RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Smuttynose Imperial Stout - Imperial Stout

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
99
overall
Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout

Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
6073.96/5.03.94/5.0Winter10.1%84.2Snifter
View Statistics  P 

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?  
njmoons (52), New Jersey, USA
2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
3/104/53/102/58/20
Oct 26, 2009  
This Washington hopped (Cascades or related), RIS didn’t cut it for me. Too much aroma and flavoring hops and citrus/soapy finish. Not enough malt and malt sweetness to be an RIS, and keep the beer in balance. Poured a dark black with almost no head, and the foam that did come up dissipated immediatly. Aroma was citrus hops. These hops overwhelmed the other aroma’s. I could get a little malt, but I had to search for it over the citrus hops. Taste was thin and hoppy, with very little malt flavor for a RIS. The beer finished with a strong grapefruit/soapy flavor. This RIS is way out of balance for me. Mouthfeel was too thin for an RIS. Drinkability was poor with the hops taking over the beer from aroma to finish.


 Cavie (1299), Fort Worth, Texas, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Oct 25, 2009  
Bottle courtesy of Cletus. Very dark pour. Some sweet notes but mostly dried bitter. Upfront taste is bitter chocolate with a lot left to be desired. Solid, just thick.


 Fratto (662), Arlington, Texas, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/105/56/103/513/20
Oct 25, 2009  
Bottle thanks to Cavie. Dark black pour. Aroma is almost entirely alcohol with a little chocolate. Flavor is alcohol with some evenly matched coffee. Finish is good. Alcohol feels forced.


 dogfish120love (250), west hartford, Connecticut, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/518/20
Oct 21, 2009  
Quite easily one of the best imperial stouts in terms of availability and affordability in my area. Stellar appearance, pouring an opaque dark brown/black, with a dark chocolate brown head. Huge chocolate aroma accomanied by cofee.


 halfonit (415), Fall River, Massachusetts, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/517/20
Oct 13, 2009  
Nice pure black color. Aroma is full of chocolate, with some coffee and hops. Taste has a pretty full body. Flavors include chocolate, coffee, roasty, malts, and hops. Nice smooth finish leaving a chocolate taste in my mouth. This was another good one from the big beer series.


 Changed (161), Ithaca, New York, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/518/20
Oct 11, 2009  
22oz bomber into an English pint. Pours black with brown head. Long-lasting-lace. Is that a hoppy aroma? Flavor is sweet, chocolate, brown sugar. Super smooth. Moderate carbonation. Good beer for $6/bomber.


 drowland (1337), Tallahassee, Florida, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/57/104/515/20
Oct 11, 2009  
Bomber into a wine glass (it was all I had while traveling). Aroma is big sweet and a good touch of alcohol. Nice sweet and some coffee.


 spkldhenlvr24 (446), Newburgh/Buffalo, New York, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Oct 9, 2009  
2009 22oz bottle from VBM. Pours a pitch black opaque body with a large dark brown head. Nice lacing. Great aroma of hops, roasted malts, sweet cherry and alcohol. Flavor is sweet caramel and vanilla with a perfect balance of roasted dark chocolate malty aftertaste. Dry, med-full bodied with mild carbonation. Started off very smooth and easy drinking but became kind of "hot" as the beer warmed. Still very, very enjoyable. Great



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Imperial Stouts

Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter (4.46)

Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout (4.42)

Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout (4.36)

Bells Bourbon Barrel Double Cream/Expedition Stout (4.33)

AleSmith Speedway Stout (4.33)

AleSmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout (4.31)

Bells Expedition Stout (4.31)

Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout (4.3)

Surly Darkness (4.26)

Three Floyds Vanilla Bean Barrel Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout (4.25)

Närke Stormaktsporter (4.23)

The Bruery Black Tuesday Imperial Stout (4.22)

Stone Imperial Russian Stout (4.21)

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout (4.2)

Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel (4.2)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC