Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Imperial Stout
Tadcaster, England

Pours dark, with small dark brown head which grows slowly downward. Smell is of fruit : plums or apricots. Roasted taste, almost too sweet. Finish is grainy and full.

Yum! A thick, black pour with a creamy tan head, this is a fine imperial. The aroma is full of chocolate, roasted malts, licorice, and alcohol. Very creamy in the mouth. This has complex tastes... roasted malt, chocolate, anise, fruits, a hint of smoke, some spiciness. Nice mildly bitter, dry finish. Although not having a hefty abv, this Imperial is a great warmer nonetheless.

A much needed rerate- Dark brown color with tall stable milky tan head. Aromas of lIghtly roasted malt, brown sugar, raisins, lightly burnt sugar, and a mild herbal to lightly floral hops scent. Floor malt and mild hopsack flavors. Something about a more traditional english ale that warms the spirit. Rich toasted malt flavors along with hints of toffee, and grilled ripe fruit. Long linger with roasted malt and mild charcoal. Seems mils by todays standards, but still a fine imperial stout. Original 9/5/9/4/18-4.5 Very rich considering its strength with other counterparts. Raisins and burnt fruit grab our taste buds and shake your mind. Spicy characters abound. The yeast plays such an important part in this beer and makes it one of the top five imperial stouts.

Re-rate: No description, just a remark. I had this a few times now and it still rocks. But not as it used to. Did the recipe change? Dit my palate change? Am I getting spoiled? Don’t know but I felt light downgrading the ratings a little. Bottled, 4.5: Nice chocolat aroma. Black color, brown almost creamy head, good lace. Smooth, strong chocolat, hint of coffee, well hopped, well balanced. Long lasting coffee finish with a little alcohol burn. Man! I might have to change my favorite style from Unblended Lambic to Imperial Stout. I love it!

Dark and rich. A pinnacle of imperial stouts. Not as think and strong as the style dictates, but they pull this beer off very well. Chocolate and roasted coffee with a sweet and slightly bitter aftertaste. Great beer. One of my top 10.

330 ml bottle from Beers of Europe. Six months past its best before date, but these imperial stouts are supposed to take a bit of bottle age, right? On this evidence, I’m not so sure, at least if they are pasteurised. Pitch black, with a diminishing brown head. At first I I though "Wow, this looks good" but the head soon disappeared completely and it took on a rather lifeless appearance. The aroma is softly malty, with plenty of licorice and chocolate. There’s something a bit herbal, almost perfumed, in the background that doesn’t sit entirely comfortably. Sweet and sour feel on the palate, with a lingering slightly tart aftertaste. Unfortunately, there’s a metallic tang too. Flavours include strong licorice, burnt malt, bitter chocolate and raisins, with vinous edges. However, it wasn’t as rich as I expected and the mouthfeel was relatively light. Nice but not exceptional.

BOTTLE. DEEP BLACK COLOR WITH MEDIUM HEAD. COMPLEX AROMA WITH COFFEE AND GRAIN. GREAT BALANCE OF SWEET AND SOUR AND A COMPLEX LASTING FINISH. VERY DRINKABLE AND EXCELLANT COMBO WITH GREAT CIGAR.

Bottle. Black in colour with a big brown head. Rosted fruity aroma, hints of apple. Malty flavor with some roastiness and fruitiness. Hints of apples and licorice. Dry and roasty finish.