AleSmith Double IPA was originally known as AleSmith Summer YuleSmith, which was a summer seasonal IPA. The new name better reflects the beer that it is. It will, however, remain as a summer seasonal, available from May to September.

As the label says, this is truly an “ale brewed with an abundance of hops.”

Date Reviewed. May 11, 2016

Serving Size. 22 oz. bottle

Aroma. AleSmith Double IPA is bursting with floral and citrus hop aromas. It has fruity overtones of grapefruit and sweet cara cara organes. In combination with the barley sugar aromas it almost has an orange candy quality to it but not quite like a creamsicle. The earthy notes are expressed by pine resin and broken meyer lemon leaves and branches.

Appearance. This double IPA has a crystal clear yellow-orange color with a thick frothy head. The head retention is fantastic leaving a thin layer of foam on top throughout the session.

Flavor. For a double IPA, AleSmith DoubleIPA is noticeably well balanced. It is malty with some sweetness but not cloying an overpowering. The bitterness has a spicy quality that increases throughout the session attacking your palette with hops, hops, and more hops. To help temper the hoppy spice-fire, this beer has hints of sweet honey-like malts but it’s not quite enough to tame this agressive West-coast double IPA.

Mouthfeel. This beer is full bodied with a smooth almsot creamy texture which helps, a little, counteract the bitter hop bite.

Overall. AleSmith Double IPA, rebranded from Summer Yulesmith, is a well crafted but aggressive with American hop aromas and bitterness. This double IPA pairs nicely with sharp cheese, crusty bread, burgers, and freak summer desert rainstorms.

Rating.

Aroma (25%): ███
Appearance (5%): ███
Flavor (40%): ███
Mouthfeel (10%): ███
Overall (20%): ███
Total: ███

Disclosure: AleSmith graciously provided a free sample of this beer.