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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?  
 Madsnp (616), Odense C, Denmark
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/517/20
Jul 23, 2009  
Bottle. Pours pitch black with a dense and creamy cappuccino coloured head. Fruity aromas with notes of spruce, roasted malt and licorice. Smooth texture. Flavours of licorice, chocolate, coffee and a hoppy finish. Super delicious. Very drinkable.


 smcolw (332), Wayland, Massachusetts, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/102/515/20
Jul 18, 2009  
Generous lace after each sip. Tan head that settles a little flat. Near black color where no line shines through. Chocolate malt aromas with a generous level of hop for the style. Vanilla and cream notes. Notable high-alcohol feel to this in the initial sip. This is quickly overwhelmed by a bitterness from burnt malt and a strong hop finish. Thin body for the style and the carbonation is slightly high.


 sinkr (212), Lusby, Maryland, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/104/519/20
Jul 17, 2009  
Bomber->snifter: Pours an average, rocky, brown head that exhibits spare lacing atop a black body. Aroma of perfume and herbs. The body is medium with soft carbonation, finishing astringently. The flavor’s duration is average, being moderately sweet and bitter. I really enjoyed this beer--I like the high ABV and the aroma and taste profile.


 zdk (212), New York, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
4/103/58/105/513/20
Jul 13, 2009  
bottle: pours black with thin tan head. weak arouma of coffe and alcohol defintely present in the nose. Taste is way more powerful than the nose hints at. Very hoppy, chocolate and coffee. Soapy mouth feel and licorice. Beautifully dark and full of flavor. Thick body with light carbonation. I regret not letting this age a bit, but still a kick-in-the-pants brew. Delicious but dangerous. update: this is proving to be a bit too hoppy for me.


 ogglethorp (887), Ohio, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/105/517/20
Jul 13, 2009  
Bottle, fresh. Pours inky black with a thick tan head. Aroma of choclate, roast, coffee, caramel. Flavor is chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, molasses. Palate is full bodied, medium to mild carbonation, finished bitter. Awesome beer, there needs to be more love for this one!!


 shawnm213 (914), South Bend, Indiana, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Jul 10, 2009  
Bottle from SuIIy, thanks Mike! glad i finally got to try this one. pours a deep brown with a small tan head. wow. very smooth. tasty. chocolate. cream. some booze.


 FlyingTaco (112), Massachusetts, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Jul 9, 2009  
Original review date 3/12/2008... 2-finger, milk-chocolate, epsresso-style head with moderate lacing. Pours like viscous motor oil, which is what we’re shootin’ for. Soapy hops with a little licorice and maybe rosemary (?), lemon-grass and even some Granny Smith apple. In a word: Stewy. Tight slate taste at first, with ample cinnamon sugar. Alcohol is well-accompanied with sweetness as this warms. Alcohol and stewed fruit are prominent in mouthfeel with slate, coffee and chicory. This is a pleasure to sip slowly - more accessible than would be expected from the style. Nice stuff.


 DerWeg (756), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/516/20
Jul 8, 2009    Updated: Jul 13, 2009
This is 2008. Fair impression of what I think Yeti must be like with no oak - brash dry hoppiness, fat coffee-like roast-y rich malts, nice tones of dry ripe dark fruits like raisins and prunes. Drinking this cellar cool the alcohol is impressively warming but not harsh. Cooling it knits the flavors a little. Hops seem a bit tannic though, like chewing a green stem, per American tendency. Mostly succeeds by it’s excess.



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