Smuttynose Imperial Stout from Smuttynose Brewing Company

	Percentile
	99
	overall

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

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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Ratings Average Score Seasonal ABV Style Pctl Serve in
607 3.96/5.0 3.94/5.0 Winter 10.1% 84.2 Snifter
View Statistics P

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.

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sliffy (1966), Columbus, Ohio, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Jan 21, 2007

Bottle: Black pour with a light tan head. Aroma, chocolate, some citrusy hops, roasted malts. Flavor, roasted malts, chocolate, some heat, and a bitter finish. Hurray for uninspired imperial stouts.

MrBendo (1039), Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	7/10	3/5	7/10	4/5	13/20

Jan 19, 2007 Updated: Mar 2, 2008

22oz 2006. Black with a very small head. Aroma of grapefruit and chocolate. Bitter hops throughout the taste. Also roasted malts and coffee.

Brewso (238), Mt Kisco, New York, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	7/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	18/20

Jan 15, 2007

Very similar to Great Divide Yeti but with a thinner mouthfeel. Love the hops and ample coffee roastiness with a hint of licorice. I wish it were a bit thicker.

DrBayern (1135), Morehead City, North Carolina, USA

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	8/10	4/5	8/10	5/5	17/20

Jan 14, 2007

2006 750 ml. bottle. Black, opaque, with a medium but durable tan head. Large hop presence of pine and citrus complemented by burnt coffee and bitter chocolate. Full body, medium carbonation, and a rich mouthfeel turning to a slight astringency. Dark brown sugar sweetness cannot compete with the peppery bitterness that provides a long dry finish. Excellent.

MikeT (76), Hollis, New Hampshire, USA

4.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.4	9/10	4/5	9/10	5/5	17/20

Jan 13, 2007

Found this years Imperial Stout tto be be an excellent improvement over the outstanding brew produced in previous years. The cascade hops blend nicely to produce a very hoppy but well balance dark stout. This is a great tasting beer fresh that gets better with a few months aging.

Immy (1912), Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Jan 11, 2007

2006 bomber. Jet black with a thin brown film of a head. Nose is roasty malt, black coffee and semisweet chocolate. Plummy notes. Bitter chocolate flavor, light grapefruit, roast coffee. Somewhat dry bitter finish is offset by the smooth, rich body. Mild grapefruit in the finish. Good stuff!

stison42 (318), Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

4.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.3	9/10	4/5	9/10	2/5	19/20

Dec 30, 2006 Updated: Jan 22, 2007

Black. Alcoholic taste. Slight sweet malty taste. Texture and finish was soda like and not thick enough. But still a very good beer. Christmas present from my wife.

csbosox (1076), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	17/20

Dec 24, 2006

2006 vintage. 22oz bomber. Duvel tulip. Dark red color, nearing black, tan head. Aroma is fragrant, bright citrus, bittersweet chocolate, light roasty notes. Taste is roasty, floral, light pine, and light citrus, as well as lactose, bittersweet chocolate, and alcohol. Thick mouthfeel. The finish is moderately bitter from the hops and roasted grain. Enjoyable. Reminds me of Free States Ironman Imperial Stout.

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