REVIEW: AleSmith Speedway NA Stout
Photo Credit: AleSmith Brewery
AleSmith Brewing Company (San Diego, CA) Non-Alcoholic Coffee Stout
Where’d We Find It: Sample provided by Reducaholic.
ABV: < 0.5%
Hometown: San Diego, California
Our N/ATION Review:
AleSmith Brewing Company has west coast roots that run deep, back to humble beginnings in 1995 with a small, 15 bbl brew system in the Miramar area of San Diego. While the brewery still calls the area home, it has grown in both size and reputation over the years to a highly-respected national leader in craft beer, with credits that include 17 (and counting?) Great American Beer Festival medals to its name. Local collaborations include the .394 pale ale, made in partnership with Mr. (San Diego) Padre himself, Tony Gwynn, the last to flirt with batting .400 in baseball.
In many ways, AleSmith is the kind of brewery you love to see investing in non-alcoholic beer. National reputation with important local ties, they help lend further credibility to the non-alcoholic movement by crafting brews to serve this growing market. The company currently has two N/A near beers in its portfolio, an IPA and a Stout, both created from award-winning “traditional” beers they already had in their portfolio.
The Speedway N/A Stout is based on its full-alcohol cousin by the same name. But unlike the 12.0% ABV of the original imperial version, this brew allows you to enjoy the bold flavors without the effects. Our first impressions of this dark brew included a tight, foamy head, with an aroma that reminded us of chocolate licorice. Those notes then followed through into the mouthfeel, with even stronger notes of espresso hitting on the finish. As our glass began to warm up and our taste buds settled in for the long haul, the flavors mellowed into a delicious blend of hops and coffee that felt as if it could fit in either as a dessert liquid to cap the night, or perhaps a first beverage of the day to awaken our senses the following morning. Frankly, both options sound good to us, and being an N/A, the choice of when and where to crack one open is up to you.