RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Home > Brewers > New Hampshire > Smuttynose Brewing Company >

Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Smuttynose Imperial Stout

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
99
overall
An Imperial Stout brewed by
Smuttynose Brewing Company

Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

bottled
common

on tap
available

Regional Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
Send Corrections

 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
4723.97/5.03.97/5.0Winter10.1%81.3Snifter P  Stats

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 RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 Ibrew2or3 (1757), Safety Harbor, Florida, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/517/20

Jul 17, 2008  
Courtesy of tpd975. Pours deep darkness with thin mocha head. The aroma is dark roastiness with some dark fruity esters, mild burnt malts and some toffee. The nose really gets nicer as it warms. The taste is dark roastiness, some burnt malts, dark chocolate and some sense of alcohol. Sweet roasty and decadent. This is real yummy.

 dpjuart (572), Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/518/20
Oct 1, 2008  
9/13/08 - Bottle, courtesy of Nate, shared with Nate and Naka. Pours black with chocolate head, small and rimming. Nose is hops, raisin, chocolate and slight coffee roastiness. Taste is a roasty, fruity collaboration overtaken by a fruity hop flavor that intertwines with the roast and dark fruit to create a bitter, fruit salad latte. Bitter and roast last well into the after with alcohol heat. Very, very good.


 jake65 (1273), Meridian, Idaho, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Oct 1, 2008  
Bottle: Near black pour with a finger of creamy brown head. Nose is simple and intense with roastiness, chocolate, and an overal sweetness. Tastes rich in roast, coffee, and chocolate. A faint bit of smoke with bitters in the trailer. Smooth, balanced, and rich in flavor. Huge. Thanks to my secret santa from last year!


 Naka (423), Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Sep 14, 2008  
Courtesy of Nate. Pours dark black color with a 1 finger dark beige head. Lasts only a few seconds. Aroma is sweet with a carbonic bite and a very noticeable hop character. A deep burnt caramel and coffee flavor. A little plum and bitter chocolate as well. The bitterness in the flavor is huge, like really dark roasted black coffee. The body is rich and creamy. Leaves a very dry bitterness on the tongue.


 Nate (2253), Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Sep 14, 2008  
From bomber. Has a quite hoppy nose with some grapefruit. Chocolate and mild coffee. Licoric and alcohol, oak, and vanilla. Nice aroma. Bit of carbonic gaseousness. One of the hoppiest impys I’ve had. Dark, dark brown-black with cocoa tan lacing head. Heavy oily body with medium carbonation. Nice alcoholic warming. Starts heavy and sweet with chocolate and caramel. Light licorice, alcohol. This is really a great impy stout. A bit hot, vinuous and sweet. Medium bitter finish and warming after. Well done.


 mgumby10 (1648), West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Sep 13, 2008  
Pours black, with a thick, creamy light brown head. Smells pretty rich and roasty, good bit of chocolate, touches of dark fruit, and oak are also present. The flavor is also on the roastier side, with lots of chocolate malt and coffee making their presence known. Just a big, rich imperial stout just the way I like them. The alcohol was noticeable, but not over the top, and the flavor on this one was quite delicious. I enjoyed it very much.




WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MORE RATINGS?
Then 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.

Desired User Name
*
Valid Email (Needed to verify your account)
*
Relax. RateBeer is 100%, guaranteed spam-free. That's our promise to you.

I agree to the terms of the RateBeer User Agreement

RATE THIS BEER

Aroma

rating assistance

Appearance

rating assistance

Flavor

rating assistance

Palate

rating assistance

Overall impression

rating assistance

TOTAL SCORE

Comments

More Imperial Stouts

Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter (4.47)

Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout (4.44)

Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout (4.38)

AleSmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout (4.35)

Surly Darkness (4.34)

AleSmith Speedway Stout (4.34)

Bells Expedition Stout (4.32)

Närke Stormaktsporter (4.23)

Stone Imperial Russian Stout (4.22)

Stone Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout (4.21)

More New Hampshire Brewers

Tuckerman Brewing Company
  Conway
Seven Barrel Brewery
  West Lebanon
Nutfield Brewing Company
  Derry
Farnum Hill Ciders
  Lebanon
Marthas Exchange Restaurant and Brewing
  Nashua
Portsmouth Brewery
  Portsmouth
Flying Goose Brew Pub
  New London
Italian Oasis Restaurant & Brewery
  Littleton
Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
  North Conway
Woodstock Inn Brewery
  North Woodstock
Pennichuck Brewing Company
  Milford
Elm City Brewing Co.
  Keene
Millys Tavern
  Manchester
Jewell Towne Vineyards
  South Hampton

About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2008, RateBeer LLC