AleSmith IPA
I poured this son of a bitch into a Duvel tulip glass, anticipating that it would be good enough to sit in such a luxurious vessel. This is the first time I've seen Alesmith in these parts (Arcata, California) -- exciting. Ok... Pours a brilliant, almost glowing amber. Whipped, frothy head, white as cooked egg whites. Smell: floral and citrus burst of hops upfront (lemon at first, deepening into grapefruit rind, freshly peeled and a little juiced; also some nice, I don't know, rose petal? the hops make a glorious perfume here); the middle and finish bring out some malt sweetness, slight caramel, cotton candy still warm from the cotton candy machine (whatever they call that thing, I don't know). Taste: deep cut of solid hop force underneath my palate (juicy as hell, citrusy; grapefruit, lemon zest, maybe some tangerine thrown in as well; a fruit salad here!), followed by a sharper bitterness that becomes almost peppery, more mild than black pepper, maybe like the stuff that comes from the can, not freshly ground, but pleasant; the finish brings out a nice sheet of malt sweetness to contrast with the intense hop progression. Mouthfeel: slick, a little sticky on the roof of my mouth, but no complaints. Amazing IPA. I hope Alesmith's brews stick around here, and that we receive a wider variety in the future -- the only other Alesmith brew I saw at the store is the pale ale.