You can't get much better than Imperial
Written: Dec 21 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Samuel Smith, excellent flavor and aroma, complex
Cons: May be too overwhelming for the average drinker
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| andaryl's Full Review: Samuel Smith Imperial Stout (England) 355 |
Imperial stout was originally brewed as a strong porter, and exported from England to Russia between 1780 and 1918. Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was said to drink gallons of the stuff daily to ward off the Russian winters. Because it was transported across the Baltic, Russian imperial stout was brewed with a high level of alcohol to avoid freezing.
And so began my latest semester of education from the university of Samuel Smith, as taught at my local Beer Hunter. I’m actually taking a crash course, and managed to fit Nut Brown Ale into the same night, but more of that later.
I was served my Imperial Stout in a 12 oz bottle, with the typical Samuel Smith Victorian style label. The label on this one is black and white but still manages to look attractive.
The pour is black with very little carbonation. You’ll really have to try if you want to see head, which incidentally is brown, and quickly disappears. As with all beers served out here in the desert, this one was too cold, so I made sure to drink it slowly and wrap my hands around the bottle to get the temperature up. Ideally it should be served at 55F, I’m guessing that mine started in the low 40’s.
When you get your nose over this beer, you’ll get an idea of how strong it is right away. You almost get a whiff of sherry out of there. Once you get past the sherry aroma you’ll notice a roasted barley. Overall it’s a nice rich and complex aroma, I had a smile on my face before I’d even tasted it.
Drinking this Imperial Stout is almost like drinking a fine wine. The nose is sure to hit you with every sip, while the flavor has a good complexity. There’s a lot of malt in the flavor, with a roasted taste and hints of smokiness and chocolate. The finish is slightly dry, but not really bitter. You’ll also get the sherry flavor in the finish too.
This is certainly a beer to savor, and should be sipped slowly in the comfort of your own living room. The 7% strength means a couple of those, and you shouldn’t drive. It would ideally serve as an after dinner drink, or a nightcap. It’s certainly the kind of beer that will send you to sleep. If I were to have this with food, I’d probably enjoy one of those Italian pizzas piled with onions, mushrooms and pepperoni. The website recommends Stilton and walnuts, New York cheesecake, steak au poivre, caviar, Oysters Rockefeller, and chocolate Baked Alaska. Although I’m not a cigar drinker, this beer certainly seems like the occasion for one.
As imperial stouts go, this is fairly light. They actually start at 7% and go up to 11%. This certainly is something unique in flavor and would probably only be enjoyed by true beer fans. While it’s not for Bud drinkers, it’s also not your Guinness or Murphy’s. It is a beer to be enjoyed and to relax with. Overall it’s another impressive contribution from Samuel Smith’s alongside the Taddy Porter and the Oatmeal Stout.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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