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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starfireming (309), Richmond, Virginia, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	6/10	5/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Sep 24, 2006

Clear espresso colour, tan head. Viscous alcoholic coffee scent. Bitter malt-coffee taste. Warming helped a lot.

JK (2944), Richfield, Minnesota, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	7/10	5/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Sep 24, 2006

This reminds me of Peche Mortel. Coffee aroma from this thick, black beer. Flavor has more coffee, but not so much that it overwhelms the other flavors. Some chocolate, and sweet roasted malt. The hops are noticeable but light overall, with this being more of a malt than a hop dominated beer.

fordest (1954), Santee/San Diego, California, USA

4.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.5	10/10	5/5	8/10	4/5	18/20

Sep 18, 2006

22 oz bottle. Dark dark pour wth decent brown head. Awesome aromas. Very fruity. Apricot, mango, pineapple. chocolate too. Flavor gives up some of the fruit for a very malty roasty beginning, with a very bitter grapefruit hop finish. Alcohol very well hidden. Very good beer.

black95tt (82), Doylestown, Ohio, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	7/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Sep 14, 2006

Pours thick and black into the snifter. Little to no head. Aroma is very roasty bitter with a little hop presence. Flavor is nice and roasty. Thick oily mouthfeel. Very nice. Good balance of all the flavors. This is a good stout.

harmfuldrunk (288), New Jersey, USA

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	8/10	3/5	9/10	4/5	18/20

Sep 12, 2006

2006. very crisp, full tasting, velvety chocolate, a good little hop bite, damn i am running back to the store copping the last 2. finally a big beer that is worth buying and dont break a 5

LeopoldStoch (201), Green, Ohio, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	9/10	4/5	5/10	3/5	17/20

Sep 5, 2006 Updated: Sep 14, 2006

HOLY CRAP is this a hoppy imperialstout. I have never had a stout that had the hop presence of an ipa. Im not quitesure how to take it. it is good BUT not what I really want out of an imperial stout. Huge hop smell, with a grassy hop taste that follows with a nice bitter follow through. It is a good stout, just not what I was expecting...i would be curious to have this one after a year or two...see what changes have happened when the hops mellow out.

jason (1620), Easton, Pennsylvania, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Sep 5, 2006

bottle. Very destinct roasted smell. Keeps a thin head. Very nice balanced flavor. Not as thick as I hoped but still good. Very nice palate kept me wanting more.

Trooper11 (464), Suffolk, Virginia, USA

4.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.4	9/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	19/20

Sep 4, 2006

Pours deep brown with a small tan head. Aroma of sweet grapes and plums. Fruity. Very heavy, hoppy flavor, notes of plum, bitter dark chocolate. Throaty alcohol taste at the end.

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