Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo - Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

Nick3

California

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hazy amber colored brew forms a 2 inch head which dissipates slowly. Small, tight bubbles surface themselves in a hypnotic fashion. Nose is enticingly complex with notes of toffee, malt, sour cherries, vanilla, and bread pudding. Taste has an overall sweetness to it but some mild bitterness sneaks itself in and out of the drink effortlessly. Oak lends itself nicely through the finish. Medium bodied creamy brew exceeded my expectations and I would recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 04:22:55 | More by Nick3

glid02

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a clear dark amber color with a one-finger off-white head. The head tries to dissipate before settling into a medium-sized pancake on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of caramel malts with good amounts of mostly sweet but slightly tart fruits. The tartness is nothing near an American Wild, rather it's fruit aromas without being sweet.

Tastes very similar to how it tastes. Sweet caramel malt flavors up front followed shortly by fruit flavors echoing the aromas above. As it warms the oak influence shows itself but it always stays in the background. Ending is mildly bitter and a bit dry.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a very nice thickness with prickly carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished the bottle without much problem and could see myself having another.

Overall, I believe this is my first English Strong Ale, and the flavors were a bit of a shock as I was expecting more of an English barleywine. Once you become acquainted with with the fruit flavors this turns into a decently complex beer. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2009 02:54:45 | More by glid02

gory4d

New York

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear russet with a two-finger white head; some lacing down the glass, but not much, with a lingering white rim. The smell is sort of like mincemeat without so much of the spicing: savory and sweet, with notes of dried currants and indeed a little nutmeg. There is a definite alcohol presence. The taste is more of the same, with strong hits of maybe juniper added in -- that comes up at the finish with the alcohol burn. It's highly carbonated, a little thick, very full in the mouth. I've been an hour working on this pint: not a sipper, exactly, but slow and pleasant going. A very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2009 02:14:18 | More by gory4d

GRG1313

California

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark red black in the glass with a very thing white head.

Nose is very Belgian fruit character with hints and undertones of vanilla (the oak in which it was aged-a nice character here on the nose).

Mouthfeel is mixed. Starts a bit thin but then developes a little creaminess and character.

Flavors are malt, sweet carmel and toffee, Belgian fruit and sweet creamed coffee. A bitter carmel/toffee finish. Nice characteristics when you take them one at a time.

The beer is good and a decent drink. Yet, the parts are actually better than the whole on this one. It's decent; in fact, it's very good; but there is a body, texture, solidity missing. I confess that it gets better and better and seeminly more complex and attractive the more one drinks it. I'm generally not a fan of most English brews. This is one of England's best; even with criticism, this is a complex, well made and well conceived brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 07:32:13 | More by GRG1313

Beerenauslese

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Stingo means "old beer" that is sharp or strong.
Pours a golden amber brown with a decent head, and a little hazy.
Smells of butterscotch and raisins and a little horseblanket.
The taste is a bit acetic and astringent at the start, and then additional flavors of butterscotch and spice kick in, with a black/green peppercorn finish and a lingering note of vanilla and oak.
The mouthfeel is soft and full with substantial effervescence. It is a palate cleanser, but one that ends with a butterscotch candy coating.
This is a distinctive and unique beer that is very enjoyable and drinkable. It is sharp and somewhat strong as the name implies.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 01:56:44 | More by Beerenauslese

saintwarrick

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew pours a cloudy amber/rusty red with a nice, foamy, off-white head. Aroma is thick, malty and awesome. Lots of sweet malts, some bourbon and a nice mix of malty fruitiness and sweet cake give this brew a rich nose.

Taste started out a little thin, some fruitiness and malts, though it was not very sweet, had an almost sour aftertaste during the first glass. But this brew really grew on me, thick maltiness emerged as time went on, giving this brew a very complex taste, a tad sour, a bit bitter and very complex in the mats: lots of dark fruits and dark sweets make up this brew, has a lot of different characteristic of dark Belgian brew, English barley wines and English pale ales.

An interesting brew and another must-try brew from Sam Smith.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2009 07:38:07 | More by saintwarrick

essie

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Leffe chalice. Nice red body with a creamy head that dissipates pretty quickly.

Smells of malt caramelization with fruit and a tiny bit of oak. In some ways, it reminds me of an oude bruin or one of the more fruity styles of dubbel.

Taste is like the aroma, but much more complex. Fruit, raisins and caramelized malts are the most dominant, but there's also a subtle oakiness and roasted malt presence in there too. The finish is somewhat dry, with a grassy hoppiness that works well but was unexpected given the style.

Mouthfeel is full and creamy without being cloying or too thick, and the carbonation is great.

This is definitely a sipper, so drinkability is somewhat limited (as expected).

Overall, I found this to be a fantastically complex beer that is perfectly balanced and has a lot of unique flavors going on. Whereas many oak-aged beers I've tried have been overpowering, the oak here takes a back seat and provides a wonderful background for all the other flavors. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try if you can get over the high price.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2009 05:00:58 | More by essie

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle ($12) served in a large beer mug.

Red/Amber color with a thick, creamy tan head that clung to the sides of the glass.
Aroma reminded me of sour cherries with a touch of malty sweetness in the background.
The taste is quite complex and delicious, bouncing back and forth between sour and sweet with slight bitterness and a taste/warming of alcohol on the finish. The after taste is sticky sweet and fruity.
Medium/Full bodied with a smooth, creamy feel.
A good sipper. Pounding this beer would be a waste of time and money as it is fairly pricey.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 19:58:59 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Proteus93

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep red, but with a glowing clarity that gives it a jewel-like appearance. Head is just over a finger tall - not particularly creamy, but it does hold its own.

S: Smooth malt scents, complemented by soft vanilla oakiness and a spot of raisin or perhaps more towards grape. There is a tartness to it that would leave me thinking more likely the grape, but it has that little bit of a raisin-sweetness, like somewhere in the middle.

T + M + D: The first sip of this took me back a little... there's quite a few flavours going on and it is most certainly robust! The malt profile, like many English styles, are modest in comparison to many American beers... smooth and creamy, but the oak aging has added a big flavour of vanilla and 'damp wood.' There's quite a tartness to it... almost even a bit sour, and quite intense as it breathes. It can become a little cloying and challenging to drink, and is more appropriate to be taken very slowly or shared with good company.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 03:44:07 | More by Proteus93

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Been waiting for Stingo to hit our shores for about a year now. Really excited to finally try this one. A 550ml bottle purchased for $9. Poured into my standard tulip glass. The ale appears a crystal clear bright crimson color with about an inch of off white head. Truly awesome looking when help up against a light. Nose and flavor consist of raisins, prunes, dried cherries, treacle, toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, oak, figs, slight alcohol, fruity. Dry with a medium to full body and rather light carbonation. Excellent stuff and quite easy to drink. All strong ale fans need to seek this one out.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2009 03:09:04 | More by ClockworkOrange

stephens101

Oklahoma

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light cherry red with a large and furious pure tan head which begins to fade quickly, then about halfway down stops, and slowly disintigrates before settling into a thick covering. Some small jagged lines of lace are scattered to and fro. Big sweet malts and spice hit the nose up front as some dark, sweet and sour fruits and some booziness float around in the back. Tastes of spice, big sweet malts, vinegar, brown sugar and sour grapes. A lingering, but not at all bothersome alcohol heat sticks to the tongue and the back of the throat. It's medium bodied, yet goes down fluidly, with a little airiness involved. Our British droogs should be way proud of this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2009 23:22:45 | More by stephens101

Riggo

Oklahoma

3.7/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a very attractive ruddy, orangey-amber. A nice creamy beige head.

Smells wonderful. Dark fruits--orange candy, caramel, and cherries (cough syrup). Woody, peaty sourness with some "christmasy" spices--clove, cinnamon, orange and cedar or pinon wood.

Creamy and silky in the mouth with a good body, low carbonation--perhaps too low. Tastes of orange candy, caramel, perhaps some subtle cedary hops. Pretty sweet, with an alcohol hit on the back end. Finish seems to drop off quick. Not much lingering in the mouth.

A sipper. Wouldn't want more than one of these. Interesting--particularly in the nose. The wood from the cask aging really comes through in the smell. A bit cloying and oddly sort of boring in taste. Not one I would seek out again but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 03:20:14 | More by Riggo

ThirstyBird

Germany

3.83/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Hazy reddish caramel color with light tan head that slowly falls.
S - Sweet malt, caramel, fruit, some spice as well as a woody note.
T - I get dark fruit and sweet caramel malt up front. The oak fills in the middle with a little alcohol burn. Some spice lingers.
M/F - The body is rather round and slippery. It's at least medium in body. The carbonation is active yet delicate which makes the brew very smooth.
D - I was very excited to try this brew as Sam Smith's has always been a quality brewery. I did enjoy this beer though the flavor wasn't up to the standard that I am accustomed from S.S's especially considering the high price tag.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 01:13:51 | More by ThirstyBird

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a beautiful ruby color with a thin and dense khaki colored head. Great head retention and nice thin lacing.

S: The smell is sweet with caramel, molasses, sweet raisins and figs. Some light vanilla notes can be detected as well.

T: Nice bright fruit up front with the raisins and figs dominating. Nice molasses and caramel mixture round out the middle with some light fruity yeastiness. The end finishes with some vanilla and more fruitiness.

M: Smooth, dry, tannic, medium/full bodied, well carbonated, a little bit of alcohol heat.

D: This beer is fantastic, too bad it was soo expensive!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 00:25:41 | More by Patrick

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle to oversized snifter.

A: Dark pale brown color with slight reddish hue, pretty clear, huuuge head about 4 fingers that slowly dissipates

N: Medium malt nose, very reminiscent of red ale or Oktoberfest style, a slight sweet brown sugar, slight alcohol, and touch of British hops, a very slight musty toasted malts too, a touch of toffee and dark fruits, but all are pretty subtle and mix to an interestingly light nose

T: Taste starts with a very strange tangy but sweet fruity taste, like plums but not raisin, some dark rich malts, lots of oak and strong warming alcohol, a rich old ale taste that is almost the staple for an "old ale" that dominates, slight yeast taste, some toasty taste finds its way through with a touch of woody esthers, more burnt brown sugar and sweet but soft dark fruits, a slightly juicy center stands out as well, a slight earthy bitter taste starts to come through towards the end

M: Pretty thick, lots of carbonation, and a slight alcohol burn, but slightly molasses thick and soft on the tongue

F: Finishes pretty sweet and bitter, some British hops seem to come out on the end slightly, more dark fruits and earthy flavors, the bitterness seems to linger for quite a while as the sweet malts and fruit dry off the tongue leaving an earthy bitterness

Final thoughts: This is a really interesting beer, the nose is a little light, but the taste starts very curiously with tangy but sweet and rich fruits as well as deep malts, it's almost like the staple beer for a British old ale, some nice sugary tastes as well as some slight oak and other rich flavors, and follows with a slight bitterness. It's very complex and tasty, but perhaps just a touch too sweet on the finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 01:41:26 | More by jlindros

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Fairly active pour... Two fingers worth of tightly compact fizzy tan head is slow to form and rises post pour... The head sticks around for a while, but ultimately fades and leaves a full creamy lacing... Seems quite still, but upon closer examination some of the smallest carbonation bubbles that I've ever seen rise very rapidly... The pace of the carbonation seems to slow throughout the session... A translucent medium brown color with some minor ruby highlights... Very attractive brew...

S - Absolutely terrific aroma... Rich caramel... Toffee... Raisins... Fig... Slightly fruity... A mild alcohol booziness...

T - The taste isn't as sweet as the nose would lead you to believe... The effects of the oak aging are evident, but not overpowering... There is a solid toasted malt base... Some minor spiciness was detected... Quite complex and enjoyable...

M - Slightly creamy at first sip... Lots of carbonation on the tongue and throughout... Medium bodied... Slightly chewy... A faint burnt texture... The warmth of the alcohol comes through on the finish...

D - Exquisite and worldly... This is a sophisticated brew... An enjoyable experience... Slightly more than a sipper, but a beer to be enjoyed and relished slowly..

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2009 01:21:56 | More by philbe311

boatshoes

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pint bottle picked up today and enjoyed as a nightcap. Really excited to find this beer close to home.

Appearance- Pours a deep shade of ruby into my New Belgium snifter with lots of bubbles and two fingers of really tight tan head. Lots of sticky lacing and a fair amount of beading from the carbonation as well. Head retains quite well and gradually dies down to just a coating over the surface. Very nice appearance, particularly the retention on the head and the deep shade of crimson/ruby of the beer itself.

Smell- Lots of caramel in the nose, with some almost sugary dark fruits behind it. Wasn't really expecting to pick up on any fruitiness in this one, but after a couple whiffs, can't deny it for me. Also some vanilla and a bit of a bite of booziness following close after. Pretty nice smelling, but less going on than I was expecting from an oak aged beer. Overall quite good nonetheless.

Taste- Again, lots of caramel sweetness and malt up front in the palate. This is followed closely with vanilla and oak for me but much less of the fruitiness that I picked up in the nose. Perhaps just a touch of candied dates, but quite a nice accent. Overall, quite nice and well rounded. Not terribly complex I felt given the aging, but excellent regardless and a standout from a brewery that puts out great beers. Would probably be a good candidate for aging but was already smooth and great tasting fresh.

Mouthfeel/drinkability- This is where this beer really hits it out of the park for me. The mouthfeel on this is silky smooth coming out of a bottle. The oak aging really rounded the the mouthfeel out and masks the booze quite nicely, making it almost undetectable. As a result, this fairly big brew is dangerously drinkable and if it weren't for the 14 dollar price tag, it wouldn't be hard to put back a couple pints. Excellent.

Overall, comes with my high recommendation. The best Sam Smith beer I've had and deceptively drinkable. If you can find this one, I'd say buy one for the experience, though I don't know if I'll be getting more given the price tag.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 01:07:39 | More by boatshoes

ImusBeer

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a Dark amber with a light tan head died rather quickly.

Smell of caramel and malt with some spice.

Taste of malt and very sweet caramel along with whiskey overtones.

Mouthfeel starts syrupy then with malt sweetness and lastly an alcohol bite.

Drinkability very enjoyable the high gravity at 8% makes it a bit heady after a full bottle

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 00:10:41 | More by ImusBeer

coastie04

Alaska

4.9/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First off, it's got a great dark copper color with a slight haze and a yellowish-tan head that dissipates fairly quick. Nose is sweet with pronounced hop and fruit characters and a background of leather. Starts off with an oaken malty spiciness that progresses to some nice flavoring hops, then some slightly roasted and nutty characters before finishing with an alcoholic warmth and lingering floral bitterness reminiscent of a lambic. Mouthfeel is smooth and slightly effervescent, almost like a bubbly cognac. This beer is extremely drinkable and balanced. It's a great example of what an old ale can strive to be; there's a fine balance between an old ale, english barleywine, and flander's ale. If you have a chance to purchase a bottle, get two!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2009 05:02:00 | More by coastie04

somabeer

California

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

It pours a dark amber hue. It's well carbonated and has nice creamy pale head It smells bready and sweet, with lots of vanilla, almost like a fresh baked cake. The taste is very sweet again with vanilla is very present along with toffee, dark fruits. There is a little bit of oak less than I was expecting from a barrel age. It goes down super smooth, its just creamy enough. The high abv mixed with the sweetness of the beer, makes me feel that I wouldn't want to drink this too often but, overall it was very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2009 07:14:30 | More by somabeer

AKBelgianBeast

Alaska

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice orangey amber color with a nice just off white head that lingers quite well and leaves nice lacing.

Nose is full or some raisiny malt, slight tart oaky vanilla notes, and clear british influence.

Taste follows. Nice and mildly sweet raisiny malt profile. Oak aging is apparent but nowhere near as blatant as many american styles. Nice and smooth. There is a slight bit of hop bite on the finish, but really this is a malt driven brew. Certainly not oversweet, in fact quite drinkable.

Mouthfeel is right about where it should be for how the beer feels. Many of the style are a bit more viscous, but this one is still nice and chewy with a good body.

Drinkability is solid here. Even though the abv is not exactly large for the style, this is still drinkable. Could easily put away a couple of these.

Overall a very pleasant and very drinkable strong ale from SS. A clear british influence in this beer, and the barrel aging is nice and subtle leaving one able to enjoy quite a bit of it rather than 12oz followed by heartburn. I love me some bourbon soaked US gnarliness, but a good traditional strong ale is good for the soul. A fine beer, however the $13 pricetag is pretty damn ridiculous. Give it a shot though, its pretty good, and could probably do a couple years in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 06:11:58 | More by AKBelgianBeast

ricke

Sweden

3.88/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark reddish amber with a pretty big and thick pale beige head with a surprisingly good retention. Nice lacings stick along.

S: A somewhat edgy, yet also round smell. Noticeable spiciness and stingy mix of alcohol and a hint of vinegar. But underneath this edgy character lies a beautiful and smooth malty foundation of dark bread, caramel, fudge and coco powder. Rich cherry-like fruitiness, raisins and nuts. The composition of rich sweet aromas and hints of tartness is definitely interesting, but I don't know if it's all together successful.

T: A pleasant taste, but still hard to really get a grip on. The maltiness is dense and has a rather bready character. Caramel, fudge and some chocolate notes delivers much of the sweetness. Plenty of nutty aromas. Vinous fruits (cherries, red apples). The sweetness is balanced by a rather noticeable tart note, which is actually quite surprising but very pleasant. The beer has distinct "aged" character and it is obvious that is has been barrel aged (dusty cellar, some wet wood and that general taste of oak barrel). In the finish, there is a mild bitterness and a prominent taste of alcohol. Raisins, some herbs and spices rounds it off.

M: Medium body with a smooth texture. Initially, the carbonation is a little bit too much, but it settles nicely.

D: Not bad at all, but it's not excellent. From such a great brewery I think I would have expected more, but still recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 13:14:51 | More by ricke

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased through online order from the Beers of Europe, a UK based beer shop; this bottle was brewed in 2007, BB 12/2009, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass. NOTE: this ale is aged in old oak barrels for more than a year before bottling! Also, the ingredients include cane sugar.

A: pours an ultra-elegant ruby-russet colour like a cup of lightly-infused black tea, coming with semi-lively but fine fizziness as witness to the natural work of bottle-conditioning, while the 2cm-thick, beige creamy froth retains the perfectly tight texture throughout the drink. Marvellous.
S: true to an English Old Ale (or old Barley Wine), the aroma features rich caramel-, amber- and/or brown-malts, underlined by a bucketful of complex, sour-sweet & also savoury fruitiness (to name a few: sour prunes, sour grapes, sour raisins, dried black cherries, black dates, dried Chinese hawthorn-fruits...), while a lightly lactic-sour woodiness as of oak-barrel ageing (not unlike its counterpart in Belgium - Flanders Brown Ale) provides a nice nuance in the background. Overall, the sour elements are so enjoyable and never astringent, providing a "refreshing" whiff even to help lighten the dense sweetness. (As the beer warms up a bit, an aromatic edge of Styrian Goldings is given away... or so I guess!)
T: a mouthful of rich preserved fruits comes almost "perfumy" (but not in the same fashion as any Belgian ale) yet a tad vinous as well, featuring a soothing flavour of dried-herb/licorice-flavoured red prunes with a restrained level of sourness slightly reminiscent of a (less sweet) Malmsey Madeira. The foretaste is laced with a fine touch of pale & amber malts (yes, like SS' Old Brewery Bitter!) and the kind of chewy woodiness & herbal sweetness that I usually find in the aftertaste of a well-aged Oloroso sherry. In the finish, the slightly powdery-textured hop bitterness tunes up a level (albeit w/o much hop aroma) with a fine spicy edge as well, rounding up the whole palate skilfully and satisfyingly.
M&D: being aged in SS' beer oak-barrels means that this is not the type of big, oaky/vanilla-ish, honey-ish or peaty whisky-barrel aged ales that are leading the beery fashion of late; rather, the oak-ageing here enriches the flavour in a conventional manner, where the sweet edge of malts is greatly softened by the attack of sour elements accumulated in the oak barrels through decades of service, showing the similar kind of smooth woodiness to the brewery's Old Brewery Bitter (not in the same way as Wadworth's 6X - more aromatic & sweet-woody, or Marston's Pedigree - more sulphurous). Importantly, through the ageing process, the alcoholic content has been totally tamed - what ends up in the glass is a truly mellow malt wine for my palate, benefiting a lot from the creamy carbonation, too. This "Old Barley Wine" has some really lovely finesse that requires patience to unwrap and fresh palate to appreciate. Just give it a try! (* Beware of the price, though, as I paid almost 6 quid for this bottle...)

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 19:49:55 | More by wl0307

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle bought from The Vineyard, Belfast...

Poured a deep coppery amber colour with a slight haze. Creamy head with coppery tinge poured fairly thick and bubbly then faded quite quickly to decent one finger covering... barely any carbonation bubbles... some light lacing lines...

Aroma - Toasted bready / caramel malts mixed with nutmeg and light ginger spiciness, cola notes, noticeable oakiness, woody, lots of brown sugar sweetness, rich Christmas cake notes, dark dried fruits and candied peel, piney resin notes, lots of treacle, quite nutty...

Taste - Pretty much as above... hints of Jamaican ginger cake, nice warming alcohol, vanilla, definite oakiness, lots of treacle, brown sugar, toasted bread...

M&D - Smooth and fairly creamy with a little sharpness coming through... medium / full bodied... dangerously drinkable at 8%...

Overall - A superb example of an old ale and also of barrel aging done well... my favourite S. Smith brew along with their Impy stout. At over £5 a bottle though not something i'd be drinking everyday (sadly)...

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 09:57:18 | More by mdagnew