Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Bottle thanks to artusory. Poured a thick black color with a nice, full tan head. Aroma of chocolate, a hint of caramel, and a decent hop appearance. Smooth, rich chocolate flavor with undertones of caramel, a nice balance of hops, and a rich coffee flavor on the finish. Nice and thick, but not cloying. Really good beer. Thanks Ryan, good stuff.

2007 bottle aged about 8 months. Pours an extremely dark chocolate brown to virtually black body. A large, foamy tan head shows good retention, leaving behind thick spiderwebs of lacing on the entire glass. The aroma is big and bold, with massive amounts of melted dark chocolate meeting a surprisingly huge dose of grassy, piney hops. I was nearly bowled over by the hop content, which I did not expect, but quite enjoyed. Anise and licorice were present in the nose as well, adding depth and complexity. The flavor was again very hop forward, which makes sense now that I’m reading the commercial description. The chocolate component is like a melted dark Ghiradelli bar, sweet and round. Hops are again grassy, with alot of pine resin showing as well. A full, obtuse mouthfeel is quite slick on the tongue and not at all cloying. Overall, this is a very satisfying brew. Unique in its massive hop character, this one would probably just get better with age as the green flavors calm down a bit.

Thick oily black pour with a thick fine-laced dark brown head. Intensely roasty nose with a heavy tarry roasted malt character. Bitter chocolate and a nice rich maltiness. soft note of dried fruit underneath the chocolate and roast. Leathery palate with loads of dark chocolate, licorice and a fairly bitter finish. Hopping seems quite herbal and lightly woody. Very assertive bitterness but it is well-balanced and quite rich tasting. Lovely impy stout that really reminds me of young Brooklyn BCS.

Bomber dated 2006. Pours an awesome DEEP, black (think old motor oil) color with a thin, dark tan head that dissipates quickly. Heavy aromas of coffee, chocolate and caramel, with hints of butter and spice. Flavor is very sweet for an IMPYS, but has strong hints of coffee, chocolate, and butter and a dry, malty finish. Mouthfeel is smooth and rich. I had been trying to find this brew for a while and it was well worth the wait. Great brew by Smuttynose!

very nice hybrid of a quality -i must say ipa- combined with a NICE stout. clearly from this tap in a popular downtown ny location (thank you LISA) THIS BEER actually morphs in the glass. hoppy at first and refreshing and just barely velvet this beer then becomes heavy on the straw as it settles as it does that in short order. touch of licorice and smooth in the finish as the hops then subside and a pleasant broomstraw settles down. i was done before he left. whaddaya saY -DAVE- ?

2006 bomber, with a shout out to Pantanap for this excellent bonus, THANKS Kan! Pours a nice dark brown/black, with a moderate creamy brown head, good lacing. Aroma is rich and full, with espresso, chocolate, molasses, dark fruits, and light licorice and hops. Flavor bring a lot of roastiness, with espresso, chocolate and dark fruits. A very solid and well done IS.

22 oz bottle, 2006. Dark brown with a tan haze. Nose is coffee, molasses and dark chocolate. Medium body with light carb. Taste is coffee, prunes, chocolate, alcohol, lime juice and grapefruit. This has held up well after a year but could improve with a few more to soften.

Many thanks to Hogtownharry for the bottle! Pours an inky, oily black with a small deep brown head. Holy smokes, I could smell this thing a foot away as soon as I popped the top! Licorice, dark toffee, cereal, and molasses. Wow, no complaints about the taste. Bitter resinous hops and tarry, black, thick malt. Plenty of licorice flavour - nice! Dark, fruity, smoky aftertaste lingers as beer warms. Strong alco burn. Thick creamy body with decent carb. What a treat!