Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Imperial Stout
Tadcaster, England

Well it's a good imperial stout. I guess I was expecting something spectacular, but it fell short. Good, just not amazing.

Very chocolately alcohol aroma. Nice head and pitch black in the glass. Nice chocolate and cherry flavor. Alcohol is noticable but fits well.

Bottle. Black colour with a light brown head. Aroma of roasted chocolate and fruits. Flavour is roasted chocolate and malt.

Black, almost purple. Thin, lacey caramel to white head, Smells great! Mild, dry port wine, similar but a little more pungent , more sweet even than the taddy porter aroma. Bottle. Ripe plum, sweet with burnt notes throughout. Has a chocolatey finish. The roasted malt is almost ash/tobacco like with a very dry flavor, but very understated. This is in stark contrast with the ripe plum flavor that hits the top of the palette. A bit too much carbonation upon first opening, gives an improper texture and disrupts the body. Not as much body as I was hoping for, though it is still medium-full. Aftertaste lingers, like sucking on a caramel chocolate chew (after trying this some more, I’d say more like peanut brittle! yum). As the beer warmed, carbonations became perfect, and the flavor warmed and became much fuller. I sat there with a thermometer and tried it at many temperatures. It seemed best around 57-59. Again, the initial bittersweet-oil taste is a bit too much and detracts some, but other than that, a hell of a solid beer

First rating
(355 ml bottle, thanks Pelle from The Rover!)
Black color, big tan head. Fruity apple brandy and grappa scent. Vinous red wine with chocolate taste. Thin mouthfeel, medium bitterness.
7/3/6/3/13=3.2

Rerate
(Bottle at a beer tasting in Göteborg on July 4, 2008)
Dark brown to black color, light brown head. Sweet and fruity scent. Sweet, butterscotch, roasted taste. Roasted and coffee aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, medium bitterness.
8/4/7/3/15=3.7

(355ml Bottle) Thin, brown head and opaque, black body. Strong molasses nose. Flavours of molasses and chocolate. Finishes very bitter and dry. Very good.

300ml bottle Jet black, thin beige head. Sweet raisiny and alcoholic aroma - white-board marker pens. Burnt roasty taste - roast ham with plum sauce. Slightly ashy. Goes wonderfully with chocolate cake.

One of my favorite imperials. Not quite as strong as Brooklyn or Storm King but nice in that it is smooth and easy to drink. Not quite as dark- no alcohol in either aroma or taste. Deep red amber on sides of glass- otherwise pitch black. Not as oily as thier oatmeal stout- which I actually like better I think. Awesome roasted taste but not burnt or offensive- just all around good.