Speedway Grand Prix MMXXIV - Chocolate Raspberry Edition
AleSmith Brewing Company

16 oz. can poured into nonic
(canned on 10/10/24 printed on bottom of can)

L: classic black and tan look with huge amount of sticking off a thick 1-inch head of foam; keeps a full skin and collar of tan foam ... in fact, the "tan" is dark enough to call brown; 100% opaque ... no chance light can pass through this liquid; lacing on the way down; a true work of art, hang it in a museum already ... I could stare at this beer in the glass for days

S: dark ... whatever it is, it is *DARK* roasted toasted burnt malt; milk chocolate, dark chocolate, espresso ... I'd even suggest it smells like a dark chocolate-raspberry latte, but more than anything it is dark roasted malt first with anything sweet following second; dark enough to be woody, burnt oak, almost like an aged bourbon

T: dark as advertised ... it comes off like a beer/carbonated/alcoholic version of a dark chocolate raspberry latte, which is more or less what it's trying to do; huge kudos to AleSmith for delivering what the can says it is, and to be honest, I should probably score it 5s across the board ... my scores are calibrated a bit more to the mean of all beer, if that makes sense, but the bottom line is if you want what this beer says it is, then buy, drink it and enjoy ... it is loaded with stout, cacao, raspberry and coffee flavors combined

F: surprisingly light for such a loaded big brew, but not fully light ... a midweight leaning into light heavyweight ... slick and oily at times, yet still crispy enough to be drinkable; overall about what you'd expect from 12% ABV

O: considering how junked up it is, very good all around; despite how much adjuncts are involved, it still comes off as beer, and that's to its credit; I love chocolate and raspberry in a latte, and this beer comes fairly close to mimicking that experience, so it deserves a fairly high score for delivering what it advertises ... the question may be do you really want a beer to create this experience? I did, I do, and I enjoy the ride. It is not moreish, but when in the mood for the flavors it describes on the can, it delivers

 

I’m a huge AleSmith fan and speedway but this was a drain pour for me. I had the first sip and let it sit for a little and tried again and couldn’t get through it.

16oz can poured into a snifter.

A: Pitch black pour with three and a half fingers of brown head. Superb retention. Broken, chunky rings of lacing.

S: Heavy soot and roast up front. French roast coffee. Fudge sauce, chocolate truffles, blackstrap molasses. Raspberry puree, and lots of it. Green hops and a bit of steeliness.

T: Opens with the expected heavy soot and roast. Woody, acrid, bit smokey. Chocolate truffles and bitter dark chocolate. Layers of fudge sauce and mocha. Roasty coffee. Raspberry puree really comes to the forefront and starts to dominate on the mid palate. It's quite sweet and Chambord-like. Bittering hops in the background with a green and steely feel. Brush of alcohol is stiff but brief, and not what I'd consider hot. Finishes with trailing roast and lots of raspberry sauce.

M: Thick and hefty with a full feel. Chewy and rich. A little coating. Decadent like a rich, melted chocolate. Gentle carbonation. Alcohol warmth.

O: The raspberry addition is pretty potent and distracting. So much so that it makes this a tough drink. I think this was destined to be a polarizing riff as it is, but it really doesn't do it for me. Solid base beer, but I didn't need a few pumps of raspberry sauce from the ice cream station in there.

16 oz. canned on 10/10/24

Dark, roasty, bitter cacao nibs, dark chocolate, black coffee, char, ash, dark roasted malts, some fruity raspberry, molasses, caramel, toasty toffee, caramelized sugar, condensed milk, subtle dark dried fruit, and earthy grassy herbal hops. Feels medium plus bodied, thick, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a really nice imperial stout with cacao nibs, raspberries and coffee.

Sampling a cellar temp 16 oz can poured into my snifter. Date stamp is canned on 10/10/2024. The beer pours a dark cola to black coffee color and rests in the glass with no light passing through. A dense creamy tan head of about 1 cm foams up on the pour and slowly fades to a sturdy surface covering and clingy edge layer that gives dense creamy lattice on each swirl or sip.
Aroma is roast coffee and dark chocolate with hints of raspberry in the background. Not hoppy nor really boozy on the aroma. I do wish the raspberry was more profound, but the nose is appealing.
First sip reveals a creamy soft texture and very fine rolling carbonation that gently tingles across my palate. A mild sticky texture coats my palate after each sip.
Flavor is similar to the nose, with roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee grounds. Here the light fruity sweet raspberry comes in on the finish and lingers on my palate after each sip. Never any hop character on this beer and booze is well hidden.
Pretty tasty adjuncted imperial stout. I do with the raspberry was more prevelant on the nose, but the beer is good overall.

 

De OkassionalBeer. En copa Teku. Viendo Luke Cage 2x12. Con caña de lomo. El perfil a frambuesas está bastante marcado pero también lo suficientemente bien integrado como para que no resulte excesivo y dejé apreciar la imperial stout de base

 

this is super cool, love how forward the coffee still is in it, not lost to jammy raspberry or indulgent chocolate, and i think by keeping its identity these extras can be even more appreciated in the true context of the original, a very nice recipe in that regard. lively looking brew from the pint can too, frothed up brown airy head on top of satin looking close to black beer, not crazy viscous or anything, love it being as lively as it is, uncommon in big stouts like this these days. the nose is coffee first, the beer is immediately recognizable as speedway, lots of roast, bitterness, and absence of sweeter middle malts, it smells dry even with the fruit. light tang from the berries, raspberry for sure, a little concentrated, and then the bitter earthy cocoa, which adds some complexity without making it desserty, good balance right away. the coffee is still first, light smoke, raisin, and baking chocolate to it, the nibs do their thing right away in the flavor too, a great marriage with the coffee and they outlast it after the swallow. the raspberry added some needed freshness in the middle of this, chocolate dipped yeah but still natural fruit as it presents, subtle tang with it, a licorice note highlighting it, and gone before it can interrupt the bitter smooth finish. delicious mix of flavors, good restraint on the dosing, and any time i am drinking speedway of any kind, i am happy. very cool iteration of this, love it not getting too sweet!

 

 

ONE PINT can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours black and is topped with an inch of molasses colored head that leaves very little lacing.

It's all in there. The raspberry hits the ole burger factory first followed by a light coffee aroma, and finally, some chocolate.

Raspberry forward. Raspberry kind of dominates the flavor. I get chocolate more in the aftertaste. Same with coffee

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel

It's good if you love raspberry.

 

16oz can served in a tulip. Pours one shade shy of black with an opaque clarity and a loose, 1/8th inch, mocha-colored head that quickly dissipates towards the shoulders. Nose expresses dark chocolate, roast and fruity esters. Taste is very char forward, followed by chocolate and a kiss of raspberry, which is somewhat masked by the ethanol. Mouthfeel is medium in body with an assertive, almost prickly carbonation; however, there’s also a subtle creaminess to the texture. Overall, not bad but my least favorite of the variants.

 

 

16oz can opened 1-18-25.
2 finger tan head with very good retention - fades slowly and leaves early lacing on a black body.
Full dessert - Black Forest cake with a cup of coffee. Bold, rich aroma.
Coffee, tart raspberry, roasty mid to late palate. Hint of vanilla.
Medium body, seems a tad light/thin but with a smooth mouthfeel. Moderate length with a surprisingly dry finish.
Very Good.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a half finger dark khaki head with great retention and solid lacing; a faint reddish note in the color when pouring. Aroma of dark toasted malt, raspberry, hints of cocoa and coffee that I might have missed if I hadn't been looking for them. Flavor is dark toasted malt, raspberry, mild cocoa and light drip coffee. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Raspberry is the center of the show here, dominating the aroma and the taste, although the cocoa and coffee appear as light flavors in the taste. I'm on the fence about fruit in my stouts, but I rather liked this one despite the raspberry taking the front stage; it's not too tart and has an authentic flavor. The classic coffee from this series and the cocoa are there, but it's not easy to taste their specific character. There is a mild astringency in the finish from the raspberry, but since coffee is picked up there, it's all good. From a promising looking four pack of Speedway variants.

Chocolate with razz following. On tap at the source. Some coffee. In a major league place this is a bench warmer but standout in a smaller sleepy beer town.