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Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Smuttynose Imperial Stout - Imperial Stout

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 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 
6073.96/5.03.94/5.0Winter10.1%84.2Snifter
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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 swoopjones (1862), Buffalo, New York, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 29, 2009  
On tap at Coles, Buffalo NY. Pours a very deep dark black with nice fluffy tan head. Deep roasty aromas, licorice, chocolate. Big roasty malts, alcohol on the tip of your tongue, slight orange chocolate, slight alcohol burn on finish. Big mouthfeel. Great stout


reverendj (34), Brunswick, Georgia, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/104/512/20
Jun 28, 2009  
pours like swamp water on a moonless night, at the first raise of the glass hops tingle the nose......sweet dark chocolate and coffee pour through the thin beige head....childhood memories of licorice....a very well balanced stout, this could become a habit


 Tweety (337), Vancouver, Washington, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 27, 2009  
Man do I ever love me some Smuttynose. Just like everything else they do this is a really well-executed Impy Stout, with a lot more hoppiness than you usually get out of the style.


sbroome (69), Burnsville, Minnesota, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/104/517/20
Jun 23, 2009  
excellent. dark black with thick-as-fuck creamy head. nose of dark chocolate, heavy roast and sweat carmel. mouthfeel like heavy silky velvet. taste is serious roast and sweetly dark chocolate. slightly sweet with meal fullness. this is an outstanding imperial stout that may find me driving to wisonsin for. damn you minnesota distributors.


 zapprentice (309), East Setauket, New York, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/514/20
Jun 23, 2009  
Very nice brew. Aroma of darker chocolates and roasted malts. Some dark chocolate mixed in with possibly dark fruits and coffee in the flavor.


 oakbluff (298), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/518/20
Jun 21, 2009  
2006 vintage bomber. Courtesy of Hogtown Harry (I think?). Anyhoo- time to drink this puppy. Pours ebony black- no sunshine through this one. Minimal beige head, intermittent lacing. Nose- strong anise, some powdered chocolate and dark roast. Taste- hoppier then expected given the age- licorice again, dark chocolate and dark fruits. Oxidation is starting to show, but still a mighty fine beverage. Finish still packs a hop wallop and is very dry. Drinkability is almost too good with some age on it. Nice stuff- would like to try fresh.


cloudskipper (12), Alameda, California, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 21, 2009  
Bomber received in a trade from Drink4Satan, thanks! Pours very thick. A lot hoppier than I expected in both the nose and the taste. The hops have the edge over the malts in the taste profile, and I like that. Very unusual for a stout. Finish is very long - aftertaste lingers for quite some time. Unusual Imperial Stout, but good to see someone breaking the mold.


 bhensonb (4182), Woodland, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/104/516/20
Jun 15, 2009  
Bomber from Josh. Not a member, I think. But I’m working on that. BC in 2009. It is at least 3 months old. Pours very black with a huge foamy tan head. Very strong aromas of toasted malt, anise, chocolate, coffee? Full bodied with smooth carbonation. There’s a strong brown candy/treacle component. Plus dark malt, lots of chocolate, possibly coffee. There’s some nice hop bitter, arguably citrus. This is very flavorful. Arguably well balanced. Yummy.



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