Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Pours a dark black color with a thin tan head that fades quick and leaves some spotted laceing along the sides of the tulip glass it was dumped into. the nose is full clove and lactose sugar with some roasted coffee. As you drink it you can really taste the bitter hops and clove along the sides of your mouth. There is just enough carbonation to go with all of the rich and roasted flavors of the beer. The finish is very robust and full bodied.

Bottle Conditioned in 2006

3/20/2008: Smuttynose Imperial Stout is dark brown (looks like regular coffee) and has a really thin tan head that quickly fades away. The aroma is huge and very inviting. It contains a wonderful combination of vanilla cream, rich milk chocolate, vodka, mocha-flavored milk, and some really smooth roasted malt. The flavor is like a liquid milk chocolate bar with notes of creamed coffee. Roasted malt abounds in the dry finish at first, but then it become more sweet and mocha-like with undertones of licorice and smoke. Some hop flavor (Cascade-like and slightly soapy) and bitterness also appears briefly in the backend of this beer and lingers through the cigar tobacco-like finish that also contains a bit of apricot that seems to grow as the beer warms. This beer is think and creamy, very smooth and velvety, and all-around excellent on the palate. Overall this is an EXCELLENT beer! It is big, bold, and flavorful as well as balanced, dangerously easy to drink, and quite complex. There are many levels to the aroma and flavor of this beer all of which are exciting to explore and enjoy.

22 fl. oz. bottle from adrian910ss. Thank you Adrian! Rating #398 for this beer...

Bottle. Poured a blackish-brown color with a medium brown head. Good lacing. Aroma is very pleasant, consisting of vanilla, coffee, and chocolate milk. Mouthfeel is very nice and full. Flavor is very nice, with a strong dark chocolate presence and hints of vanilla, bourbon, and coffee. Thanks to TimmyK77 for the bottle.

2006 bomber courtesy of Puzzl. Pours a pitch black with an intial foamy brown head that fades to nothing but an oil slick quickly. Nose is just a touch of hops with a roasty malt and coffee background. Palate is dark chocolate, black coffee with vanilla added, roasted malt and a slight hop bitter aftertaste, though it doesn’t linger very long. Fairly chewy mouth feel. Nice stout. Would drink again. Thanks Andrew!

From the 1 pint 6 fl. oz (US) Big Beer series. 2008 edition. Beautiful ebony pour with a somewhat brownish-red head, that doesn’t last terribly long. Overall the entire body of the beer is brown-almost black. Aroma is strong and of cocoa, chocolates, and hops. Powerful element of hops in the taste too with the chocolate almost taking a back seat. I am more of a cream stout fan than an Imperiial Stout because Imperials are a bit overwhelming for me. Imperial fans should love this one though. There are a lot of ratings so it must be more widely available.

3-2-08 bottle shared at tasting
Black with decent but short lived tan head. Sweet malt and tart hops smell. Sweet raosted nutty flavor. Hoppy and dry finish. Quite drinkable - nice.

Pours pitch black with a tan head. Aroma hops and roasted malts. Flavor of bitter sweet chocolate and coffee followed by a nice hoppy finish.

This was thouroughly enjoyable. Big chocolate and coffee notes mixed with a nice light hoppiness. Malts help add a nice deep complexity to this stout. Real smooth and very enjoyable.