World Class Beer Highlight: AleSmith Speedway Stout

Some World Class Beers whisper. Speedway Stout absolutely does not. This 98-rated Imperial Stout from AleSmith Brewing Company is black, massive, caffeinated and built for slow drinking, yet its reputation rests on more than its strength alone.

From Russian court legends to San Diego craft beer benchmark status, Speedway Stout carries the kind of story that makes Imperial Stout feel both ancient and modern simultaneously.

Imperial Stout Origin Story

Like any legendary beer style, Imperial Stout comes with a set of apocryphal tales. Here, however, there may be some truth. Multiple sources cite a connection to Russian royalty, beginning with Peter the Great in 1698. After a trip to England that must have allowed him to sample early versions of porter and stout, he ordered some for the Imperial court in Russia. Unfortunately, the beer spoiled over its lengthy journey. Supposedly, Barclay Brewery of London cooked up a far heavier second batch with enough alcohol and hops to withstand the journey. The result was jet black, warming, and strong enough to appeal to Russian sensibilities.

The royal connection continued with Catherine II (Catherine the Great), who purportedly enjoyed dark, strong English beer imported during her reign from 1762 to 1796. One noted supplier was Thrale’s Anchor Brewery in Southwark. Near the end of her reign, Thrale’s is said to have supplied Imperial Stout which would “keep seven years” to Catherine the Great.

Thrale’s was no slouch, per this excerpt cited on The Alexander Palace Time Machine blog. There, the author of The History and Antiquities of the Parish of St. Saviour, Southwark, is quoted saying:

“The reputation and enjoyment of Porter [Imperial Stout] is by no means confined to England. As proof of the truth of this assertion, this house exports annually very large quantities; so far extended are its commercial connections that Thrale’s Entire [a contemporary name for Imperial Stout] is well known, as a delicious beverage, from the frozen regions of Russia to the burning sands of Bengal and Sumatra. The Empress of All Russia is indeed so partial to Porter that she has ordered repeatedly very large quantities for her own drinking and that of her court.”

The John Courage Brewery was also a noted supplier. Brewed until the 1990s, its label claimed it was originally brewed “by Imperial order of Catherine.”

Modern Description of Imperial Stout

Charming as the apocryphal tales are, the origin of Imperial Stout was just as much a natural evolution of porters and stouts, some of brewing’s ur-styles, which evolved as a mix of market pressure and individual experimentation.

Modern BJCP guidelines describe Imperial Stout in a more contemporary context: traditionally English, but now popular and widely available. The style is described as intensely flavored, very strong and very dark, with roasty, almost burnt, malt, dark or dried fruit, and a warming bittersweet finish.

A proper Imperial Stout should have enough alcohol to warm, enough roast to counter sweetness, enough malt to feel luxurious, enough bitterness to prevent a syrupy texture, and enough complexity to reward slow drinking. As anyone of drinking age over the last 15 years knowns, the style tolerates excess, but the best examples find a way to tie all the parts together, much like The Dude’s eternally sought-after rug.

American craft brewers, per usual, took the style’s old strength and iterated it to adjunct-fueled oblivion. For much of the craft beer renaissance, Imperial Stout was at the forefront of experimentation and excess, veering from ideally balanced dark and strong ale to Franken-brews which might double as Pennzoil in a pinch.

About AleSmith & Speedway Stout

AleSmith was founded in 1995 in San Diego’s Miramar district, beginning in a small single-unit space with a 15-barrel brewhouse, tasting bar, office and three-person team. In 2002, Grand Master Judge and decorated homebrewer Peter Zien took ownership, and in 2003 the brewery released its first barrel-aged beer, Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout. AleSmith later won 2008 Small Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival and expanded in 2015 into a much larger AleSmith Court facility.

Speedway Stout became one of the beers that turned AleSmith from a respected San Diego brewer into a benchmark name. AleSmith describes the 55 IBU beer as pitch black, dominated by chocolate and roasted malts, supported by dark fruit, toffee and caramel, with a healthy dose of locally roasted coffee added to each batch. The brewery also emphasizes its fine carbonation, creamy mouthfeel, surprising drinkability and ability to age for years, thanks to its 12.5% ABV. (When originally reviewed, Speedway Stout was 12% ABV and 70 IBU). You are likely able to find it year-round in specialty shops and region-appropriate stores, available in can, bottle and keg. Ideal serving temperature is between 50°and 55° F.

What The Judges Thought

The Beer Connoisseur judges felt Speedway Stout was “a monster of a Russian Imperial Stout.” They immediately noted its aroma, which came in “waves redolent of anise seed, dark chocolate, and French roast coffee.” One judged zeroed-in on espresso-like coffee notes and highlighted the “deft balance between the roast and the lightly sweet malt underpinning.” Notes of chicory and cocoa created an “inviting sensation” of aroma for another judge.

Speedway Stout was observed to be “crowned by a dense, creamy off-white head”, and its ebony shade seemed to “drain the light from the room,” while displaying “garnet and ruby flashes at its edges.”

As one would hope from the Russian Imperial Stout style, Speedway was lauded for its flavor, which included “fistfuls of coffee, toffee, and dark fruit flavors.” One judge enjoyed its deep, dark chocolate and faint plum flavors, and felt its significant maltiness was offset by the roast bitterness. Another judge praised the “masterfully brewed coffee” flavors within Speedway Stout’s firm alcohol punch. The group of judges advised that this was an ideal beer to share, based on its size and strength, and would make a great winter warmer to bust out during the holidays.

A Benchmark Beer, Full Speed Ahead

Speedway Stout earns its reputation by making excess feel intentional. The coffee is bold, the roast is firm, the alcohol is serious and the dark fruit gives it depth, but none of it feels thrown in for shock value. This is Imperial Stout at full volume, brewed with enough control to keep the whole thing from collapsing under its own weight.

^{All Images Courtesy of AleSmith Brewing Co.}