AleSmith’s full array of year-round beers are due to arrive at central Illinois distributor Marketplace Selections this weekend. And, by next week, those beers will be on store shelves across central and northern Illinois. Just in time for New Year’s Eve.
Marketplace Selections confirms to GuysDrinkingBeer that the San Diego, California brewery’s beers are coming to retailers, bars and restaurants in Champaign, Bloomington, Peoria, Springfield, the Quad Cities, Rockford, Kankakee, Galena and DeKalb.
Beers (descriptions provided by Marketplace Solutions) available for the first time in central Illinois include:
- Anvil ESB – Anvil ESB Ale was the first beer produced when the brewery opened, and remains our flagship ale. Bright copper color with light tan head. Malty slightly hoppy aroma. Caramel and malty flavors with a perfect balance of imported English hops.
- IPA – Deep golden to light amber color, and a nice off-white head, with good retention when properly served. Starts off with pleasantly strong hop flavors, balanced by a firm malt backdrop, then fades to a dry finish with a lingering hoppiness. Medium straw color, pale tan head. Rich malty aroma with a HUGE dose of hops. Medium-full body with sweet malty flavors and a delicious abundance of aromatic a bittering hops
- X – AleSmith X is our refreshing Extra Pale Ale. Pale Yellow color, bright white head. Aroma of fresh hops with notes of citrus and pine. Light bodied, smooth on the palate, with a dry finish and superb aftertaste.
- Horny Devil – This is the AleSmith incarnation of a Belgian Strong Ale. Horny Devil is an authentic Belgian Style ale, from the Belgian candi sugar right down to the yeast, a Belgian strain from a Trappist monastery in Belgium. In addition to the malts, candi sugar and fresh hops, there is also a little added twist from coriander seeds, which impart a refreshing citrus flavor to an outstanding ale. Bright straw/light yellow color and good head formation and retention when properly served. Appealing Brussels lace. Intriguingly complex.
- Grand Cru – Our other famous Belgian-style offering is our Grand Cru. As with Horny Devil, it is fermented using yeast which originated in a Trappist monastery in Belgium. A darker type of Belgian candi sugar gives it more color and a richer complexity of flavor, consistent with the Belgian style. Medium-dark brown, with tan head. Sweet, malty aroma with a satisfying balance of hoppiness. Tremendously intriguing, complex flavors play upon the palate shifting from sweet to tangy to hoppy and so on. The medium-dryfinish leaves you eager for the next sip.
- Old Numbskull – A West Coast style barleywine. A huge malt profile and a very aggressive dose of premium domestic hops give Old Numbskull a tantalizing complexity, from the aroma to the aftertaste. Aroma starts with toasty, caramel notes and a pleasant hop character. Color is deep amber, with tan head and impressive ‘Brussels Lace’ that clings to the sides of the glass.
- Wee Heavy – A classic Scotch Ale. Scotch ales are typically sweet and malty, with a very subdued dose of hops– just enough to provide balance. AleSmith Wee Heavy is a wonderful interpretation of this traditional Scotch style. Deep mahogany color with nice tan head. Rich, toasty, malty aroma and flavor with a faint touch of smokiness. A tinge of hops provides the perfect balance to the maltiness. Full-bodied, smooth and warming.
- Speedway Stout – A HUGE Imperial Stout that weighs in at an impressive 12% ABV! As if that’s not enough, we added pounds of coffee for a little extra kick. Jet Black, with an off-white head. Starts with a strong coffee and dark chocolate sensation, then fades to a multitude of toasty, roasty and caramel malt flavors. Clean and crisp, full-bodied. Warmth from the high alcohol content lightens up the feel. You won’t fool your taste buds – this beer is HUGE!
For those of us in Chicago who crow about all the great craft beer we have here, downstate liquor stores are starting to amass some quality offerings as well.
Just this year Great Lakes announced it would be distributing to central Illinois, Stone invaded southern Illinois and now AleSmith arrives in central and northern Illinois. Oh, and don’t forget the IPA to end all IPA’s, Ballast Point’s Sculpin, is available in central Illinois too.