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Speedway Stout - Double Barrel
AleSmith Brewing Company
- From:
- AleSmith Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 13%
- Score:
- 98
- Avg:
- 4.48 | pDev: 5.8%
- Reviews:
- 18
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 03, 2023
- Added:
- Jul 14, 2017
- Wants:
- 14
- Gots:
- 7
This variation of Speedway Stout has gone through two different maturations in two types of oak barrels to develop its complex flavor profile. The extended aging period in freshly used bourbon barrels helped the beer develop rich notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. The beer's aging process in Portuguese port barrels added notes of raisin and plum, as well as wine-like tannins. The beer was also combined with locally roasted coffee to further balance its profile of chocolate and roasted malts.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Jason_cs:
Rated by Jason_cs from Florida
4.44/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jul 24, 2018
4.44/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jul 24, 2018
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by SpeedwayJim from New York
4.02/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Foiled and capped 750ml bottle into a Side Project snifter. Pour looks a touch thin at this point. No had, no lace, thin mocha legs that move quickly off the glass. Nose is espresso, fudge, and pungent roasted coffee beans. Very aromatic and hopefully a sign of things to come. Beer opens cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, and that signature dank coffee bean presence. I'm shocked it's still this pungent after 6 years. As this warms, it produces notes of raisin, plum, and sweet syrup from the Port barrels. Boozy still. More cocoa powder and espresso in the finish. The flavor's holding strong! Body is medium with low carbonation. Slick but a touch thin on the palate. Boozy finish with a lingering aftertaste.
This one's still holding up well after all these years. The body is thinning out but I wonder if it was ever full to begin with.
Jul 03, 2023This one's still holding up well after all these years. The body is thinning out but I wonder if it was ever full to begin with.
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia
4.64/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
4.64/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
2017 Vintage
750ml bottle poured into a snifter
A- pours jet black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that has great retention long after the pour, eventually leaving some lacing behind
S- plenty of barrel on the nose with port popping through first, adding raisins, black cherries, stewed figs and leather. The bourbon barrel adds peppery oak, caramel and vanilla cream. Undertones of chocolate, charred malt and cherry pipe tobacco. Complexity increases as it warms up
T- sweet dark chocolate and charred malt up front quickly give way to a wave of port barrel, adding notes of black cherries, stewed raisins & figs, and some tannic red grapes. Mid-palate brings out the bourbon barrel, enhancing a peppery oak note, as well as caramel. and some earthy and herbal coffee. Notes of chocolate reemerge with just a hint of oxidization. The finish gives more bourbon, with a sweet dark fruity linger of port
M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a silky mouthfeel that continues into a slightly creamy warming finish
O- a fantastic slow sipper that seems to increase complexity as it warms. One of my favorite SS variants, up there with BA Vietnamese.
Jun 27, 2023750ml bottle poured into a snifter
A- pours jet black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that has great retention long after the pour, eventually leaving some lacing behind
S- plenty of barrel on the nose with port popping through first, adding raisins, black cherries, stewed figs and leather. The bourbon barrel adds peppery oak, caramel and vanilla cream. Undertones of chocolate, charred malt and cherry pipe tobacco. Complexity increases as it warms up
T- sweet dark chocolate and charred malt up front quickly give way to a wave of port barrel, adding notes of black cherries, stewed raisins & figs, and some tannic red grapes. Mid-palate brings out the bourbon barrel, enhancing a peppery oak note, as well as caramel. and some earthy and herbal coffee. Notes of chocolate reemerge with just a hint of oxidization. The finish gives more bourbon, with a sweet dark fruity linger of port
M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a silky mouthfeel that continues into a slightly creamy warming finish
O- a fantastic slow sipper that seems to increase complexity as it warms. One of my favorite SS variants, up there with BA Vietnamese.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.46/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This one pours a dark black color, with a small hgead, and not much lacing.
This smells like dark fruit (raisin, dried cherry, etc), oak, lots of vanilla, chocolate fudge, bourbon, spice, and a hint of smoke.
This is the 2017 batch, and at this point, there's no real coffee flavor left in it. It's a testament to Alesmith's quality that even though the coffee has faded, the base and barrel work has left remaining a very good beer. The port barrels seems to define the flavor the most, giving a smoky, tobacco, and lightly fruity character to the beer - plums, cherry, raisins, etc. There's a lot of vanilla flavor here, even though vanilla wasn't added - that's either the bourbon barrels or whatever flavor is remaining from the coffee left, perhaps. It's silky, chocolatey, and delicious.
This is medium bodied, and not very boozy, with a great drinkability to it.
Alesmith remains one of my absolute favorite breweries. This is still great even four years later.
May 16, 2021This smells like dark fruit (raisin, dried cherry, etc), oak, lots of vanilla, chocolate fudge, bourbon, spice, and a hint of smoke.
This is the 2017 batch, and at this point, there's no real coffee flavor left in it. It's a testament to Alesmith's quality that even though the coffee has faded, the base and barrel work has left remaining a very good beer. The port barrels seems to define the flavor the most, giving a smoky, tobacco, and lightly fruity character to the beer - plums, cherry, raisins, etc. There's a lot of vanilla flavor here, even though vanilla wasn't added - that's either the bourbon barrels or whatever flavor is remaining from the coffee left, perhaps. It's silky, chocolatey, and delicious.
This is medium bodied, and not very boozy, with a great drinkability to it.
Alesmith remains one of my absolute favorite breweries. This is still great even four years later.
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
4.41/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.41/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours espresso colored with ruby highlights; the beige head is rather small and there are a few dots of lace; leggy
Smell: A range of dark fruit (raisin, prune, fig and date) blends with the chocolate, vanilla and coffee; oaky, with Bourbon and Port tones
Taste: Chocolate, molasses and coffee forward, with the dark fruit elements detected in the aroma emerging; after the swallow the oak barrel tones from the Bourbon and Port arrive to create a Brandy-like aspect
Mouthfeel: Full body and creamy with moderate carbonation
Overall: I wasn't sure whether Bourbon and Port would go together but they sure work well in this Speedway variant
Mar 08, 2020Smell: A range of dark fruit (raisin, prune, fig and date) blends with the chocolate, vanilla and coffee; oaky, with Bourbon and Port tones
Taste: Chocolate, molasses and coffee forward, with the dark fruit elements detected in the aroma emerging; after the swallow the oak barrel tones from the Bourbon and Port arrive to create a Brandy-like aspect
Mouthfeel: Full body and creamy with moderate carbonation
Overall: I wasn't sure whether Bourbon and Port would go together but they sure work well in this Speedway variant
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
4.35/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.35/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Dark brown with a slight transparency, and topped with a light brown foam.
Smells of chocolate, black liquorice, soy sauce, and a hint of bourbon oak.
Chocolate, bourbon forward, slightly fruity then ends with a savoury roasted meat quality.
Medium, slightly oily body, moderate to low carbonation.
Drinking this at the brewery in San Diego, CA, June 1st, 2019. One of the best out there in my opinion!
Jun 02, 2019Smells of chocolate, black liquorice, soy sauce, and a hint of bourbon oak.
Chocolate, bourbon forward, slightly fruity then ends with a savoury roasted meat quality.
Medium, slightly oily body, moderate to low carbonation.
Drinking this at the brewery in San Diego, CA, June 1st, 2019. One of the best out there in my opinion!
Reviewed by Sandis from Minnesota
3/5 rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Tasted this on tap at Ansari's Eagan during Speedway tap takeover. Of the 4 Speedway variants I tried, this version was not my favorite. It must have been the flavor from the Port barrels that wasn't quite my thing.
Nov 28, 2018
Speedway Stout - Double Barrel from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating:
98 out of
100 with
82 ratings
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