Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Imperial Stout
Tadcaster, England

Nice bottle to start with, although could have done with the glass being as dark as the beer, seems a shame to put any beer, in such a clear bottle, but this is the same with any from the smith’s brewary. Aroma is full and sweet but not as intence as your usual imperial stout. Taste is also sweet and full, quite similar to the oatmeal stout, but not as full as i expected from an imperial. In saying this there was alcohol in there, which was noted concidering its only 7%. Actually on rerating this is a fruity immence beer, unlike your rookie american imperial stouts that are so one dimentional, as they only taste of coffee! Rerate too sweet and one dimentional. REARTE: Aroma is roasty and tart fruit, tary, but berry fruit saves it. Taste is really roasty and one dimentional, fruity yes and alc hidden, but totally not me anymore.

12 oz bottle-pours a cascading rich brown head and black color with red tint. Aroma is dark malt-chocolate, some fruit notes. Taste is dark malt-chocolate, licorice/busty/powdery mouth feel, some fruit notes, some earthy hops bite. Not my taste but nice. Thanks jwc215 for picking this out.

Pours opaquely with a creamy tan head that coats the glass. Aroma of sweet plums, mildly roasted malt and some soy. Silky, rich, malty palate hides the alcohol magnificently and finishes a great roasted chocolate. Has a touch of sour toffee from age I'm guessing, but otherwise a nice, very drinkable example of the style.

This beer rocks. Ok, first off, nevermind the commercial description. Secondly, I love black strap molasses and licorice. Thirdly and finally, this beer tastes like strong, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee with a good touch of black strap molasses added to it. If you like licorice, coffee, stout beer and hops to boot, you will love this beer. It’s not too sweet... just very very tasty. A blast to drink. Perfect for the wet, chilly weather in the U.K.

black, opaque, fine head, chocolate and plum aroma, thick, oily, a little bit overcarbonated, sweet with a very long complex aftertaste (bitter, fruity, molasses, chocolate); hard to think it’s only 7% - a wonderful beer !

Re-rate: Not as good as i remember, sweet, flat and slightly stale mouthfeel (which seems common with Sam Smiths beers), some chocolate and mocha, not as intersting, rich or intense as i seem to remember.Original rating(4.1): A very very good Imperial stout, enticing roasted coffee aroma, lots of flavour big chocolate coffee flavour and a bit of licorice in their aswell.

Jet black; dark accajou head, reducing itself to a few mm. Chocolate nose, sweeter as expected. Hint of pine. Taste is more as expected from an I.S. Bitter, dark chocolate, quite some hops - British ones, please, nothing so exotic as American sorts. A bit of sweeter malt just peeps trough in the finish. Seriously carbonated. Full bodied. Aftertaste is coffee or "hopjes" - coffee bonbons. Somehow, I'd expected more fireworks. Dull is certainly isn't. It's a stout from the British empire, rather than the Russian: very reserved.

Pours a thick black body with creamy light brown head. Aroma has lots of roasted malts, some coffee and chocolate. Flavor is dominated by the roasted malts and the chocolate. Finish is bitter. Palate is soft and creamy.