Imperial Stout
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

Imperial StoutImperial Stout
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From:
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #224
ABV:
7%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,943
Avg:
4.16 | pDev: 11.3%
Reviews:
1,870
Ratings:
4,048
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 17, 2024
Added:
Feb 27, 2001
Wants:
  256
Gots:
  596
Brewed at Samuel Smith's small, traditional British brewery with well water, best barley malt, roasted barley, yeast and hops to create a rich flavorful ale; deep chocolate on color with a roasted barley nose and flavor that is a complexity of malt, hops, and yeast. Fermented in 'stone Yorkshire squares'. This distinctive type of ale was originally shipped to Imperial Russia; it was a favourite of Russian nobility.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thegodfather1076:
Photo of thegodfather1076
Reviewed by thegodfather1076 from Ohio

4.64/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: Nice label that has a very classic look and color scheme. Label gives a bit of brewery info, has an awesome eye-catching font, states “Fermented in stone Yorkshire Squares”, “1896 Gold Medal Winner International Brewers Exhibition” and “1930 Silver Medal Winner Brewers and Allied Traders International Exhibition and Market”. Gold foil wrapped neck and cap. Back label gives ABV info, brewery info, web info, and a nice description of the beer. Embossed on the bottle are “Samuel Smith” and “Bottled at Yorkshires oldest brewery est 1758”.

Appearance: An aggressive pour from its 550mL brown home into a 16oz Imperial Pint led to a thick creamy 4 finger cappuccino colored head atop a thick opaque black beer that lets no light through. Head retention was an amazing 6min 19sec before dissipating to a thick ring and 1 finger rocky coating with an amazing amount of lacing.

Smell/Aroma: Smell is of sweet dark fruits such as prunes or plums along with a bit of cooked molasses, slight coffee, and chocolate.

Flavor/Taste: Tastes of dark fruits and cooked down brown sugar and molasses with a bit of milk chocolate on the front end. Mid point becomes very roasty with a deep fresh roast coffee bean flavor along with a roast chocolate malt coming through. Back end again has a deep roast coffee bean flavor that becomes slightly smokey with a sweet milk chocolate taste for a nice balance. Finish and aftertaste is very roasty. Just phenomenal!!

MouthFeel/Drinkability: On the full side of medium bodied with a thick creamy mouthfeel that goes down smooth. Very drinkable brew!!

Overall/Comments: I have to say that this is one of the more impressive beers that I have had. Many RISs try to be so over the top with ABV and flavors that they become a bit overwhelming. Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout combines perfect ABV, flavor, and mouthfeel to make a must try beer! Classified as a Russian Imperial Stout @ 7% ABV. Consumed 1/8/2014.
Dec 27, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.6 by MobBarley from Oregon

Feb 17, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by drews240 from Rhode Island

Feb 01, 2024
Photo of twage04
Reviewed by twage04 from North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pours a dark black with normal carbonation. Chocolate, molasses, bourbon on the nose. Taste is the same with some caramel, fig. Very rich and flavorful for the ABV.
Jan 29, 2024
Photo of DoctorRobert1969
Reviewed by DoctorRobert1969 from California

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This was surprisingly smooth for an imperial beer, although I haven’t had many. The taste is something like a quad. Samuel Smith can do no wrong. Perfect for a cold night.
Jan 22, 2024
 
Rated: 3.69 by JimKochFan from New Jersey

Jan 22, 2024
 
Rated: 3.78 by harsley from Massachusetts

Jan 16, 2024
 
Rated: 4.68 by k9cousin from New York

Jan 15, 2024
Photo of MNJR
Reviewed by MNJR from Illinois

5/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Rich and satisfying with the unmistakable Tadcaster magic that cannot be duplicated, ever. In the history of beer, with the physical, spiritual, and human limitations of the art form of making beer, nothing can ever be better than this, So... this is it, The Best. Try to outdo it, try and fail, maybe someday a stout beer can be better, maybe, but maybe not. Delicious flavors of earth, raisin, cocoa, fruit, vanilla, brown sugar, forest, mountains, and sea. Best stuff, best you can get. Lovely and remarkable in every way a beer can possibly be. 100%. Something has to be, and this is it.
Jan 15, 2024
 
Rated: 3 by prisdefer from New York

Jan 10, 2024
 
Rated: 4.07 by Can_if_you_can from Minnesota

Dec 27, 2023
Photo of Tom-o-Bedlam
Reviewed by Tom-o-Bedlam from Texas

4.42/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Burnt coffee, bitter dark chocolate, toasted bready malt, and hops on the back end.

Has the same undefinable funkiness that all Samuel Smith beers have (I’m drinking this one after having their Oatmeal Stout, Tadcaster, and Organic Chocolate Stout earlier this week). I guess it’s the well water.

There’s something hard and mineral-y that undergirds the flavor and the feel.

Good stuff.
Dec 21, 2023
 
Rated: 3 by AbeO

Dec 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by arini10 from Oregon

Dec 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Birdlegs from Washington

Dec 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.69 by KeithGreatNorth from Canada (BC)

Dec 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.77 by MEnoMoney

Nov 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

Nov 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.15 by cabsandking from Ohio

Nov 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by thewimperoo from Illinois

Nov 08, 2023
Imperial Stout from Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 4048 ratings