Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout - Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

Jason

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Top notch brew, some the best stuff on this planet. Worth the price ... a cold weather beer for me paired with a cigar.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2001 22:54:11 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: 335 ml custom clear bottle with a gold foil neck and old style label. Statements like, "Contractors to Her Majesty's Forces" and "Awarded 1st prize and silver medal-bottled beer 1930", "1896 awarded gold medal", and such, adorn the label. A very distinguished looking bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Opaque black, so don't even bother trying to find a hint of light through the glass. The head is a huge, majestic, light coffee coloured float of creamy foam -- with no intention of dissipation as it ever so slowly clinges on its retreat.

Smell: Sweet nose of fruity (prunes), milk sugars, molasses, brownies, coffee and rum-like alcohol.

Taste: Okay, where do I begin? I feel as if I am in the presence of the beergod itself. This is a rich, full to medium-bodied brew with a smooth, creamy, light mouthfeel. Roasted notes are in the forefront and pair with a lemony/limey-rind-like hop presence that takes the entire taste to a near astrigent level. You can pick up some floral-like flavours from the hops too. Malt flavours of coffee, plump raisins, prune/plum, bitter chocolate and faint smoke beckon to balance a foundation of bitterness, both roasted malt and hops. Nice rounded background sweetness. The finish on this stout contains notes of smoke and a roasted/sweet feel on the palate.

Notes: I've had quite a few Imperial Stouts in my day, each attempting to dethrown the other. In my opinion, Samuel Smith's might not be the most powerful in alcohol, or as assertive as others, but it is the king. All yield and recognize the truth.

Thanks to Merchant Du Vin for the fresh sample.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2001 21:51:48 | More by Todd

mfigueroa713

New York

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-19-2013 00:15:19 | More by mfigueroa713

Photekut

Azerbaijan

2.75/5  rDev -34.4%

05-18-2013 22:21:19 | More by Photekut

mattsucks

Ohio

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-18-2013 14:30:01 | More by mattsucks

Honus1

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-18-2013 02:38:30 | More by Honus1

carlosega

Ohio

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-17-2013 19:28:48 | More by carlosega

datalager

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-16-2013 21:06:02 | More by datalager

Roman5150

Michigan

3.84/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

bottle into pint glass, aged for 1 year

appearance: pitch black with 2 finger tan head, aggressive pour

smell: smokiness, roasted malts, espresso and really black coffee, dark chocolate

taste: Heavy smokiness, almost like a German Rauchbier, lots of dark chocolate and a dry roasted espresso flavor in the middle. Ends with a beef jerky, earthy finish.

mouthfeel: not much carbonation but a huge thick creamy flavor

overall: A great example of an English Stout. However, i'm not a huge fan of English beer. I studied there for 3 months with hopes of getting into their style of beer, but it never grew on me. WHile a great stout I can drink all day, and will buy again, it in no way compares to it's US counterparts such as Stone IRS, Bells Expedition or Black Note, Founders KBS, BS, CBS, and many more. It's a great brew that I can respect, just not my style.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 04:56:20 | More by Roman5150

Weas

Arkansas

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-15-2013 03:46:09 | More by Weas

creal92

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -10.5%

05-13-2013 06:48:24 | More by creal92

jl28r1

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-12-2013 13:55:58 | More by jl28r1

MatterOfOpinion

Michigan

5/5  rDev +19.3%

05-11-2013 00:15:26 | More by MatterOfOpinion

Cvescalante

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%

05-09-2013 21:06:22 | More by Cvescalante

thatdewguy

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +19.3%

05-09-2013 05:14:04 | More by thatdewguy

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.54/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a pitch black with one full finger of dark khaki colored head. The foam is think and frothy, and takes forever to diminish. There is a ton of lacing left on the glass as it drinks.

S: The nose is caramel, chocolate, raisin, and soy. Uhh ohh. I'm in for a bad time. It smells a touch sour and just off. How long has this been sitting on the shelf at my local beer store?

T: It starts out sweet with roasted malt, caramel, and toffee. I get some milk chocolate in the middle, but nothing that dominates. I'll tell you what does dominate, though... sour. I get soy sauce and lacto throughout. Bummer man. The finish is more lacto and toffee.

M: Full bodied beer. This one has some good heft. It's coating but not syrupy. The flavors seem to be ok (minus that brutal sourness). I'm actually a bit taken aback by the toffee notes in this beer.

O: Not a fan. The off flavors really ruin this beer. I hope it's just a bad bottle, but who knows. I will try this again sometime down the road, but will prefer to seek this out on draft.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 20:42:24 | More by trxxpaxxs

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

550 ml bottle, no bottled-on date that I can find, poured into a pint glass.

A- Pours black with a huge, fluffy brown head, has very good retention and leaves awesome lacing.

S- Chocolate, roast, dark fruit, vinous aroma. Smells nice, a pretty fruit-forward stout aroma.

T- Lots of dark fruit, some roasted grain and light chocolate. Finishes with more fruit and maybe some vinousness.

M- Medium-bodied, it's about what you'd expect for a 7.00% stout, but it's pretty thin for the style.

O- A solid imperial stout, it's tasty, and although the flavor isn't massive and the body is a bit thin, it's still a great beer for the price point.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 02:23:10 | More by WillCarrera

jpaulsen

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-06-2013 01:37:35 | More by jpaulsen

kylehay2004

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-05-2013 12:38:28 | More by kylehay2004

mactrail

California

2.71/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75

The smell is really peculiar. I finally realized, since we had been painting, it smells exactly like house paint. It's that damp, fumey smell of water-based paint that's different from other solvents.

The appearance is quite attractive, with a dark amber brown color and ample off-white head, and loads of lacing in the small globe glass. The flavor continues on the strange trip. It makes me think of prune juice, with the same sweet and tart flavors. Not that sweet, but dark and fruity. I can't get that smell out of my mind, it's back with every sip. I taste pomegranate, bubble gum, and some charred grain.

On the positive side, it's quite a creamy carbonation with a substantial mouthfeel. From the 500 ml bottle bought at a random liquor store.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:50:58 | More by mactrail

ZEB89

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-04-2013 23:19:27 | More by ZEB89

InfragilisBrew

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -10.5%

05-03-2013 23:21:09 | More by InfragilisBrew

McBraniel

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-02-2013 03:59:02 | More by McBraniel

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.11/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a fantastic rendition of an English version Russian imperial stout. textbook really. the pour is thicker and darker, but some light can still enter, and the head is sudsy and lasting, just off white. the nose is bittersweet, with plenty of chocolate malt and pushing burnt bitterness. in terms of flavor, the first sip or two are by far the best. vanilla and cocoa together, but not as intense as some American versions. the malt is really allowed to shine here, and glorious woody bitter notes come through thick and creamy. it gets a little thinner and washed out as it moves along, but its still damn good. chocolate and light bittering hops kick in on the back end. plenty drinkable, at a lower abv for the style and a really smooth texture. not nearly as full bodied as they come on this side of the pond, this is a brew I could have several or more of, and could easily be a regular in my refrigerator. I have no complaints other than a slightly underwhelming carbonation presence and it getting a little watery as it warms, but that's me being annoying. one of the best sam smith beers, which is definitely saying something.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 00:22:30 | More by StonedTrippin

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

04-30-2013 22:34:36 | More by mendvicdog