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Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Percentile
99
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
6103.96/5.03.94/5.0Winter10.1%84.1Snifter
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?  
 juiceisloose (667), Windermere, Florida, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/104/515/20
Sep 29, 2009  
22z bottle shared with a good friend. Pours a very dark brown almost black body topped by a big, foamy tan head that shows great retention. Thick ring of lacing mark the glass. The aroma is bursting with a good amount of dark chocolate and huge amounts of piney and earthy hops. There was a touch of licorice and dark fruit in there. The aroma was really hoppy, which caught me by surprise. The flavor followed suit and was just as hop forward with pine resin and earthy hops showing strong. The dark chocolate added a touch of sweetness and mellows out the hop bitterness a bit. Full bodied and very smooth mouthfeel with good carbonation that leads to a lengthy bitter finish. Really nice imperial stout and definitely one of the hoppier stouts I have had. I could see this getting even better with some age on it.


 corby112 (703), philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/518/20
Sep 28, 2009  
Pours a very deep dark brown, pretty much black and almost completely opaque with only the slightest mahogany edges and a huge foamy coffee colored head that has great retention, slowly fading into a lasting ring that leaves sporadic lacing. Roasted malt aroma with hints of roasted coffee, chocolate, nut, alcohol, dark fruit, fig, licorice, peppermint, oatmeal, toffee, caramel and some piny citrus hops. Mmmmm this is very promising. Silky smooth malt mouthfeel with a decent amount of roasty flavors along with some spiciness, alcohol warmth and a surprisingly prominent hop presence. Roasted malt flavor with hints of chocolate, peppery spice, oatmeal, coffee bean, toffee, caramel, dark fruit, fig, alcohol, bourbon candi sugar and a very surprising, yet excellent bitter hop note.


 ditmier (1057), Boise, Idaho, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Sep 26, 2009  
2009 Bottle - Thanks motortoddhead! - Pours dk dk brown with a large tan head...aroma is roasty and sweet, cocoa, caramel and toffee...flavour is similar, chocolate candy, dk fruitm roasty grain...lightly sweet coffee and creme, burnt wood bitterness that doesn’t linger...Smutty is some of the the best value available, bar none...


Paulp (20), New Jersey, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/517/20
Sep 19, 2009  
Poured black with a tan head. aroma of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and hops, easy to drink.


 jzzbassman (842), New Albany, Mississippi, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/517/20
Sep 16, 2009  
Hoppy aroma with a touch of liquorish. Pours dark black with a nice tan thick head. Flavor is earthy, with some musty coffee in the end, very malty with a hoppy finish.


 HonkeyBra (1320), Lemont, Illinois, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/102/513/20
Sep 11, 2009  
Black pour with tan head. Aroma of smoke, hops, coffee and chocolate. Flavor is citrusy and chocolatey. Almost like a chocolate covered orange that got some lemon pledge on it. Decent mouthfeel for an impy, kind of odd finish. Hmm. This one is ok.


 thefle (112), , New Jersey, USA
3.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/512/20
Sep 10, 2009  
pretty unimpressive stout. Not very tasty at all, it’s smooth and easy to drink. thats about it though, avoid this as its a forgettable brew


 smith4498 (866), Miami, Florida, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Sep 7, 2009  
Pours dark brown/black with light brown head. Roasted malt and some hops in the aroma with a little alcohol. Roasted malt, coffee, vanilla and chocolate flavors. I’m also getting lots of hops and a touch of lemon. Full body with a good amount of carbonation for the style.



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