Smuttynose Imperial Stout

black,chocolate and coffee aromas, big flavors of caramel, coffee, and chocolate with a nice roasty finish. very smooth , very good

22oz bottle from River City Cellars, Richmond. This one’s got about 6-8 months of age on it now, and man is it tasting fine. Sludgy dark pour with minimal lacing, this one’s a lot more chocolatey (and less roasty) than younger bottles I’ve had. I like both just fine so this won’t affect the rating. A trace of hops remains to give the smooth velvet just a bit of a backbite, and the overall flavor is lush and complex. A fine IS that I wish I could get regularly.

Pours a dark, motor-oil-esque black color with a very thin brown ring of bubbles around the surface. Aroma of sweet malts, coffee, brown sugar, caramel, and hops. Flavors were super intense--very sugary and sweet, a bit acidic, a bit bitter, hints of chocolate, coffee, flowers, and a slight spiciness. Mouthfeel was slick, sticky, and a bit oily. Really good stuff, can’t wait to get more of these and possibly try to cellar a few and see how they turn out in a few years.

I made the mistake of drinking this after North Coast Old Rasputin. The Old Rasputin is just far superior to this stout. Smuttynose is still not bad, but if I had a choice amongst imperial stouts, it would definitely be the North Coast offering. The Smuttynose is not quite as thick, not quite as rich.

An excellent RIS, with a good thickness in mouthfeel, black body and substantial head. Aroma coffee-chocolate, with C-hop. Aged about a year so mellowness therefore the hops make their presence but do not detract from the drinking experience. Nicely malted chocolate, with roast also in the secondary. Maybe not the best RIS ever, but damn good and will have again.

great impy stout for sure. pours like used oil. thick lacy brown head. aroma of grains choclate coffe carmel and a bit of hop action for yer throat hole. finishes very nicely and party out back for a lil bit which is nice too. so yeah try one today a great impy stout min was aged id guess 3-5 months!

Poured a deathly black with a thick lacing reddish tan head. Smells awesome, more hops than you get in a usual imperial stout. Aroma of potpourri, chocolate, coffee, nuts, and grain. Flavor was very nice as well. Chocolate, plums, grapes, licorice, malt, caramel etc etc etc. This beer is not at all overwhelming on the palate with a velvety texture and a slightly bitter finish that melds into a lasting coffee flavor. Love Smutty, Love this beer. RE-RATE 6/11/2009. Had a pint of this on cask at Rustico. The cask was aged on Redbush Chai leaves. Pours a opaque red, rusty brown with a thick, creamy white head. Thick and slightly oily. Aroma is very mild, tea, grapes, malt, very earthy in the nose. Flavor was excellent. The chai really lent an earthiness to the beer along with a great texture and mouthfeel. It eliminated any booziness and made this a beer you could drink ten of. I loved the original, the cask conditioned chai aged version is just as good and brings it to a new level.

Pours black with a nice tan head. Smells of coffee, rich chocolate, and some piney hoppiness. Acidic roastiness up front in the taste, a hint of the sweet chocolatey malts, and a slightly bitter finish with some nice warming alcohol. Big beer series is definitely acurate with 22 oz of Imperial Stout. Medium to heavy body starts creamy, but as it warmed seemed to thin out. I drank this 2006 sample fresh as it’s my only one but would like to see what a year in the cellar does to mellow the hops and bring out the maltiness. Nevertheless, fresh was very good.