Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Imperial Stout
Tadcaster, England

Bottle. First impressions: high alcohol scents escape from the bottle. Pours a dark body with thin head. Flavor is full and rich, well balanced hops and malt. Finishes smooth with a palate that makes you thirst for more. Cheers!

Very very dark, small brown head. Great aroma, roasted malts with some port-notes and some fruit. Malty flavour, some (dried) fruit, quite bitter but with some sweetness to compensate. Once and awhile some lactic notes shine through. Perfectly balanced and long lasting finish, it makes you want more and more. One of the rare Imperial Stouts that is actually pretty easy to drink. Everything is in perfect harmony, really good.

Bottle. Pours a black with reddish hues and a one finger tan head. The nose is metallic, cocoa and light coffee. Taste is roasted malt, black licorice, dark chocolate and coffee. Taste is much better than the aroma. Medium semi creamy mouth feel. Good stuff.

Black with a sudsy, tan head. Nose is overly nutty, with a smell very particular to Sammy Smith products that I’m not a huge fan of. Some soy sauce (salty smells) and brown suagr to boot. Flavor is equally disappointing, yet more complex. Miuch more roastier and smokier, but still a very thing body and overall mouthfeel longing for more. But there’s just not that much there. Coffee and chocolate noted. This can go down easy, but Id rather chug quite a few other things. One being, dark lord.

12oz bottle(courtesy of RSRIZZO)-Pitch black body with a nice loose tan head and an aroma of coffee, chocolate, sweetness, burnt malt, and slight alcohol. Taste of roasted malt and everything in the aroma but also very light bodied IMO. Very smooth and drinkable but way too light.

From a clear glass, embossed 550 ml. bottle with a gold foil wrapped neck and what could a stamped freshness on the shoulder bottle that is smudged, but I purchased I saw they were restocking and I know from the Julian date on the box that this is a fresh bottle. Poured an deep coffee black with a foamy, frothy brown head, small amount of ringed sticking. Aromas of raisins and figs covered in molasses, coffee and caramel, and fruity alcohol. Good, steady carbonation and a crisp, slick, creamy, velvety smooth medium-light bodied mouthfeel. A good roasted malty taste with a citric hoppiness, roasted coffee with a light caramel, liquid smoke mixed with vanilla, a ripening raisin fruitiness, a citric hop flavor shows up just after the middle of the taste, a light alcohol presence and a sweet roasted malty finish. A tasty and balanced RIS from one of my favorite breweries, an easy drinkability, excellent on a colder than average November evening.

(on bottle)Sometimes I get confused about "porters" and "stouts". This one pulls a nice 7%, as a imperial stout, but has the thin, clearnes in the side of the glass, as a porter. Anyway, the aroma is very heavy on berries and nut, some caramel too. The taste is smooth, but not as full/creamy as a heavy stout and ends slightly bitter; get ready for the next sip.

Deep black with dark brown head. Aroma of molasses and plums, red grapes. Reminiscent of port. Rich velvety moutfeel, totally decadent. Finish is malty, fruity and sweet. Delicious.