AleSmith Brewing Company
| File:AleSmith logo small.png | |
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| Location | 9368 Cabot Dr. San Diego, California, USA |
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| Opened | 1995 |
| Annual production volume | 15,000 bbls/year |
| Owned by | Peter Zien (independent) |
AleSmith Brewing Company is an artisan, American craft brewery founded in 1995 by Skip Virgilio and Ted Newcomb in San Diego, California that specializes in handcrafted ales in a variety of styles. In 2002, the brewery was purchased by the company's brewmaster, Peter Zien. Zien is a BJCP "Grand Master level 1" beer judge, the only one in San Diego County. Deeply rooted in the amateur and craft brewing communities, AleSmith ales have continued to garner national and international awards and acclaim, as well as a loyal and rabid following among beer enthusiasts. AleSmith currently employs 28 people and will be expanding into a new state of the art brewing facility off of Miramar Road in 2015.
The brewery has been most popular on the RateBeer.com website and the AleSmith beers are consistently rated among the best beers in the world. RateBeer's Best awards rated AleSmith Brewing Company #1 Top Brewer in the World 2006 and again in 2013.[1] In 2008, AleSmith was awarded "Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year" at the Great American Beer Festival.[2]
Awards
The company has won nine medals in World Beer Cup competition, including five golds. They won for Belgian Strong Ale (bronze, 1998); Winter YuleSmith (gold, 2004); Vintage AleSmith Old Numbskull (gold, 2008); AleSmith Decadence '05 Old Ale (gold, 2008); AleSmith Wee Heavy (gold, 2010); AleSmith Decadence '09 Weizenbock (bronze, 2010); AleSmith Decadence '10 Old Ale (silver, 2012); AleSmith Old Numbskull (bronze, 2012); AleSmith Old Ale '13 (gold,2014).[3]
At the 2008 Great American Beer Festival, AleSmith Brewing Company won the prestigious Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Award. By 2013, the AleSmith team had acquired an impressive 16 GABF beer medals:[4] Belgian-Style Strong Ale (silver, 1998); Stumblin’ Monk (bronze, 2000); Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (bronze, 2004); AleSmith IPA (bronze, 2005); Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (silver, 2005); Vintage Speedway Stout (silver, 2008); Old Numbskull Barley Wine (silver, 2008); Decadence ‘05 Old Ale (gold, 2008); Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (gold, 2008); AleSmith IPA (silver, 2011); Old Numbskull Barley Wine (silver, 2011); Decadence ’10 Old Ale (silver, 2011); Grand Cru (bronze, 2012); Decadence ’10 Old Ale (bronze, 2012); Old Numbskull Barley Wine (gold, 2013); Decadence ‘12 Quadruple (silver, 2013)
The Beers
AleSmith's beers are inspired predominantly by the brewing styles of Great Britain and Belgium (though they once brewed a German-style Weizenbock, which has since been retired). Many of their beers are known for their depth of character and complexity. Nearly half of all AleSmith beers available in 2006 had an alcohol by volume measurement over 8.5%, compared to 4-6% ABV for most American-style pale lagers. AleSmith's strongest brew is its Imperial Stout with coffee, called "Speedway Stout", which has an ABV of 12%.
Some AleSmith beers, such as their "'Lil' Devil" Belgian Pale Ale, Cream Ale, and Robust Porter Beer, are only offered on draft or in kegs at the brewery. Other beers, such as their Double India Pale Ale "Summer Yulesmith," Imperial Red Ale "Winter YuleSmith," Anvil ESB, Nut Brown Ale, "X" Extra Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, "Evil Dead Red", and "My Bloody Valentine" are all available in 22-ounce bottles. Many of their higher gravity beers, such as "Speedway Stout" and their Barleywine "Old Numbskull", are available in 750 ml champagne bottles. AleSmith beer styles have been formulated over the years to correlate with the flavors of the seasons. For example "My Bloody Valentine" and "Evil Dead Red" are both American Red Ales brewed to deliver a piney hoppiness and caramel maltiness to welcome the drinker's palate to the mouth-watering flavors of Valentine's Day chocolates and Halloween candy.
AleSmith's complete year-round, bottle lineup includes: "X" Extra Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Anvil ESB, IPA, Horny Devil, Grand Cru, Wee Heavy, Old Numbskull, and Speedway Stout. Their seasonal lineup (in order of yearly release) includes: My Bloody Valentine, Olde Ale, Summer YuleSmith, Decadence, Evil Dead Red, and Winter YuleSmith. AleSmith Brewing Co. also has an extensive barrel-aging program utilizing Bourbon, Brandy, and Wine Barrels. The rich vanilla, oak, toffee, caramel, and dark fruit flavors found in these barrels add complexity to such beers like Wee Heavy, Speedway Stout, Grand Cru, and Old Numbskull.
Artwork
AleSmith's bottles are easily recognizable from their simple, down-to-earth artwork and text, which is often accompanied by the trademark AleSmith anvil.
See also
References
- ^ "Best Brewers in the World 2012". ratebeer. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ List of 2008 winners, Great American Beer Festival
- ^ World Beer Cup winners database
- ^ [1]