Nut Smasher
Willoughby Brewing

Nut SmasherNut Smasher
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From:
Willoughby Brewing
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
11%
Score:
98
Avg:
4.44 | pDev: 7.66%
Reviews:
77
Ratings:
376
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 26, 2022
Added:
Dec 17, 2014
Wants:
  213
Gots:
  39
Nut Smasher is an Imperial Stout, brewed with inspiration from our award-winning Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter. Brewed with seven types of malts and infused with fresh-roasted coffee, chocolate and peanut butter, this brew offers an ebony pour with light brown head.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TWStandley:
Photo of TWStandley
Rated by TWStandley from Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Jun 08, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of jrc1093
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut

4.14/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2018 vintage; consumed on 2/25/2022

Pours a deep, ebony-black body capped with a finger of creamy, dark khaki head settling quickly to a thin layer of cap, a large, frothy collar, and a healthy splotching of dense, webby lacing along the walls of the glass.

Aromas of freshly brewed coffee welcome robust, bittersweet bakers chocolate, while a peanut butter undercurrent is limited and fading, yet maintains an air of richness lingering across the bouquet into a roasty char, with subtle burnt vanilla pod undertones accenting the closing impressions.

Taste opens to milk chocolate and darker bittersweet malts as soft peanut butter threads meander into coffee roast over the mid-palate, fading to charred hazelnut and an ashier malt profile aiding a more robust finish.

Mouthfeel shows a medium-light body and a subtle carbonation on the lighter end, dispersing to creamy textures weaving into steady roast on the mid-palate, with a wispy bittering balancing moderate char over the back end and drying with minimal warmth into the finish.

With over three years in the bottle, green pepper is impressively only vaguely perceptible, while the roast is vibrant and bittersweet along the chocolate spectrum as peanut butter ties everything lushly together from the backdrop; quietly brilliant and easily drinkable for a sweeter stout, I have to imagine this in the highest tier of PB beers when at its freshest.
Feb 26, 2022
Photo of trevormajor
Reviewed by trevormajor from Ohio

4.29/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12 oz can poured into a snifter at 53 degrees F, born on date ineligible, but definitely a 2020 vintage:
L - dark brown/black with a hazelnut head that lingered lightly on top
S - peanut butter, malt
T - peanut butter is somewhat dominant, but malt and coffee flavor there as well in middle and finish
F - thick oily mouthfeel with medium carbonation
O - nice beer, peanut butter a bit too prominent for me
Mar 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.52 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Mar 19, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by JonB25 from Delaware

Nov 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.3 by Jkolls from Ohio

Jul 15, 2020
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Received from @Wesmantooth. Reviewed 3/29/20. Thanks Corey!
Printed on label “2018”. 22 oz capped bottle. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 50 degrees (Per label instructions) in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 54 degrees.
Appearance – 3.75.
First pour – Deep amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Deep brown (SRM 30), opaque. When held to direct light, still opaque.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.5 cm, aggressive center pour), dark tan, high density with some rocks, good retention, diminishing to a four to seven mm crown fed by effervescence and a thick rocky cap.
Lacing – Excellent! Overlapping bands of tiny bubbles form a sheet coating part of the inside of the glass.
Aroma – 4 – Predominantly peanut butter and chocolate, like a Reese’s Easter egg, with just a hint of coffee. No hops, no yeastiness.
Flavor – 4 – Flavor is a little less peanut buttery than the nose suggests with the coffee becoming more pronounced, adding a slight bitterness as well. No alcohol (11 % ABV as marked on the label) taste or aroma. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide. Aftertaste is slightly bitter with a medium hang time.
Palate – 4 – Medium, watery, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. While I am not a big fan of peanut butter used anywhere other than on an English muffin, this is definitely one of the better peanut butter-based stouts I have tried. In this case, the coffee cuts the cloying smarminess of the peanut butter/chocolate flavor base and generally dilutes it to an “also taste”, not the main event. The bottle label is fairly simple and uncluttered, giving most of the sought info in a clear and concise manner.
Mar 29, 2020
Photo of GrumpyGas
Reviewed by GrumpyGas from Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz undated can poured into a tulip glass shows a black body, with only a clear cola color at the edge. A 1/4" head of tight, brown sugar colored bubbles briefly floats on the thick body before bursting or being enveloped and spotted lacing gradually returns to an edge hugging ring.

Aroma is green coffee bean over peanut and cocoa.

Chocolate and peanut butter flavors are more pronounced as the bitterness becomes more roast cocoa than coffee bean. Bitter aftertaste is subtle but matches a slight booze warmth.
This was the first and only indication of booze.

Mouthfeel is almost creamy, full, and clean.

Overall a nice example of a desert-leaning imperial stout.

@WesMantooth your money is no good here.
Dec 21, 2019
 
Rated: 4.03 by lemmy187 from Missouri

Oct 05, 2019
Photo of Thomas_Wikman
Reviewed by Thomas_Wikman from Texas

4.65/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This is a delicious Imperial Stout (2018 version). The flavor is not as interesting as the bourbon barrel aged version, which was divine, but it is definitely a top notch Imperial Stout.

Look: black with a thick mocca colored head. The head is very fluffy, soft and thick, like cream.

Aroma: roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, peanuts

Taste: It is delicious, roasted malts, peanut, coffee, chocolate.

Body/Overall: full body, creamy
Sep 02, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by aasher from Indiana

Aug 08, 2019
Photo of grover37
Rated by grover37 from District of Columbia

3.92/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Snifter at 101 Bottles
Jul 04, 2019
Photo of Oh_Dark_Star
Rated by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

4.23/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Similar to Rogue Hazelnut, but more finely tuned in.
May 03, 2019
Photo of gcamparone
Reviewed by gcamparone from Rhode Island

4.29/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 22oz bomber into a snifter. Thanks Tom for this!

Brown-black body with a two ginger brown head that reduces to a layer of retention.

Toffee peanuts and chocolate on the nose. Cocoa, peanuts, milk cocolate, bittersweet chocolate on the tongue. Medium mouthfeel low carbonation
Mar 21, 2019
 
Rated: 4.35 by cp45 from New Jersey

Feb 16, 2019
Photo of Rristow
Reviewed by Rristow from Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Tasted from bottle 2018 edition. Black with beige head. Aroma of peanuts, coffee and cocoa. Moderately sweet and bitter. Not an overpowering peanut butter flavor. Well balanced with the coffee and chocolate along with a slight bit of caramel. Very nice beer.
Feb 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.29 by 7irondave from Massachusetts

Feb 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by jvgoor3786 from Arkansas

Jan 13, 2019
 
Rated: 4.46 by Montanabeerz from Montana

Dec 25, 2018
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Black with brown edges and tan foam. Lasting coverage and spotty lace.
Peanut butter cup aroma, a swirl brings out coffee and dark chocolate.
Bitter coffee and chocolate flavors, mild peanut butter.
A little thin bodied for an imperial stout, moderately bitter.
Overall it’s a great blend of aromas and flavors, though the feel is a little jarring. It grows on me after a while.

Thanks Tom for sharing this one!
Dec 25, 2018
Nut Smasher from Willoughby Brewing
Beer rating: 98 out of 100 with 376 ratings