slight carbonation, nice balance

Drinks fairly easy, works well for the style

★ 506 characters

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 12/18/14:

Pours crimson with a lasting, creamy off-white head. Lacing sticks.

The smell is of caramel, toast, pine. Assertive nose.

The taste is of sweet caramel and resin balanced by mild toast and floral bitterness. A subtle hint of chocolate comes through as it progresses. Sweet to bittersweet finish.

It has a creamy, smooth, full body. Alcohol well-integrated with a bit of warmth.

An impressive red ale! The description fits it well, so they got what they were intending. Nice choice and blend of malt and hops! A very enjoyable beer.

★ 558 characters

4.09/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bomber into pint glass. Large, thick, foamy head with great retention and lacing. Body is a clear and dark amber. The aroma was not strong, but traces of roasted malt and sweetness. Taste is roasty with a hint of caramel. Mouthfeel is great - full bodied and smooth. An enjoyable beer for the style.

★ 311 characters