Oso Under
AleSmith Brewing Company

RB transfer

 

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American IPA
Glass: Monkish 16-oz. mug
Price: $3.49
From: Windmill Farms in Del Cerro (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: June 11, 2021
Consumed: June 18, 2021
Misc.: Collaboration with Alvarado Street; Canned on May 25, 2021

Went to Windmill Farms to grab some stuff for Chad and $113 later I had way too much beer. Not a fan of AleSmith’s hoppy stuff but sure am of Alvarado Street’s. AleSmith’s website called this “These California bears have gone down under! We partnered up with our buddies from Alvarado Street Brewery to make this bright and dry west coast-style IIPA featuring an exorbitant amount of Galaxy, Vic Secret, and Nelson hops. When two beloved California breweries draw inspiration from Australian and New Zealand hops, you know the collaboration has to be “Oso Under!” Cheers!” Here’s to hope (of a rare decent hoppy beer from AleSmith).

Poured a medium yellow clear color with 2-to-3 fingers of frothy white head. A few bubbles coming from the bottom and sides of the glass. Outstanding spotty lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Galaxy and Vic Secret jumped out on the nose with some lesser Nelson. Also orange rind, peach, passion fruit, hints of Fruit Loop cereal, herbal, viney berry, body odor and onion. Kind of surprised Simcoe isn’t involved. A little better out of the can. Might have even got a little blueberry. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted about as good as the nose. In order got Vic Secret, Galaxy, trash, orange rind, peach, passion fruit, bitter pine, aspirin, herbal, viney berry, light Nelson, body odor and onion. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Long finish. (Feel - 4.00)

Wow. Pleasantly surprised that AleSmith made an outstanding IPA and also that a Vic Secret IPA was outstanding as well. (Overall - 4.00)

4.02 | 90 | A-

 

Pours bright and clear with a decent cap of foam. I love the aroma on this. It’s everything I want, sharply piney, needles and sap, with a floral note. Bitter enough to remind you what IPAs were once like. All hops, minimal malt. Glad I have another.

Pours a clear golden orange with three solid fingers of tight bubbly just off white head - laces nicely.
Aroma hits like our Christmas tree - piney hops - but as the head fades the smell turns to a tropical pineapple, mango, grapefruit with notes of caramel malts, somewhat bready.
Tastes of that caramel bready malt sweetness with notes of pineapple, tropical fruit, citrus, a hint of berries, before the piney, resinous hop notes take over at the back with a sharp earthy bitterness.
Medium mouthfeel with bright carbonation and a wonderful balance of the piney resin bitterness with the tropical fruit and malt sweetness. Big fan of this very drinkable West Coasty IPA.

 

Pours a clear bright yellow with plenty of foam in the Troubadour tulip. Spritzy mouthfeel with sturdy, malty body. Surprisingly sweet start with malty flavors and a winey taste. Then quite brambly, herbal, berry seeds, and some kind of oxidized red wine.

The lingering old fruit flavor is less enthralling. Astringent aftertaste goes on and on. From the 16 oz can purchased at the big wine store. Canned 05/25/21. Classy yellow and black label.

 

Appearance - Pours a clear amber with four fingers of frothy white head.

Smell - piney, earthy, leafy, herbal, hint of citrus, pine resin, grapefruit peel, hint of citrus fruits, bready malts, caramel. and earthy yeast.

Taste - bold piney, earthy, leafy, herbal, and hint of citrus hops up front. The sticky pine resin comes through next followed by the grapefruit peel. The bready malts, caramel, and earthy yeast round out the brew.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes sticky with the hops and pine resin lingering.

Overall - A solid classic bitter, and piney West Coast IPA. This goes down a little too easy but is done very well. A nice treat for all those hopheads out there!

pours a super hazy straw gold body with a chalk white froth head that billows up to two fingers, lingers briefly, and slowly settles to a murky, rocky cap with defined halo, leaving a high amount of thin sticky lacing behind as it goes

aroma is dripping pineapple strewn across an herbal, floral, and earthy hop backbone

taste expands the citrus and tropical elements, revealing more orange an interesting mineral water tinge; the hops only slightly bitter, and the sweetness is subtle.

mouthfeel is high carbonation and medium bodied. it feels full and has a mineral water-like tinge to it along with a slight graininess, especially as it warms. it finishes dry and shows off a big earthy pine hop aftertaste, with notes also leaning towards herbal, grassy, and floral hop bitterness.

overall:
starts pretty average, but finishes really strong for me. I loved the peeling back of the layers that progressively got more and more hoppy. the pineapple and other tropical leanings is but an appetizer here, the bitterness taking the headline spot. pretty cool trick

16oz can
canned on 06/07/21
L: slightly hazed & golden; fluffy off-white head
S: juicy tropical fruit, citrus, pine
T: grapefruit & tangerine zest, mango, pine, lemon, dry white grape, pale grain, tangy passion fruit
F: fuller body, smooth yet resinous, ample carbonation, dry & bitter finish
O: I always have loved my west coast IPAs; even with Aussie hops, this one is done right

Canned on 5/26, consumed on 8/21; poured from a tall boy into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Golden/canary yellow gradient, somewhat hazy with three fingers of papaya whip foam up top; soapy lacing, no legs, excellent retention.

Bright citrus and tropical fruit notes in the nose. Passion fruit, pineapple, orange, and some herbal elements are all here in abundance.

Flavor profile is more herbaceous albeit not quite dank. Overripe kiwi, young pu-erh, and pomelo pith on the palate, with moderate bitterness throughout. Fairly dry, slightly tannic finish with hints of dandelion and river stones.

Not quite medium bodied, and not quite creamy, but with good carbonation.

Flavor doesn’t live up to the nose, but the latter is an excellent showcase for the aromatic complexity of the hops utilized.

 

Poured from can into tulip, good 2+ finger cream colored head, good retention and lacing. Clear golden in the glass, nice looking beer. Nose more herbal, grassy, floral with slight citrus whiff. Taste somewhat matches the nose, more of a pear/citrus peaking thru with a little minerality thrown in. There is a good firm bitterness on the finish, and a good bit of dankness towards the finish. There is a lingering almost tannic aftertaste, that at first is off-putting, but works after a while. Nice beer

 

 

Can dated 6/8:
Pours with a pale haze on a golden leaning amber body. White froth formed pretty well, and had decent staying power, though not a lot of lacing is produced. The nose is fruity, with a somewhat tropical note. It's not ripe tropical - and struggling I will say it's a mix of guava and pineapple core. More up front is honeydew and watermelon rind, which sorta get in the way.

Upon a sip, the beer is medium leaning light, with a modest carbonation. It's pretty clean and maybe feeling a tad wet, but it stops well short of watery. A little more malt backbone wouldn't be unwelcome, but it isn't necessary, either.

Flavor-wise, there is a brief moment where I get the flavors that match the aromas. I actually want a little more of them, but I wouldn't want a lot more of them, if that makes sense. I am glad that the citrus leaf and grassy bitterness is quite prevalent, even if it jumps into the taste quite early.

Although the southern hemisphere hops with their profile different than PNW classic American IPAs, the collaborators brought a good amount of bitterness to this brew that sits well in the old school ways. For that, I am grateful.