IPA | AleSmith Brewing Company
Brewed by:
AleSmith Brewing Company
California, United States
alesmith.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.25%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 07-29-2002
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 4,272 | Reviews: 1,354
4.28/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very good beer, similar to Racer 5 by Bear Republic and Union Jack by Firestone Walker. Light amber pour, floral smell.
12 ounce can. Traditional California style, sharp pine notes with a touch of bitterness at the end. It is smooth and a deceptive seven percent. Recommend highly.
283 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very good beer, similar to Racer 5 by Bear Republic and Union Jack by Firestone Walker. Light amber pour, floral smell.
12 ounce can. Traditional California style, sharp pine notes with a touch of bitterness at the end. It is smooth and a deceptive seven percent. Recommend highly.
283 characters
4.05/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can canned in October 2017.
Lightly hazed amber colored body topped by a large, creamy white head. Very good retention with a foamy film of lacing left on the glass.
Aroma: Smells of tropical fruits including oranges, grapefruit, and a bit of pineapple.
Flavor: follows the aroma but negligible dankness, more complexity, bready malts, and hints of honey. Some pine and grapefruit in the finish. Moderately bitter for style but leans towards bold for style overall.
Feel: medium-full body; medium carbonation; Semi-dry finish.
Overall: a high quality West Coast IPA.
583 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can canned in October 2017.
Lightly hazed amber colored body topped by a large, creamy white head. Very good retention with a foamy film of lacing left on the glass.
Aroma: Smells of tropical fruits including oranges, grapefruit, and a bit of pineapple.
Flavor: follows the aroma but negligible dankness, more complexity, bready malts, and hints of honey. Some pine and grapefruit in the finish. Moderately bitter for style but leans towards bold for style overall.
Feel: medium-full body; medium carbonation; Semi-dry finish.
Overall: a high quality West Coast IPA.
583 characters
4.8/5 rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.24/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Near perfect IPA. I’m liking the California style. Soft, smooth mellow hoppiness, slippery body, creamy mouthfeel. Light amber with small silky head. Soft citrus. pine nose, taste is more pine, but not astringent. Goes down smooth, with some lingering bitterness. Wonderful!
276 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Near perfect IPA. I’m liking the California style. Soft, smooth mellow hoppiness, slippery body, creamy mouthfeel. Light amber with small silky head. Soft citrus. pine nose, taste is more pine, but not astringent. Goes down smooth, with some lingering bitterness. Wonderful!
276 characters
4.21/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.7/5 rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.15/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.26/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Better than the sum of its parts.
a) pours a hazy, pale golden yellow body, with 2 fingers of thick off-white head. Laces and lasts nicely.
s) Abundant grapefruit and orange rind with pine, forest floor, on a bed of white cracker and caramel malt. Floral hops.
t) Fruit - orange, guava, pineapple, lemon - abundant with a white peppery astringency. Floral and perfumy hops.
f) The juicy, fresh, well carbonated feel refreshes and thrills.
442 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Better than the sum of its parts.
a) pours a hazy, pale golden yellow body, with 2 fingers of thick off-white head. Laces and lasts nicely.
s) Abundant grapefruit and orange rind with pine, forest floor, on a bed of white cracker and caramel malt. Floral hops.
t) Fruit - orange, guava, pineapple, lemon - abundant with a white peppery astringency. Floral and perfumy hops.
f) The juicy, fresh, well carbonated feel refreshes and thrills.
442 characters
4.39/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Canned on 11/22/17.
Comes in a clear, dark gold/light amber color. Topped by a big tight white head, very good retention; a foamy film always remains, leaving sheets of lacing.
Smells of blood orange, ruby red grapefruit, caramel, toffee, pine needle, pine cone, pine sap, wood/bark, and maybe a bit of pineapple. Very old-school West Coast IPA in a good way, and very fragrant.
Blood orange, pink grapefruit, and honey hit the palate right away. A bit of caramel and brown bread, but the malt comes across mostly like honey and mead. Faint pineapple and mango notes as well, followed by tons of earth and pine on the back end, and a big piney finish. Moderately bitter, balancing the malt well with some lingering pine and citrus and bitterness.
Feels medium-plus bodied, well-carbonated, smooth and flows easily across the palate. Finishes slightly sweet but with a massive piney hop bitterness to balance it out, leaving the mouth dry with lingering piney hop oils.
Overall, this is quintessential high quality West Coast IPA. Traditional, and yet still fantastic by today's standards. A magnificent IPA.
1,120 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Canned on 11/22/17.
Comes in a clear, dark gold/light amber color. Topped by a big tight white head, very good retention; a foamy film always remains, leaving sheets of lacing.
Smells of blood orange, ruby red grapefruit, caramel, toffee, pine needle, pine cone, pine sap, wood/bark, and maybe a bit of pineapple. Very old-school West Coast IPA in a good way, and very fragrant.
Blood orange, pink grapefruit, and honey hit the palate right away. A bit of caramel and brown bread, but the malt comes across mostly like honey and mead. Faint pineapple and mango notes as well, followed by tons of earth and pine on the back end, and a big piney finish. Moderately bitter, balancing the malt well with some lingering pine and citrus and bitterness.
Feels medium-plus bodied, well-carbonated, smooth and flows easily across the palate. Finishes slightly sweet but with a massive piney hop bitterness to balance it out, leaving the mouth dry with lingering piney hop oils.
Overall, this is quintessential high quality West Coast IPA. Traditional, and yet still fantastic by today's standards. A magnificent IPA.
1,120 characters
4.1/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Looks nice enough - golden with a slight uniform haze & offwhite fluffy head which fades moderately quickly. Aroma of hops - Sculpinesque citrus & pine with a definite malt backbone. First taste brings a lot of flavour, nowhere near the sweet citrus levels of the new East Coast IPAs, but a solid smooth hit of citrus, pine & smooth bready caramel malts all at once. Fades with a slight astringent bitterness. There really are a lot of different tastes which come through with each sip, both in the areas of hop & malt. Mouthfeel is smooth, full and fluffy-carbonated, somewhat marshmallowy to borrow a term. Taste is not as similar to Sculpin as the aroma suggests but it is still a nice example of a classic West Coast IPA
726 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Looks nice enough - golden with a slight uniform haze & offwhite fluffy head which fades moderately quickly. Aroma of hops - Sculpinesque citrus & pine with a definite malt backbone. First taste brings a lot of flavour, nowhere near the sweet citrus levels of the new East Coast IPAs, but a solid smooth hit of citrus, pine & smooth bready caramel malts all at once. Fades with a slight astringent bitterness. There really are a lot of different tastes which come through with each sip, both in the areas of hop & malt. Mouthfeel is smooth, full and fluffy-carbonated, somewhat marshmallowy to borrow a term. Taste is not as similar to Sculpin as the aroma suggests but it is still a nice example of a classic West Coast IPA
726 characters
3.81/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.25/5 rDev -23.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4.49/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Bottle, 5 weeks old.
(A) Deep gold, with two-finger whitish head. Superior lacing.
(S) Complex citrus aroma, tropical fruit, floral notes, and caramel malt.
(T) Big tropical fruit (pineapple/orange/grapefruit/mango) with sweet caramel malt. Not as “piney” as most west coast-style IPAs. The fruitiness and prominent malt backbone make it exceptionally well balanced. Very smooth finish and not overly dry.
(M) Medium bodied with exceptional velvety carbonation. I believe AleSmith did away with bottle conditioning a few years ago on this one.
(D) Very drinkable and hides the >7% ABV very well.
It is so well balanced and perfectly carbonated that it allows you to fully enjoy the hop bitterness. Although it gets overshadowed by other west coast-style IPAs, it is very unique and quite possibly my favorite.
821 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Bottle, 5 weeks old.
(A) Deep gold, with two-finger whitish head. Superior lacing.
(S) Complex citrus aroma, tropical fruit, floral notes, and caramel malt.
(T) Big tropical fruit (pineapple/orange/grapefruit/mango) with sweet caramel malt. Not as “piney” as most west coast-style IPAs. The fruitiness and prominent malt backbone make it exceptionally well balanced. Very smooth finish and not overly dry.
(M) Medium bodied with exceptional velvety carbonation. I believe AleSmith did away with bottle conditioning a few years ago on this one.
(D) Very drinkable and hides the >7% ABV very well.
It is so well balanced and perfectly carbonated that it allows you to fully enjoy the hop bitterness. Although it gets overshadowed by other west coast-style IPAs, it is very unique and quite possibly my favorite.
821 characters
4.02/5 rDev -5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Single returned to Canada from San Diego trip. Dated August 2017 so not super fresh...
Pours a fairly clear golden orange with one finger whitish head. Aroma is subdued - primarily citrus - orange, grapefruit. Taste is very pleasant citrus with some caramel sweetness, followed by a resinous piney bitterness that lingers on an astringent finish.
Smooth and well balanced - nice.
380 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Single returned to Canada from San Diego trip. Dated August 2017 so not super fresh...
Pours a fairly clear golden orange with one finger whitish head. Aroma is subdued - primarily citrus - orange, grapefruit. Taste is very pleasant citrus with some caramel sweetness, followed by a resinous piney bitterness that lingers on an astringent finish.
Smooth and well balanced - nice.
380 characters
3.75/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.21/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
IPA from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.23 out of
5 with
4,272 ratings
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