Here it is! The legendary AleSmith Speedway Stout! Boy, has this beer been hyped by the beer geek crowd. Now, I am not normally in the habit of going to the crowd sourcing sites to see what the general consensus on a beer is. That’s because normally I don’t agree with the general consensus. They’re normally focused on the sledgehammer beers (like this one).
Still, I was curious enough to check a few of those sites to see what they gave this one. They really love it on Ratebeer.com. It gets a perfect 100/out of 100 score there, both overall and to style. That would be a 5 out of 5 here on Bruguru.com. They like it a little less on Beeradvocate.com, where it gets 4.38 out of 5, equivalent to a 4.5 star rating from me, here. Finally, Untappd seems to have the fewest raves with a global rating of 4.21. That’s like a 4 star review from me.
From the label:
Speedway Stout’s ominous, pitch-black appearance has become a hallmark of this modern-day classic. Chocolate and roasted malts dominate the flavor, supported by notes of dark fruit, toffee, and caramel. A healthy dose of locally-roasted coffee added to each batch brings out the beer’s dark chocolate flavors and enhances its drinkability. Despite its intensity, Speedway Stout’s fine carbonation and creamy mouthfeel make it very smooth and surprisingly easy to drink. This beer ages very well and will continue to mature for many years to come.
This beer’s great balance makes it a very food-friendly Imperial Stout. Pair its roasty flavors and robust mouthfeel with rich beef dishes and char-grilled foods. Both chocolate and vanilla desserts also pair well, as do salty blue cheeses like Stilton or hard nutty cheeses like aged Gouda and cloth-bound cheddars.
AleSmith Speedway Stout has an alcohol content of 12% by volume with 70 IBUs. It is, of course, an imperial stout with coffee added. Here’s what I thought about it.
AleSmith Speedway Stout pours to a jet-black color with a thick rocky tan head and a robust nose bursting with cocoa, coffee and licorice. Taking a sip, the beer is thick and full in mouthfeel, slightly sweet, cocoa chocolaty, with licorice and roasty coffee notes. It boasts a slightly sweet finish with some warming alcohol but does not seem it’s 12% strength.
The more I sipped, the more I was enjoying it, even if it was a tad sweet for me. I don’t agree with the food pairings AleSmith suggests, well not all of them anyway. This I not a beer to drink with a meal for me, not at this viscosity and strength. For my part, if I am enjoying a hearty steak or roast I want a drink I can wash that down with. A moderate to healthy quaff is more conducive to that end than a gentle sip of a thick and complex brew. The dessert and cheese pairings, however, are right on the money.
OK, you say, Bruguru, if you like it so much, why are you rating it lower than all those other beer sites do? Simply put, the beer is just way too expensive. I take that into account when rating beers; sometimes I think today’s beer geeks consider it a badge of honor to overpay for beer. To be fair, I use Untappd to log beers as I drink them, and I gave AleSmith Speedway Stout 3.75 stars there. That’s a 4 star rating here, as you can see. While I loved AleSmith Speedway Stout and its complex flavors, the simple fact is that I don’t love the price. It runs $7.99 a can at Total Wine, which is crazy. That is $15.98 for 32 ounces. For $2 less I can get a full six-pack, 72 ounces of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout or for $7 less 48 ounces of Victory Storm King. Both of those beers are every bit as good as this one. So, Speedway Stout that would likely get a full 5 stars loses one over pricing.
Ultimately, I bought my can of AleSmith Speedway Stout at Target for $6.64. Would I buy it again? In all honesty, I’ll likely pick up a can to age. I might buy it on tap at Taco Mac if it isn’t too ridiculous. As a rule, however, I would not pay this much money for this beer.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, canned
(D)=Draft