Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

poured thick w/ a guinness head...Black as night...good lacing...more chocolate than coffee, but hints of the latter present...very sweet tasting...almost like a milk stout...full bodied mouth feel...alcoholic presence is definitely there, but more of a taste - not ’hot’ going down...bit of a bitter after taste...first imperial stout I’ve tasted, so nothing to compare against, but definitely a winner...bought in August - so out of season?? Also, my bottle had an olive background on the top of the label as compared to the sky blue pictured...I like it!

Pours like motor oil with almost no head, and has a very similar smell to motor oil, but with much more sweetened cocoa and hops. Has a numbing bitter cocoa dryness that is accented well by an imperial hop taste. The hop content is ideal for this beer. Slight chalky velvet feel, but again, the hops are incredibly well balanced - with black coffee/vanilla bean as icing on the cake.

wow..aquired this gem via trade with Schutzenliesel...pours black with small ochre head..beautiful lacing, perfectly carbonated body...aroma large in mildy sweet yet bitter dark chocolate, nuts, coffee and toast...perfectly textured, this body is full of roasted malts, toast, chocolate, raison, cocoa powder, and mild hops...finishes slightly bitter and dry...one of the darkest stouts to date

Thanks to my SecretSanta. Black pour and medium tanhead. Aroma is mollasses and soy sauce. Flavor is roasted malts and an onslaught of soy sauce real oxidized like, mollasses, and a good amount of espresso. Sweet and sugary with still that soy sauce I can’ get rid of, chocolate and espresso lead you in the finish with northern brewers also. Too much soy, little too much on the sugary side but the coffee balanced it. Different. Maybe I needed tolet it sit or drink it fresh, not sure.

Bottle courtesy of Hogtownharry: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a medium foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of bitter roasted malt with some coffee notes is interesting. Taste is dominated by some roasted malt, which are quite bitter with some dry coffee notes. I thought the taste was a bit too dry generally and some sweetness to balance the dryness would have been good. Body is quite full with some good carbonation and no alcohol was discernable.

Tasted 8/2/07. 22oz bomber. Ruby pitch with a spiral taupe head. Sweet fruity nose. Cola plummy cocoa. Vibrant yet mellow nose. Full bodied and bitter with smooth malts followed by an anise mild burn and chocoalte. Raisins juxtapositioned with bright malty flavors. Aged yet fresh. Smooth yet bitter. Smokey malts. Spicy fruits. Mild yet pronounced. Bitter hop finish. Anise and cola flavors. Cocoa. Big initiaL sweet flavor. Bitter short lived palate. Mild alcohol burn. Slightly toasty sticky. Very good Impy Stout!

22oz. Bottle: Aroma is medium to heavily sweet. Smells of malts, dark fruits, chocolate, tar, and burning. Poured black in color with a big, dense, rocky, dark brown head that lasted throughout. Excellent lacing. Opaque. Flavor is medium sweet and lightly to medium bitter. Tastes of chocolate, coffee, cream, hops, alcohol, and a bit of dark fruit. Medium to full body. Thin, dry texture. Soft carbonation. Dry, chocolate, bitter finish. Overall, a nice Impy Stout that made a great breakfast.

Time for a imperial stout in a nice chalice. Pours up a deep brown almost black colored brew. LOTS of deep brown foamy head sits on top after a hard pour. Give it a minute and the foam settles a good bit. Sticky lace clings to the walls of the glass in many places. A nice layer of foam still covers the top of the beer. Nice swirl of the glass and a big whiff bring with it lots of chocolate and roasted malt. Good bit of coffee and a bit of alcohol come in. Slightly sweet malt and a touch of toffee in there also. Thick and potent she be. Time for some drinkin. Thick like used motor oil. Lots of smooth roasted, burnt, and chocolate malt coat the tongue. Coffee fills the palate next and a bit of burnt malt sweetness again. Bit of dark caramel comes next with a great smoothness. The alcohol that was present in the nose is gone in the flavor. No sign of 10% ABV anywhere to be found. Hmmm.... Just a hint of oak at the very end. And then a nice chocolate flavor on the finish. Very easy to drink and it may get me in trouble come the end of the bottle and the start of this movie I’m about to watch. Very tasty but not the best imperial stout around by far. Additional: The hops come through nicely once this brew warms a good bit. Almost fruity but big enough to hold up the big body of this stout. Little pine and a touch of citrus.