-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Imperial Stout
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
- From:
- Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #224 - ABV:
- 7%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #3,953 - Avg:
- 4.16 | pDev: 11.3%
- Reviews:
- 1,870
- Ratings:
- 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 cerevisiaephilus:
Reviewed by cerevisiaephilus from Michigan
4.8/5 rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.8/5 rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Well...I have to give it a 5 for appearance cause you just can't barely see through this beer. Held directly against a 60watt lightbulb reveals just barely a deep deep reddish/auburn hue. This beer is black and proud of it. Really appropriate carbonation and a beautiful head that leaves a touch of lacing on the glass.
Incredible nose. Just incredible. Strikes me as rich rich bitter chocolate. My favorite kind. Some really nice nuttiness there too. A definately some winey notes. You get the signature sam smith notes times 100. Really really nice.
Really fantastic flavors too. Not quite perfect...but really freakin' good. Definately some strong chocolate malts and some roasted notes too. Very pleasing bitterness. Just right. Fairly strong bitterness, but it really just balances out the rich dark malts nicely. Get the standard Sam Smith flavors as well. Really a wonderful beer.
Mouthfeel is right on the money. Perfect.
I could drink this beer all day long. Really one of my favorites. Warming yet not overwhelming. Rich and complex to keep one interested but not bewildering.
This might be the best deal at my local store: $2.99 for a 550ml bottle. WOW.
Dec 19, 2004Incredible nose. Just incredible. Strikes me as rich rich bitter chocolate. My favorite kind. Some really nice nuttiness there too. A definately some winey notes. You get the signature sam smith notes times 100. Really really nice.
Really fantastic flavors too. Not quite perfect...but really freakin' good. Definately some strong chocolate malts and some roasted notes too. Very pleasing bitterness. Just right. Fairly strong bitterness, but it really just balances out the rich dark malts nicely. Get the standard Sam Smith flavors as well. Really a wonderful beer.
Mouthfeel is right on the money. Perfect.
I could drink this beer all day long. Really one of my favorites. Warming yet not overwhelming. Rich and complex to keep one interested but not bewildering.
This might be the best deal at my local store: $2.99 for a 550ml bottle. WOW.
More User Ratings:
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
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, 2024Reviewed 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
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, 2024Reviewed by MNJR from Illinois
5/5 rDev +20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
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, 2024Reviewed 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
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, 2023Has 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.
Imperial Stout from Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
4048 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!