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Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Percentile
99
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
6103.96/5.03.94/5.0Winter10.1%84.1Snifter
Commercial Description:
After a one year hiatus the Imperial Stout is back in action. We figured that after catching a bit of flack for its absence we’d have it return with a bang. We bumped up the starting gravity from 20° P to 24° P. This allowed the beer to finish just over 10% ABV. Like this year’s Barleywine, we’ve decided to play with the hop character, specifically the dry hop presence. Trying to avoid the fiasco of my previous attempt at adding pellets to the fermentor, I did what any good manager would do: I made Charlie add them. He had the advantage of being able to add the hops directly through a top manway and so his besting me in this challenge is not necessarily a sign of his superior brewing skills but more a reflection of my adventurous, try anything spirit (or at least that’s the story I’m stickin’ to). The Charles added 44 lbs of Cascade, split evenly between two batches, or about half a pound per barrel. We then transferred the beer onto seventy-eight pounds of an even mixture of Centennial and Columbus whole flowers, about one pound per barrel. The beer is a little top heavy in terms of the hopping but it seems to be smoothing out a bit as it’s aging. I’d give it six months or so, if you can wait that long. If not, hey, enjoy it anyway.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 GAManiac (1144), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 23, 2009  
Bottle courtesy of a couple of generous BAs poured into a tulip. Pours a dark, dark chocolate brown with hints of mahogany around the edges when held up to might. The small tan head is creamy and recedes to a ring and a swirl of bubbles on the top. Huge dark chocolate malts dominate the nose with hints of dark fruit and some citrus hops. The taste is bittersweet with lots of chocolate and roasted malts but with an interesting bitterness in the finish that’s part coffee and part citrus hops. The mouthfeel is smooth with enough light soft carbonation to make it tickle the palate nicely. Another great beer in the Smuttynose Big Beer Series. A straight-forward but extremely tasty stout that delivers without being too over the top.


 douglas88 (1578), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 15, 2009  
22oz bomber thanks big time to mcox90. Pours a pure black color with a small light brown head. An motor oil look alike. The aroma is very nice; heavy roasted malts and chocolate, lots of coffee, and brown sugar. The taste is excellent; strong roasted malts, sweet milk chocolates, a large dark fruit aspect, plums and prunes big time. From the initial taste I could tell that this beer is quality, and a top imperial stout. Just excellent.


 SuperDave70 (1157), Beautiful Sunny Mesa, Arizona, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Feb 14, 2009  
Sampled at the Bockyhorsey tasting, courtesy of rustychiles. Near black pour with a foamy tan head. Roasted malt and coffee in the aroma, along with chocolate, molasses and a touch of hops. Flavor is rich and roasty, with the hops coming through on the finish. Very good brew!


 rustychiles (1018), Mesa, Arizona, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/517/20
Feb 13, 2009  
Bottle shared at bockyhorseys pad. Pours a dark brown to black with a nice brown head. Aroma is barley, hops, malt, cocoa, roast. Flavor is much the same. Nice mouthfeel and lots of carbonation. Very nice imperial stout.


 daknole (2885), Plantation, Florida, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 12, 2009  
Bomber. Black pour wtih a brown head. Aroma has lots of chocolate, molassses, nuts, roasted malt and good coffee as well. Flavor is deep and complex. Roasy and malty, chocolate, coffee and a nice hop balance. This is a might nice beer.


 drfabulous (1232), Columbia, Missouri, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/515/20
Jan 12, 2009  
Lots of brandy in the stout. Very sweet and malty. Tastes a lot like a barley wine. Missing the traditional Imperial flavors.


 ucusty (1881), Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/103/515/20
Jan 10, 2009  
2007 vintage! Thanks to Immy for the bottle. Viscous black pour chestnut colored head and spotty lace. Creamy mouth-feel medium to full bodied. Roast, coffee and chocolate.


 rayg1 (437), Ft. Mill, South Carolina, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/105/515/20
Jan 2, 2009  
2006 bottle for the Big Beer series. Well this beer was aged nearly three full years before I made the decision to crack it and share it with Ross. Pours out like ink in a glass. The beer had little to no head, just a touch of deep brown lacing. Aroma is of deep roasted nuts, coffee, and dark chocolate. The the taste is bold and thick. This beer is very slick on the mouthfeel and has quite a body to it, still not as thick as some impy stouts i’ve had but nothing to mess around with for sure. A majority of the hops have faded away and give way to the chocolate and the roasted flavors instead, coffee to finish. Nice beer.



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