Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Imperial Stout
Tadcaster, England

An imperial stout that doesn’t try way to hard at anything except just being a good imperial stout. Mild sweet, carmel, roasted aroma. Flavor is sweet, but not too sweet. Nice carmel malt, coffee, and a bit of hops.

Bottled. Black colour, big beigeish brown head. Aroma is roasted malts, wood, some caramel and fudge. Flaour is caramel malts, hops and some slight acidic fruityness. Quite nice.

Pours a pitch black with a pale brown head. Beautiful port-like aroma, with hints of soy and graham-cracker. OMG PONIES. Tastes amazing - port and graham-cracker from aroma are present again, along with subtle hopping, a bit of honey, and a warm alcoholic finish (not eye-watering, but lightly alcoholic). Body is a tad thin, but at this point I really don’t care. What a gorgeous beer - straddles the line between impy stout and dessert wine. Thank you hogtownharry!!!

Second-favorite beer? Tied for third? It’s cruel to pit them against each other. You know what I’m saying. Well anyway it’s right up there. I was a Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout guy for years in terms of stouts, never bothering to try this one because I so liked the sweetness of the Oatmeal one. Well they were out of that one day so I got this one. Surprise! I actually liked it better! It was a little sad, so fond had I grown of the Oatmeal. I never told Oatmeal of my new love, but I think it knows now. Sad. I wish I had an Imperial in front of me right now so I could think more about why I like it so much and speak you guys’ language regarding all the tastes and feels. I just know I love it. Go get one of those fat bottles now that the weather is changing and kick back and soak up its rich, hearty goodness. Have some stew, why don’t you? Nod off in front of the fire. This stout’s for you. I sure would like to find it on tap some day.

Beuatiful nose, bitter chocolate, roasted malts, slight alcohol. The color is beautiful, jet black, with a small tan head. The flavor is not as sweet as one would expect, bitter chocolate, roasted coffee notes. Full body mouthfeel, but a rather abrupt departure of flavor from the palate. Nice complex beer, good overall.

I feel my palate is not good enough to appreciate the complexity of this beer. Poured DARK brown, almost black with a dark beige head. Sweet aroma that hints to the flavor. Medium body, taste lasts very long but consistency does not stay on the palate.

This is a complex beer no doubt, with alot of craftmanship in it. I feel its a bit overrated, because while I will recognize its excellent quality, I just couldnt find myself drinking this very often. Its a little to sweet for how I like my stouts, and this is not even considered the their sweet stout. It has a bit of dryness in there, but coupled with the sweet flavor, it gives me a hint of an almost porter or wine like quality. My main concern is the palate taste, as if you leave it on the tongue, or question its after taste, it has this rich acidic chocolate taste. This is a hallmark of a well crafted beer, but it doesnt suit me to much. I would rather just have another swallow then let it linger. Better then a generic stout, but not top of the line.

Bottle. Black with a reddish brown hue and a medium creamy beige head. Roasted malts dominate with a liquorice and salty dominated profile. Medium bodied and smooth. Quite dry with a bitterfinish.