Friday 2 July 2010

Beer Notes on Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout by Samuel Smith Old Brewery, UK
The label on the stout 55cl bottle is a tad tacky, trying to look olde timey too much. When you open it, you're immediately slammed with fruity smells. This is only intensified as the coffee-black beer pours, leaving a dark tan head. In the goblet the lesser odour of yeast, and something faintly peppery peeks through. You definitely taste the peppery notes of the beer, a complex flavour almost like the offspring of coffee and banana. There are definitely bitter chocolates mixed into this mix. The carbonation is moderate, giving the beer a bit of a sparkling quality in the mouth. It's very reminiscent of Obsidian Stout by Deschutes, in a way, but with a sweet middle. In all, a pleasant though heady beer.
4.2 of 5, A-

1 comment:

Alaskan Dave Down Under said...

I really wish I could send you some of my homebrew. Unfortunately, the US doesn't allow it. USPS can't ship it and neither can any of the fedex type companies. Hell, you can't even ship it across state lines! Blech.

But anyways, you'd really like it.


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