AleSmith Decadence 2005 - Barrel Aged
4.1
228 reviews
San Diego, United States
Community reviews
Bottle @ RBSG Grand Tasting. Pours a dark amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty bourbon woody caramel and dark fruit aroma. Fruity malty woody caramel and toffee flavor with hints of bourbon and dark fruit. Has a fruity malty woody toffee and caramel finish.
Bottle during RBSG 2014 Grand Tasting at Schlafly Tap Room thanks to brokensail. 2010 release. Dark amber brown with off-white head. Aromas of caramel, dark fruit, toffee. Tastes of bourbon, caramel, toffee, dark fruit. Medium-full body with a dry finish.
Sample at SRBG Grand Tasting. Pours dark brown with a small beige head. Aroma of fruit, bourbon, malt, and alcohol. Taste is dark fruit, malt, bourbon, caramel, and wood. Very good, but maybe a bit past prime.
Bottle. Etched glass. 2010. Pours dark brown. Off white/tan head. Nose/taste of oak, toffee, caramel, dark fruit and bourbon. Full bodied.
750ml gold foiled green bottle. No skunk, but big oxidation, not that bad in an old ale though, leathery, and sherry like with bourbon turning fruity.
Bottle at summer gathering thanks to Drew, thank you so much! Pour is rich maple syrup brown with a small beige head. Aroma and flavor loaded with sweet maple malt, brown sugar, balancing alcohol, light wood and a smooth reassuring finish. Best beer of the night for me. Held up really well over the years and is still exceptional.
750ml bottle. Tasted at RBSG grand tasting. Labeled 2010 anniversary ale (barrel aged). Hazy red orange color. Thin off-white ring of head. Loose bits of lace. Bigger body. Smooth kind of soft lighter carbonation. Light slick finish. Moderate sweet taste, light spicy, some heat on it. Dark fruit, caramel malt, some vanilla. Solid old ale to try.!
Bottle @ RBSG Grand Tasting. 2010 release. Pours a murky reddish orange appearance with a little head. Caramel, whiskey, chocolate, slight veggie, sugary aroma. Somewhat oxidized, toffee, burnt sugar, whiskey flavor. This one seemed to be too old, even at three years.
Shared at RBSG 2014. Thanks to Andrew. Big want. Drank as a 2010 bottle alias. Nose is moderately boozy with a nice vanilla touch. Taste is a dried cherry and light stone fruit.
My first rating in about five years. Marked Barrel Aged 65/124, can’t remember when I got this, don’t know if it’s 2005 or 2010. Pours a beautiful deep amber with a minimal tan head. Smells of whiskey, caramel figs and maybe some plum. Taste is boozy, drier than expected, with a touch of acidity, red wine and some apple flavor. Carbonation is low, I would prefer a bit of spritz, but mouth feel is smooth and it’s not heavy or cloying. A warmth from the alhohol without a burn. I enjoy and appreciate this, but, like most barrel aged beers, it’s not something I crave on a regular basis.
Bottle thanks to Minh. Pours a clear amber with small beige head that diminishes to nothing. The aroma is oak, booze, and caramel. Medium mouthfeel with strong oak and light booze finish.
Rating #2800! 2010 bottle from a trade with cbkschubert. Pours dark brown color with tan head. Aromas of bourbon, oak, dark fruits and vanilla. Bourbon and oak flavors up front with fig and raisin and some vanilla. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Another excellent beer from Alesmith’s barrel program. Thanks Craig!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vlMA-P_KR4#t=18
2010 bottle, thanks to James! Lightish brown with a beige head that disappears. Although Raura said it tasted like it had been soaked 6 balls deep in cough syrup Lots of vanilla, bourbon, some oak, quite buttery, muted oxidization, caramel, raisins soaked in booze, bit of molasses. Sweet, boozy, mild carbonation and full body, long finish with more buttery bourbon.
Big bourbon aroma. Tastes of raisins & bourbon. Very smooth mouthfeel. Low carbonation.
25.4 oz bottle, 2010. Deep purple brown with a brief beige head. Nose is bourbon, raisin, toffee, molasses and vanilla. Boozy medium body with a biting tang. Taste in line with the aroma. Like the name this one is rich and luxurious. Wonderfully complex adding toasted coconut, port wine, balsamic cantaloupe and Fig Newtons. A tad too much on the bourbon but still excellent.
(Cuvée 2010): Déjà au nez je peux confirmer que c’est une bière d’exception avec des belles notes de figue, dattes et bourbon dans ce qui semble être un assemblage balancé comme seul Alesmith peu le faire. En bouche c’est une texture divine qui nous accueille et transporte un armada de saveur déjà annoncé par le nez. Jamais le bourbon ne veut prendre trop de place et la chaleur de l’alcool n’est même pas un facteur. Je savais pas trop à quoi m’attendre ne connaissant pas les conditions d’entreposage mais elle m’a complètement jeté sur le cul.
Bottle, 2010 vintage. Thanks a lot for this one Justin!
Pours murky red/brown, a thin lacing instead of a head.
Aroma is powerful, loads of vanilla, bourbon, sweet malt, wood.
Taste is sweet, with sweet caramel malt, raisins, vanilla, peppery spices. Noticeable alcohol heat at the end.
Oily mouth and sticky mouth feel, full bodied, low carbonation.
Really long after taste.
This is the slowest sipper I’ve crossed paths with. Glad I shared the bottle with 3 friends, otherwise I would still be sipping it. Not that something like that would hurt...
2010 edition, black foiled, 750ml bottle. pours a hazy, russet brown with hints of ruby at the edges capped by a thin, creamy beige head that leaves a tight ring of lace. aroma is simply fantastic, the really smells like an "old" ale with notes of dried figs, dates, toffee, and earthy hops backed by wet leather, toasted oak, cloves, orange peel, and subtle bourbon. flavor is remarkable as well, with more intense notes of toffee, figs, pralines, dates, and oak complemented by subtle chocolate, maple, cider spices, and bits of citrus with smooth, boozy bourbon on the back end. palate is full bodied but far from sticky with nice carbonation and a lingering finish of sweet toffee and bourbon. overall, another world class barrel aged effort from Alesmith.
2005 bottle, opened for my graduation! Pours a murky brown with an off-white ring. Sweet boozy aroma, of bourbon, oak, chocolate, malt, caramel. Taste is rich, bourbon oak, malt, sweet caramel and toffee. Lingering big rich bourbon and malt. Has gotten very sweet, but still an excellent beer even after aging in my closet for so long.
June 14, 2013 - bottle via trade. Dark brown pour with some head that faded quickly. Aroma and taste of bourbon, caramel and wood. Smooth and medium bodied. 2010 vintage.
Bottle from Ryan (2010), brown/red tea like pour with no lasting head. Aroma of caramel, nuts, dark fruit, and wood. Taste is some caramel, oak, and malt, not bad, bit hot.
Wow this is good. Tons of toasty chocolate coveted caramel. Dry toasty finish with some dark fruit notes and caramel sweetness, with slight molasses and vanilla.
Love me some barrel aged old ale!! Awesome huge barrel characteristics and this tastes like peak, the beer is peaking. Fuck yea
And another treat shared by Patrick. Had this right next to BA 4D. Amazingly similiar. English toffee, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, wood, raisins, figs and dates. The taste is high sweet and medium low bitter. The texture is exceptionally soft and creamy, the body is heavy and has a very long finish. Superb.
Bottle. Clear copper pour, with a thin caramel colored head. Toffee, brown sugar, bourbon, boozy, caramel malt, and light notes of raisin and chocolate. Still this beer is pretty damn hot, and would probably benefit from more age.
Bottle (2010 version) poured into a tulip. Pours caramel colored with a light tan head. Aroma is caramel, booze, molasses; taste follows with toffee and a dry finish. Nice, smooth mouthfeel. Great.
Bottle shared by cptnspeed1...thanks Brad! - Mahogany pour with a thin film of light tan head. Nose is pretty sharp oak and booziness, sweet malt, and some honey. Taste is much the same, with emphasis on the honey sweetness. Slick and a bit thinnish. Decent, but way too sweet for my tastes.
Boozy, oaky, bready malts. Caramelized sugars from age show themselves briefly, fading quickly. Would love for that to stick around longer. Tastes fresher than it is; lacks refinement. Still convinced '07 is the best year for Decadence.
Thanks thebeersommelier 2010, great color, smooth taste, spicy greatness....better in warming true the alesmith name
Bottle @ THE Others Tasting. #20/124. Many thanks to Paul for pulling this rabbit out of his hat! The pour’s a deep, tawny reddish brown with a tiny off-white head. The nose is robust, rich toffee, candied apple, caramelized pears. Autumnal fruits. Chocolate covered peanuts. Complex, rich spicy aromas. The taste is cherry pie, cinnamon-spiced coffee cake. Toasted wood slathered in maple syrup. Woody earthiness. Hints of acidic red apple skin and caramel candy. Slightly hot finish. Very supple, smooth body (despite the heat). Overall, a great beer. I’d imagine this was far too hot out of the gate. But it seems to have mellowed into something quite tasty indeed. A real treat!