AleSmith Speedway Stout - Hammerhead

Speedway Stout with cracked African and Sumatran coffee beans plus fresh espresso. First served at SDBW 2013, Speedway Grand Prix. Released in bottles in 2016.

253 reviews

San Diego, United States

Community reviews

4.2 Low carbonation, tons of espresso, roasted malt, semi-sweet, super smooth and alcohol well hidden. Cold brew coffee on steroids with some dark chocolate. Amazing as expected

3.9 From tap at Mash Craft Beer Festival, Barcelona. Black color with a tan head. The aroma is full of roasted malt with lots of dark coffee, mocha, some cocoa, hints of dark fruits and wood. Full body with a medium sweetness and a medium bitterness. The alcohol is well integrated. Flavor of roasted malt, caramel, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, wood, whisky and some herbal green notes. Bitter roasty finish (nuts). Aroma: 8 Appearance: 4 Taste: 8 Palate: 4 Overall: 15

4.2 Sample All Pints North; pours black with a brown head; aroma of coffee, roasted malt, chocolate, and hints of vanilla; taste is bittersweet with roast malt, coffee, and chocolate with some vanilla and wood notes; dry, light bitter roasted finish; quite good

4.0 0,25l from tap at Biercab, Barcelona. black color, medium big coffee colored head. smells of coffee, bit boozy, nutty, berry notes, molasses, some vanilla. very nice cut also very heavy smell. Full body light carbonation slick mouthfeel. tastes of coffee, nutty, hazelnuts, caramel, molasses, vanilla, bit boozy, whisky, bit green herbal. finishes lightly sweet and lightly boozy with notes of coffee, vanilla and whisky notes. very nice one, a touch on the boozy side, but overall still very enjoyable.

4.8 Rich and very intense, lots of coffee. Yet somehow very drinkable and smooth. Thick foam, completely black.

3.8 Tap Black colour with medium beige head.Aroma is Strong og coffee and licoric, roasted and Strong with bourbon nots as well, Warming mouthfeels and smooth finish.

3.7 Kawa delikatniuchno posłodzona; piję te kolejne wersje Speedwaya i coraz bardziej mnie nudzą; niczym po głowie tu nie dostałem. Poprawny ris, (o)cena zawyżona.

4.2 Kapsel is drinking a Hammerhead Speedway Stout by AleSmith Brewing Company at Chmielarnia Multitap Dużo kawy, czuję lekkie nuty owocowe, szlachetny alkohol, wytrawne, miłe, długie posmaki. Bdb piwo

5.0 It Rolls😎!!! DIE BLACK OIL CACAO RÖST COFFEE OAT SANFT WÜRZHOP OUTSTANDING BOMBE im IS Bereich ✨🎆🚀❤👽💋😀. Besser gehts nicht. PERFEKT!!!! 0,25l/7,50Euro vom Hahn im BIERCAB Barcelona.

4.2 Notes from backlog. on tap. Nose Coffee, vanilla, treacle, smoke, chocolate, cherry, blackberry. Taste of coffee, vanilla, milky coffee, coffee icecream, chocolate, dark fruit and hints of licorice. Rich mouthfeel. Outstanding.

4.1 Mooie zwarte kleur met een goede kraag. Ruikt vol, koffie, vanille, zacht, koffie. Smaakt vol, koffie, almond, koffie, vanille. Zachte smaak.

4.3 Pours black opaque with creamy dissipate brown head. Aroma: espresso coffee, dark malts, dark fruits esters. Flavour is richer and more intense: dark malts with notes of dark& milk chocolate, toasted toffee, intense coffee character, hint of peanuts, hazelnuts & anise, dark fruits & resins like esters, molasses...finish is dry, slightly sticky. Body is full, texture is smooth, carbonation is moderate.

3.9 On tap @ Copenhagen Beer Celebration 2016. Looks like it should with a deep dark brown colored body under a medium sized islandy and sidesticking beige head. Smells quite good with lots of cigar, wood, ashy toasty malts, vanilla and sweet chocolate. Hefty roasted and almost a little charred. Nice. Like how it tastes also. Burnt all the way, really toasty and dark. It has a thick and chewy texture in the mouth and it’s soft prickling on the carbonation. Vanilla, dark chocolate ice cream and it’s lingering burnt coffee in the finish and aftertaste. Nice. 13.05.2016

4.4 On tap @ Thornbridge. Zwart bier met een kleine beige schuim kraag. Ruikt geroosterd, koffie, chocolade, gedroogd fruit, rozijnen. Smaakt geroosterd, koffie, chocolade, overrijp fruit, rozijnen. Lekker dik.

4.0 Smaakt erg gebrand, sterk, lekker, smaakvol, koffie en cjocoladebonen. Iets teveel carbo.

4.3 On tap at Sandar. It’s a jet black beer with a dense, finger thick tan head. Nice curtains. It has an intense roasted aroma with loads of coffee, some chocolate and burnt notes, hints of dark dried fruits and a boozy alcohol touch. It’s full-bodied as hell, smooth and warming, with a nice bitterness. Coffee dominated flavor with chocolate and some burnt malts. Lots of roasted malts too. Rather sweet, and with an ever-lasting coffee finish. A superb and delicious beer I’d love to see again. 161028

4.4 From tap at Bierfestival Groningen 2017. Aroma is tons upon tons of coffee, dark roasted malt, chocolate, espresso, coffee beans, with some liquorice. Flavour is medium sweet and bitter. Body is quite full and rich. Wonderful coffee Speedway variety, just delicious.

4.1 Bierfestival Groningen 2017, Martinikerk, van tap, zwart met minimale kraag. aroma van enorme koffie bonen, filterkoffie, geroosterd, gebrand, chocolade, In de smaken overheerst de koffie ook weer enorm, voornamelijk de koffie bonen en wat later de wat filterkoffie achtige tonen, chocolade, geroosterde en gebrande mouten, denk dat de basis toch wat beter is.

4.0 Type: 750-ml. bottle Glass: AleSmith Barrel-Aged Reserve snifter From: AleSmith Brewing Company in San Diego, Calif. Price: $26.00 Purchased: March 8, 2016 Consumed: April 8, 2017 Reviewed as: American Double / Imperial Stout Misc.: Bottled in Feb. 2016 Bought this way back in March of 2016 for a trading partner in Colorado. We weren’t going to be able to meet up, however, and I got to have it all to myself. Gave it a 4.50 and called it “marvelous” back in March of 2016 with a 4-oz. taster. Hopefully this review follows that lead. Poured a pitch black color with two fingers of frothy tan head. No bubbles underneath, a very serene setting. Excellent spotty foamy lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 4.25) Smelled dark milk chocolate, roasted coffee beans, espresso, anise, chocolate syrup, vanilla and hints of bourbon (even though I know there isn’t any in it). (Smell - 4.25) Tasted better in all aspects than the nose. Got espresso, dark milk chocolate, roasted coffee beans, woody anise, semi-char wood, chocolate syrup, cocoa, vanilla, plum, tobacco, raisins, figs and hints of toasted toffee. Warming overall, but smooth for 12 percent ABV. (Taste - 4.50) Full body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, roasty finish. (Feel - 4.50) This was very good. Maybe not quite as good as the last time I had it on draft, but still delicious. (Overall - 4.25) 4.38 97 A

4.4 My Bottom Line: Crushed peanuts rise from this Imperial Stout, as roasted coffee beans and toasted cereals lead to alcohol warmth. Further Personal Perceptions: -A sliver of foam surfs the blackness. -Mouthfeel is as smooth and luxurious as can be. -Peanuts come back in the finish. -This one really has a unique character that ‘regular’ Speedway doesn’t have. Great job once again, Alesmith! Bottle.

4.5 Aroma vanilla hazlenuts. Taste coffee, vanilla, chocolate, warm alcohol, dry bitterness and warm alcohol finish. Great beer

3.8 Aroma: coffee, chocolate, vanilla, alcohol, toffee Taste: medium bitter, light sweet, coffee, chocolate, roasty, alcohol, nuts

4.0 Poured from a 750 ml bottle. Aroma is very coffee forward with a light nuttinesst and some light dark fruit notes from the coffee. Light chocolate and roast notes. A hint of alcohol spice. Pours black with a medium sized, thick, dark mocha head that recedes to a thin film that lingers on the center and on the edges in clumps. Light lacing and moderately long legs. Flavor is fairly sweet with some moderate chocolate notes. Moderate roast notes with a ton of coffee character. Medium bitterness and some light alcohol spice. Coffee adds some nice light nuttinesst and fruit notes. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied and a bit silky with moderate carbonation. Low astringency and medium low alcohol warmth. Overall, a nice beer with a lot of coffee character. Decent chocolate and roast notes from the malt and the alcohol is well hidden.

4.2 Tap (AleBrowar, Wroclaw). Almost black with beige, long head. Nice lacing. Intense coffee and noble alcohol, like sweet liqueur, in aroma. Coffee, chocolate in taste with delicate but really subtle sour iniezalegajaca aftertaste. Beer is medium sweet, really full body, very smooth with subtle hint of noble alcohol in the mouth and medium bitterness. Dangerously drinkable.

4.1 Bottle acquired in trade... Dark black velvety pour, beige head... Aroma of dark chocolate, coffee, espresso beans, roasted malts... Flavor is intensely espresso forward, coffee on more coffee, chocolate and espresso bean bitterness play well off each other... light roasted espresso finish, velvety luxurious mouthfeel... really nice variant

3.8 Tap at Apex. A: Pure black with a cappuccino head. N: Coffee, coffee, earth, and more coffee. Coconut, cocoa, chocolate, lots more coffee. Lactose and some molasses. Smoke. Ash. Espresso. Coffee. T: Rich, sweet, bitter, and smokey. M: Medium heavy body, no alcohol, crisp carbonation. O: Pretty nice. Did I mention there was coffee in this one? Better than the original for sure.

4.2 10 oz at Star Bar. Fantastic coffee imperial stout as expected. It’s remarkably similar to regular Speedway. I appreciate the idea of adding different coffee to the stout change it up a bit. The reality is the base beer is so huge that you’d have to do a side-by-side or something of the sort to appreciate the nuances. Hammerhead is fantastic. The coffee character is genuine and prominent, like I recall regular Speedway being. Very appropriate dark roasted malt character hints at chocolate and espresso. The alcohol is well masked.

4.0 On tap at apex. Pours a jet black color with a small beige head. A big sweet coffee nose. The flavor is big sweet coffee, vanilla, cocoa, roast. Huge sweet coffee. Great.

4.3 On tap at Elizabeth Station. Pours a very dark brown with a dark beige head. Aroma is coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, some sweetness. Taste is pretty the same with roasted malt bitterness and lots of coffee. Coffee and dark chocolate dry aftertaste. Very good.

4.3 May 13, 2016. On tap at CBC, yellow session. Black with a medium sized brown head. Aroma is smooth roasted, creamy and rich coffee, milk chocolate, some dark chocolate notes, toffee, vanilla and licorice. Taste is sweet, malty with a smooth roasted bitterness. Medium to full bodied, creamy texture, soft to average carbonation. Finish is smooth roasted earthy coffee with berry notes, sweet malty caramel in the back, some vanilla notes as well. Great one.