Alesmith Private Stock Ale
I’m a big fan of old ales and the rich, maltiness that they often provide. They’re usually a great style to age in the cellar for a couple of years, allowing the dark fruits and burnt caramel to develop through that time. Alesmith’s Private Stock Ale (11% ABV) is just the type of beer that is more than suitable for aging — or in the case of this review, enjoyed fresh.
For a beer this big and a style that is typically malt-forward, the brewery has done a nice job of tempering that maltiness and subsequent sweetness with a hop bitterness to even everything out. Private Stock Ale is a deceptively balanced and smooth drinking beer. Yes, at the level of alcohol it contains, the brew is warming as it should, but it’s far from overwhelming and doesn’t let those malt sugars run rampant. The fig and raisin traits that are found within its rusty depths only add to the complexity of the beer.
This is one of those beers that I will certainly seek out again. I thoroughly enjoyed this bottle shortly after it hit shelves and I can only imagine how it will develop with a little more time under the cap. Now, I just need to find a few more bottles in case my tastebuds grow impatient for everything Private Stock Ale has to offer.