From the Beer Writer: Speedway Stout, a coffee-imperial stout produced by (my current employer) AleSmith Brewing Company, has long been one of my favorite beers. Since the first time I tasted it roughly a decade ago, I’ve been hooked. I consider it a standard-bearer for all big coffee-laden stouts and, before the Miramar brewery started producing one-offs, I thought it impossible to improve on. I was wrong. For years now, the brewery has used different types of coffee, including the famed kopi luwak variety requiring the availability of a well-regulated Southeast Asian rodent, to add diversity and additional flavor to Speedway Stout. More recently, AleSmith has issued variants of the beer that are culturally and regionally specific. First it was Hawaiian Speedway Stout, which included Ka’u coffee, toasted coconut and vanilla beans. That beer was as sultry as a hula girl, and its success led AleSmith’s brew crew to take on another geographic region and its culinary delights. Enter Mexican Speedway Stout, a blend of fresh and aged imperial stout matured in añejo tequila-soaked oak barrels. Bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon are added to the mix for extra depth and a symbiotic flavor profile that is truly special and worthy of coveting. This beer was produced in very small batches. Bottles of it are currently on-sale online, and the beer will go on-tap exclusively at AleSmith’s Miramar tasting room starting at the Mexican Speedway release party, starting at 11 a.m., tomorrow.
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