AleSmith brewery! I’ve heard of them for quite some time in hushed tones, their name mentioned reverently with other San Diego brewers the likes of Stone, Ballast Point, Alpine, Green Flash and Port / Lost Abbey. Thing was, I had never seen their beers here in Georgia, though, or anywhere my beer travels had taken me.

Then, just the other day, I walked into my local Target and spied a few AleSmith beers on the shelves. You might think Target is a strange place to find AleSmith beers for the first time, but our Canton Target has been increasing their selection nicely. They are in the same plaza as Taco Mac, maybe they think that some of their customers will stumble on over and buy beer to take home.

Regardless, I placed a six-pack of AleSmith IPA into my cart and took it home. Well, I paid for it first.

From the can label:

AleSmith IPA is a classic example of San Diego’s take on the American IPA. A bright bouquet of grapefruit and tangerine aromas lead into an abundance of fresh pine and tropical fruit notes followed by crisp and resinous hops. This intricate hop profile is supported by a firm malt presence with notes of caramel and toffee creating an incredibly flavorful and well-balanced beer.

AleSmith IPA has an alcohol content of 7.3% by volume with 73 IBUs. Consistent, that. I paid $11.39 for a six-pack at Target, which I thought high, but Total Wine charges $13.99 for it. My can is stamped as canned on 8/30/2017.

One thing first, as soon as I sipped from my glass of AleSmith IPA I was immediately reminded of Stone IPA.

AleSmith IPA pours to a bright orange color with a medium head of foam and a bright citrus peel nose. Taking a sip there's a light caramel maltiness with zesty lemon and grapefruit rind citrus, a bit of resin and a long dry bitter finish.

All in all, a lot like Stone IPA, and a tasty San Diego IPA. I do find this beer very refreshing and although I don’t agree with the “firm malt presence” bit, this is very enjoyable. If memory serves the Stone IPA was a little firmer in body. A side by side would seem in order to verify.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.



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