Samuel Smiths Yorkshire Stingo

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: English Strong Ale
Tadcaster, England

550mL bottle, Brewed in 2008, from Beverage Warehouse in L.A. Clear reddish orange with a two finger light beige head, decent retention. Tangy cherries and old wood up front in the aroma, sweet caramel and raisins behind, with just a tinge of spicy hops and alcohol. Flavor was much the same, with the sweet and sour blending nicely, though it does go more towards the sweet, despite even the alcohol presence. Bitterness peaked at a 2-3, sourness at a 2. Light fizzy carbonation with a thinner body than I’d hoped. Not bad, and would buy again if it weren’t $10.99 or $11.99--I don’t recall what I paid

Murky light umber color with a moderate light caramel colored head. Interesting aromas, with caramel, raw grains (corn silage), light berries and herbal hops. Butterscotch flavors seem to dominate. LIght oak and lightly tart berries wander about in the middle. Lightly acidic in the finish and quite dry. Again some light berries and hints of oak in the linger. Perhaps I was expecting more, but this one fails to impress. I keep waiting for something to wow me, but I’m left feeling tired and bored.

Pours an amber color with a tan head. Aroma of raisin, caramel, malt and sugar. Taste is a sweetness, dark fruit and alcohol. Very smooth ale that I was glad to get my hands on. Very nice.

Pours cloudy amber with 2 fingers of head. The aroma is here is very malty, but has a distinct belgian yeast aroma. In fact, I would say this has more in common with Orval than an English Ale. Nevertheless, there is a hoppy presence which carries a citrus note to clean some of the malty, yeasty aromas up. The flavor profile is malty with caramel and some tropical fruit. A very interesting combination for an English Ale. I also get some vanilla which likely comes from the barrel aging. This also has an very rich, creamy mouthfeel. There’s terrific depth here. A very enjoyable beer to savor. Very pricey, however.

Pours coppery with a beige head. Aroma sweet malt and flowery hops. Flavor is sweet malt, brown sugar, and caramel.

Bottle 500 ml Vintage 2008
Appearance: light haze on brown base with lightly tanned top , fragmental lace. 3+
Nose: nutty , malty , slightly spicy feel , touch of plum with alcohol drop on top.
Flavor/Palate : mid full bodied, brown sugars on plum, some fruity hints , bit caskey with sweetness below. Oak like tops , some leafy – alcoholic theme on sides.

Bottle. Pricey at $12. Murky bronze pour with a tan beige head. Aroma is spicy and floral with candy notes, sweet malts, potpourri and herbs, and oak. Taste is sweet malts, oak, spicy and floral hops, toffee, light caramel, candyish fruit and spices. Body is light-medium with an above average , prickly carbonation. Finishes with more spicy hops, softer caramel, toffee, fruit notes, oak, sweet malts, herbs and soft alcohol. Unique and tasty!

Poured muddy brown with a tan head. Sweet spicy aroma. The taste was quite sweet, almost too sweet. Lots of caramel and raisins, some spices like nutmeg and clove. Nice oaky accent to it. Very nice, but hard to swallow the $10 a bottle price tag.