Speedway Stout - Tart Cherry
AleSmith Brewing Company

 

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: Russian Imperial Stout
Glass: Pure Project 14-oz. snifter elemental (water) glass
Price: $4.99
From: Windmill Farms in Del Cerro (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: July 15, 2022
Consumed: Aug. 13, 2022
Misc.: Canned on April 29, 2022

Went to grab a 6-pack and a few cans at Windmill Farms and came home with 29 beers, spending way too much money. Had this once, sharing it with Sonny and Kevin. Gave it a 4.25 on Untappd then (June 28, 2022), writing “Keep these cherry beers coming. Digging this one. Excellent.” AleSmith’s website called it “With this iteration of our signature imperial stout, we used an ample amount of tart cherries, vanilla, and artisanally roasted coffee. The tartness of the cherries and the lusciousness of the vanilla balance the roasted complexity of the beer, creating the perfect blend of delectable flavors. Cheers!”

Poured a pitch-black color with three fingers of frothy tan lacing. Could see just a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Perfect spiderweb foamy lacing. Excellent foamy retention. (Sight - 4.75)

Smelled tart cherry, milk chocolate, Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, vanilla, black cherry and coffee. Better as it went down. Just as good from the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted better than the smell. In order got tart cherry, milk chocolate, Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, vanilla, black cherry and cherry vanilla ice cream. So damn smooth for 12 pct. ABV. (Taste - 4.25)

Full body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, smooth finish. (Feel - 4.75)

Man. This one grew on me. Initially didn’t think it was up to what I had back in June but I really liked it. I’m a sucker for raspberry and cherry beers but this one just hit me good. (Overall - 4.50)

4.32 | 96 | A

Copenhagen 8/9 2022. 47,3 cl can from Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard, Kbh. V. The usual Speedway Stout design with the checkered flag with a pink circle in the middle to signal we are dealing with cherries.

Pours opaque dark brown with small beige head. A bit bubbly. Settles as thin, flimsy, almost transparent layer of foam struggling to cover the surface of the beer. No lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a sweet, dark and roasted scent mingling with a strong scent of cherries and a salty whiff of licorice. Dark roasted malts, an abundance of sweet cherries and a touch of brown sugar.

Light carbonation. Thick, oily, viscous, fat, creamy, a bit sticky and lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is intense with strong fruity sweetness followed by a medium strong tart bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet with touch of dark alcohol and tart berries. Lingering. Finish is semi-dry.

Quite the Cherry bomb. But the tart berries suits the sweet stout quite well.

 

 

Typical stout characteristics until you get to nose. Nose is straight up cherry as expected. Definitely tart cherries on taste. Back end I get cherry tart as well. Good for what it is.

Purchased a can of this beer at the local Total Wine.

Poured into a tulip glass. Rich dark brown color with a creamy beige head and excellent curtain lacing- characteristic of the Speedway Stouts. Smell and taste of cherries and milk chocolate. Some vanilla, almost cherry soda-like. Would have liked it a bit more tart. Smooth, silky feel. A good treat!

 

I did not catch the "Tart" part on the label until after purchase. Tart is not one of my favorite things, unless we're talking pastries or a hot little number in a plaid skirt. But now I can add this fine outing from Alesmith to the Tart List (TM) which is totally not the porno version of that James Spader show. The tartness is held in check and instead of tasting like one of those awful candies handed out for trick or treat by the loathsome, the cherry wang enhances the stout. And if that isn't a brand new sentence I will drink the rest of this beer.

 

 

16 ounce can into a snifter. Canned 4/23/22, had 1/18/23.

Pours near black and opaque, with a two inch head of darker foam with very good retention and a good amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of roasted malt, an odd cherry aroma (gets more normal as it warms), chocolate, vanilla, light coffee, a little smoke. Flavors of roasted malt, tart cherries, chocolate, vanilla, coffee as it warms. Has some tartness on the finish. Smooth, somewhat creamy, a very good full body, well carbonated.

The cherries work well, more so in the flavor. Certainly good overall, but the cherries seem to reduce the big roasted character and the impact of the coffee that makes Speedway what it is.

Poured from a pint can into a cold pint glass at the bar. Dark as motor oil with a head that had a reddish tinge to it that quickly faded away. Aroma of, big surprise, dark cherries. The taste followed the nose and what would be expected from a cherry imperial brewed by an establishment such a good reputation. This is a good one. Enough said.

 

Poured from 16-ounce can into a tulip glass. Nearly pitch black in color, with a thick tan head that seemed to last forever. (I thought I'd have to do an aggressive center pour on this to coax some head out of it and would up with damn near a mliko pour. Oh, well. ;) ) Beautiful curtain of lacing all the way down as it settled. Appearance-wise, it doesn't get any better. I love it when a brewer delivers on his promises, and this is a case in point. Huge aromas and flavors of tart cherry and vanilla sit atop the dark roasted malts and coffee, with all of the flavors in perfect balance and the alcohol nearly undetectable. All of which makes this a pleasurable, albeit dangerous, quaff because you just can't put it down. Overall, absolutely no complaints here. World-class (YMMV) and highly recommended.

 

Another great one from Alesmith!!! Poured from a 16 oz. can into a USAF Academy snifter (A great find at a thrift shop), this beer featured a dense brown color and a surprisingly long lasting cream colored frothy head. Plenty of light, filmy lacing on the glass...a good looking beer. With the aroma, the first thing that hits you is the cherry!!! Tart cherry aroma and flavor, not at all sweet and cloying or medicinal like a cough syrup. The cherry flavor is just right. The cherry is paired with a rich, smooth stout and a little vanilla. After the taste buds process the cherry, some coffee is noticeable here as well. A very tasty brew. Mouthfeel is rich and smooth. No harshness or alcohol burn despite the 12% .abv. A very impressive beer - just one in a series of great "takes" on strong stouts!!!!

473 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 12%. Pitch black colour, moderate and creamy tan head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, vanilla and cherries. Medium sour and tart flavour with the same elements as the aroma, also very distinct bittering hops. Not perfectly balanced, but well worth sampling.