The BRITS Are Comin'
Written: Jul 02 '04 (Updated Aug 04 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Superbly smooth, tasty, complex and BRITISH!
Cons: It's British, what cons?!
The Bottom Line: SAMUEL SMITH'S IMPERIAL STOUT
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| proxam's Full Review: Samuel Smith Imperial Stout (England) 355 |
This review is my entry into the Made in GB W/O.
Britain isn't called great for nothing y'know. It's not as if someone just came up with the idea to use the term 'Great' after the Act of Union...um...actually, that's exactly what happened.
Be that as it may, Britain is/was/and forever will be great...or at least OK-ish...sort of.
People often get confused about what the term British acyually means. Here's the definition. This sovereign state is called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It's OK to be passionately English, Welsh or Scottish (especially Scottish), and still be British.
In this spirit of British unity, I have therefore decided that, being a Scot to review an English beer. Samuels Smith's Imperial Stout. (we know a thing or two about beer in Britain...and empires)
The Old Brewery at Tadcaster, Yorkshire's oldest, was founded in 1758 and is one of the few remaining independent breweries in England. It is also among the last to utilize the classic Yorkshire Square system of fermentation. Yorkshire Squares are giant open brewing vats lined with slabs of slate which give a fullness, softness and roundness to the ale.
The brewery is in its fifth generation of family management and throughout this period brewing methods have changed very little. The yeast used has not been changed since the early 1900's, only whole Kent hop flowers are used, and the water has been drawn from the same well for over 200 years.
Samuel Smith's are best known for their cask-conditioned Bitter and their bottled Pale Ale, but many specialities are available. Many are only available in bottled form, and some are actually harder to find in the UK than abroad.
One of those specialities is Imperial Stout.
Imperial Stout was originally brewed as a strong porter, and exported from England to Russia between 1780 and 1918. Because it was transported across the Baltic, it was brewed with a high level of alcohol to avoid freezing.
Samuel Smith's introduced this beer in the 1980's.
Abridged from:
http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith.html
By the way....
Three nuns are walking down the street, when a man jumps out and flashes them. The first nun has a stroke, the second nun has a stroke, the third one didn't touch him.
Back to the beer...
THEY SAY:
"Rich, flavorful, deep chocolate color, scented and roasted barley nose. Complexity of malt, hops, alcohol and yeast."
IMPERIAL STOUT pours as black as a moonless night,. No, scrub that, it's much darker - completely opaque and as black as a coal-miner's underwear. There's not much in the way of carbonation, but if you give it quite a vigorous pour, a half-inch of tan-coloured foam will sit nicely on top. It soon diminishes with only minimal lace.
The aroma is a little winey, almost sherry-like, with lots of roasted tones. There's plenty of dark fruit, especially raisins, and a burnt chocolate aroma with hints of molasses, nuts and coffee.
The taste gives us more of the same. It's full-Bodied with a wickedly smooth, almost sensuous mouthfeel. It's very rich, and very fruity. Lots of roasted malt giving it a robust chocolate flavour, as well as a dark and bitter coffee tone. It's like a Christmas pudding with all sorts of dried fruit-like flavours and - figs, prunes etc. Vine-fruit makes an appearance too, with raisins being very prominent. There's just enough hop presence to keep the balance in check. The finish has a rich, roasted coffee-like bitterness and it has quite a warming aftertaste.
• The Verdict •
At 7% ABV, this is a beauty. There's so much going on with this beer that it should be slowly savoured and not rushed in any way. It should also NOT be served overly chilled, otherwise you'll kill all the flavour.
Sam Smith's really do make excellent beers, and this one's as good as any of their range. It's rich, smooth and deeply satisfying. There's no nasty fizz
to make you feel bloated - in fact you could easily sink one of these after a heavy meal and I would recommend that to be the best time for this beer.
The website suggests that it would go well with, among other things, Stilton cheese. I heartily concur. If ever a beer qualified for the description of dessert beer, this is it.
If you think the epitome of stout is Guinness, then try this for a taste sensation!
As I said, it's not easy to find this beer in the UK (except perhaps in Yorkshire) and I had to pay £3.99 for a 500ml bottle in a specialist beer shop. It may seem expensive (there's no may seem about it) but you could actually compare this to a fine wine, and in that respect it doesn't seem quite so bad.
Would I drink it again? - Eeh bah gum, aye. For it caps owt.
More beers from Samuel Smith:
Pale Ale
Nut Brown Ale
This W/O is the brainchild of spiderkid and you can find out all the rules and requirements by going here.
Thanks for reading,
Sláinte
©proxam2004
Recommended:
Yes
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Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Don't drink & derive
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