From the Brewery: 

“Jet Black, with an off-white head. Starts with a strong coffee and dark chocolate sensation, then fades to a multitude of toasty, roasty and caramel malt flavors. Clean and crisp, full- bodied. Warmth from the high alcohol content lightens up the feel. You won’t fool your taste buds – this beer is HUGE!” 12% ABV Imperial Stout

Purchased from The Fort in Fresno, California.

The Pour: 

Poured from a 25.4 oz champagne bottle into my brandy snifter. The color is very imperial stout-y, completely solid black. A dark brown, frothy head is poured, which dissipates quickly and leaves good lacing on the glass. Light carbonation is visible climbing up the glassware.

The Nose: 

Aromas of intense, darkly roasted chocolate and coffee dominate. Additional scents of dark fruit, wood resin, and alcohol undertones are also presented.

The Mouth: 

Speedway Stout has a medium-rich body, with a very smooth mouthful for such a big beer. It finishes with a healthy dose of bittering hops that help balance things out. I don’t get nearly as much of a flavor bomb as I was expecting. Moderately light dark-roasted bitter chocolate and coffee flavors initially, with some dark fruit and alcohol notes. These lead to a dry, bitter finish of long-lingering chocolate and coffee flavors on the palate.

Final Thoughts: 

This particular bottle of AleSmith’s Speedway Stout was bottled in mid-September of this year (just under two months ago), and it definitely tastes like a fresh imperial stout. One of the top beers currently on Ratebeer, I think it definitely needs another year or so of bottle aging to come into its own. It does do a pretty good job of masking the 12% ABV, with just moderate alcohol presence. The flavors are done well, but definitely will smooth out and blend together better with time. A really good brew, but not quite at the potential I think it eventually will be. 8.5/10

AleSmith Brewing Co. – San Diego, California