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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?  
 Pwn3d (1036), Manhattan, New York, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Nov 5, 2009  
On tap at rattle n hum. Lactic and strong imperial Russian. Loads of espresso and dark chocolates. Tasty.


 Snojerk321 (1914), San Diego, California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/517/20
Nov 3, 2009  
22oz bottle. Pours jet black with a creamy tan head. Tons of licorice, black fruits, coffee, and cocoa on the nose, light booze. The profile is dominate with coffee followed by black licorice and bittersweet chocolate. Good mouth feel and nice carbonation. A damn good Impy Stout.


 RollinHard (748), Fort Worth, Texas, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Nov 1, 2009  
Special thanks to "unknown sender" for this beer. 09 bottle. Pours black with a bubbly light brown head. Aroma is very very hop heavy! Wow. Notes of pine, plant, pepper, spice, leaves, tea, sweetened espresso, licorice, and biscotti. Taste is balanced with dark chocolate, strong hop flavors (pepper, pine, earth, leaves, spice) caramel, charred creme brulee crust, light maple, and chocolate truffle dust. Finishes with earth, ash, wood, but there’s lingering dark chocolate, espresso and cocoa as well. For all the hops, the finish is not as bitter as anticipated. Creamy and thick, mostly heavy mouthfeel avoids ever being syrupy. Soft carbonation. I was worried about the hopping being strange and out of place here, but I’m impressed how well the beer manages those characteristics. Nice!


 Cybercat (778), Georgia, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/518/20
Nov 1, 2009  
Rich, oily aroma has an overtone of molasses and an undertone of fine roast coffee with a hint of unsweetened chocolate. It pours a dark, nearly opaque sable with a very thick, fine-bubbled, persistent tan head. Flavor is a little smoky, strongly of molasses with nutty, coffee, chocolate and toffee hints. Texture is thick, smooth and fizzy with a good alcohol bite. Definitely lip-smacking.


 PhatB420 (126), Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/517/20
Oct 30, 2009  
Wow, this is the real deal here folks. A very nicely balanced Imperial stout on the tounge, it literally knocked my taste buds out but brought them back screaming for more. Try this one on a cold, damp evening close to the fire. Enjoy!


 pete4999 (121), Buffalo, New York, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/104/514/20
Oct 30, 2009    Updated: Oct 31, 2009
Opaque black pour, frothy tan head that lasts forever. Smell is very boozy, very sharp. Some roast malts, but just a very sharp scent. The taste is so deep though. Dark chocolate, perhaps espresso notes in the front. Extremely creamy. Very good.


 tokyogoat (505), San Diego, California, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/105/515/20
Oct 26, 2009  
Pours black with a thick black head. Nose is standard stout with dark fruit scents and and spice. Taste is smooth milk chocolate, coffee, thick body without being too sweet, licorice, nice mouthfeel, but too hot.


 Pastor (509), Maine, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Oct 26, 2009  
I grabbed the last 09 bottle at the Portsmouth brewery last night. I poured it into a tulip glass and watched a huge tan head erupted from the brew. The head could easily be brought back to life and it settles to a fine looking lace that followed the brew down the glass. The body was a midnight black in color with no highlights. Big old hop notes on this brew flavor as well as aroma. So much so the roasted malts take a back seat on this fresh bomber. This was a great full feeling brew with ample carbonation. It did not show any of the 10% in its aroma or flavors so consider it dangerous. It was an easy big beer to drink. The word dangerously so must be used again. I polished the bomber off with ease but that was it for the evening.



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