RateBeer

Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Percentile
99
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |
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?  
 nhorween (639), Chicago, Illinois, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/104/518/20
Sep 29, 2006  
Bottle. Opaque espresso/black color with an awesome beige colored head, nice lacing and decent retention. Aroma is malty and hoppy, soapy, earthy, slight coffee notes, alcohol, bitter chocolate, nutty (hazelnut?). Great flavor, smooth and balanced. Bitter chocolate, cherries, coffee, alcohol, malts, smoky, dry finish. Awesome. Nice on the palate, smooth and dry, warming, nice carbonation. This is a great beer, easily smuttynose’s best, and under-rated in my opnion.


 TPaliga (212), Munster, Indiana, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/103/518/20
Sep 28, 2006  
Nice Impy Stout. Pours dark dark brown with little or no head. Aroma is huge hops and roasty malt. Flavor is much the same. Nice easy drinking Imperial Stout. Bitter hoppy finish. Very good.


 beervana (781), Libertyville, Illinois, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/510/104/519/20
Sep 27, 2006  
(07.04.06) One pint 6oz brown bottle from Bierkraft, Brooklyn, NYC. 2006 bottled conditioned. Poured opaque black with giant tan head. Soft carbonation. Roasted malt aroma. Medium-to-full bodied stout that starts with light malt sweetness and cholcolate/expresso coffee/hop flavors. Finished with light bitterness and roasted malt fade. Smooth, rich and well-balanced. Deep complex character. Alcohol well hidden. This is one awesome tasty stout, one of my favorite beers.


 starfireming (309), Richmond, Virginia, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/105/57/104/514/20
Sep 24, 2006  
Clear espresso colour, tan head. Viscous alcoholic coffee scent. Bitter malt-coffee taste. Warming helped a lot.


 JK (2949), Richfield, Minnesota, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/57/104/515/20
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
10/105/58/104/518/20
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
7/104/57/104/514/20
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
8/103/59/104/518/20
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



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Log In | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Feedback?
Copyright © 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC