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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?  
 NachlamSie (1637), Tennessee, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/104/516/20
Dec 8, 2006  
Bomber consumed outside in the 18 degree weather. The pour is solid for an impy, jet black with a tall dark tan head. When the snifter is held to the light, a bit of ruby hues are apparent perhaps. The aroma highlights a distinct hoppiness and a wash of espresso and mocha. It’s thick, not uber thick, but dense enough to compete with any reasonable brew in the style. Birch, soy sauce, tree bark, espresso, earth, and caramel are in the mix of rich flavors. Great beer, well done, I would some it up as a tamer Yeti Stout.


 Papsoe (14881), Frederiksberg, Denmark
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/515/20
Dec 7, 2006    Updated: Sep 9, 2007
(Bottle 65 cl) Pours completely black and opaque with a light brown head. Sweetish aroma of lightly burned malts. Very solid body with distinct sweetish and hard roasted malts with some vanilla accents. Some bitterness from the malts. 011206 and 070907


 ante (2928), Stockholm, Sweden
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/518/20
Dec 7, 2006  
Bottled at olver Twist, Stockholm. Opaque black with a firm beige head. The aroma is simply wonderful. A mix of a top notch 2IPA and a powerfull Imperial Stout. Lot’s of piney hops in the aroma with touches of dades, figs and dark chocolate. Full, chewy and burnt flavour of black chocolate, black coffee, with nots of dades, tobacco and pepper. Extremely full body. Long, long aftertaste of dark unsweetened chocolate, ink, nut-shells and salt. Lot’s of piney burps aftertwards. One of the best Imperial Stouts but not as good as the Expedition Stou, though.


 SoLan (1411), Orlando, Florida, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/515/20
Dec 6, 2006  
Black with a solid tan head. Roasty burnt dark chocolate, vinous dark fruit, subtle anise, subtle coffee beans, burnt cotton candy. Full, rich, balanced palate. Solid imperial.


 gputty (456), Virgina Beach, Virginia, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/517/20
Dec 5, 2006  
From bomber. Pours black with thick coffee head. Nose has a large grassy hop profile along with chocolate/coffee undertones. Flavor is similar with the chocolate in front this time and a great bitter citrus finish. Palate is creamy and smooth. Well done.


 Emil (6074), Copenhagen, Denmark
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/516/20
Dec 5, 2006    Updated: Feb 11, 2007
Black colour with a small brown head. Coffee, chocolate, roasted aroma and a sweet coffee, chocolate, taste. Medium body with a sweet finish. 8-4-7-3-16. Re-Rate. 8-4-9-4-18 Bottle. Black beer with a medium brown head. The aroma is roasted, coffee, chocolate, fruits and hops. The taste is sweet chocolate, coffee, fruits and hops. Medium to full body with a dry light alcoholic finish.


 PilsnerPeter (2612), Flushing, New York, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/105/516/20
Dec 4, 2006  
This stuff is big! Pours black with a short lived deep brown head. The aroma is roasted chocolate, with a surprisingly resiny, grapefruit hop kick. It has a great thick body, exactly what I want from an Imperial Stout. Huge resiny flavors which is a perfect balance to the thick chocolatey malts. Viscous mouthfeel, without being unpleasantly syrupy. Mocha roastyness, with a grapefruit hop middle and a long roasty dry hop and coffee finish. This is a rich, complex and satisfing brew, but it doesn’t have the drinkability of some other amazing Imperial Stouts (like Old Rasputin).


 joergen (8465), Frederiksberg, Denmark
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Dec 3, 2006  
Bottle. Black coloured with a beige head. Roasted aroma of coffee, dried fruits and hops. Roasted flavour of coffee, caramel and chocolate with notes of hops.



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