Yorkshire Stingo
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

550ml bottle into a pint glass. According to the bottle, brewed in 2014, 7+ years ago. Should be interesting....

Looks splendid in the glass. Deep dark amber body with a big cream colored head. This persists throughout, leaving gobs of lacing.

Toffee, dark/dried fruit and some port wine notes on the nose.

On tasting, a lot of dark skin and dried fruit. The feel of the barrel without oak or high abv. Toffee of course. A faint sweetness wafts in and out.

Mouth close to full, finish strong fruit, and a little drying.

Overall, a very well thought out and put together beer. A lot going on, drinks bigger than its abv. Nice sipper on a cold night.

18.6oz botle with a best by date of 10JUN27. Opened on 4-6-25.
2 finger creamy, beige cap with good retention, falls and holds at a solid cap. Spotty, slippery lacing.
Ruddy amber-brown body, opaque but with a glow when held to the light.
Delicate aromas of toffee, dried fruit, yeast and floral (aged hops/tea leaves).
Strong tea-like flavor, soft baking spice, dark fruit, toffee...delicious.
Full body, round mouthfeel (possesses a unique texture) with a low to medium level of carbonation.
Outstanding.

I grabbed this one from Plonk in Fyshwick in January 2025 and drank it in March of that year.

L: Hazy, marmalade orange (that gets darker once the sediment drops into the glass), with an off-white head and lots of bubbles seen leaping up the sides of the glass. It looks like a right proper English pint, innit?

S: The nose is filled with raisins, minerals, golden syrup, and marmalade. It smells exactly how I imagined it when looking at the glass. Although now I think about it, maybe that's why it smells like it does!

T: My brain might be playing tricks on my nose and mouth because it also tastes exactly as I imagined. It's an old English cupboard of raisins, treacle, marmalade, oak shavings and old leather. A retronasal chalky marmalade and fruit mince note ends things a little sweet, heading towards the too-sweet end of the spectrum by the time I'm nearing the end of the 550ml bottle. A mild but bitter marmalade note lingers after the swallow. There's a slight warmth after the swallow, but the beer does a good job of hiding its 8% ABV. 3.75

M: The body of the beer is thick and smooth, with mild carbonation, lining up well with the taste profile of the beer.

O: This was a pleasant, easy-drinking beer that would be dangerous if the sweetness hadn't made me leary of going for a second helping.

Cheers!
#687

 

 

550ml brown glass bottle.
L: Clear, shiny chestnut with one finger of tan head that disappears quickly to a ring. Gorgeous colour.
S: Rich and malty and fruity and alcohol.
T: Raisin, plum and brown sugar. Sweet and decadent.
F: Full bodied with an extra slick, buttery mouthfeel and some alcohol sting in the finish.
O: Fantastic, indulgent Strong Ale. Definitely a winter warmer. At 550ml, best shared. Absolutely needs to be served at the correct temperature (11C/51F).

This comes in a bottle I'd want ion a bar fight. Very heavy. The brew itself is a malt bomb olde English ale. A good bit of toffee, some raisin, a little hint of oak. Not much hop flavor; they're really there to keep it from being sweet. This is good, but not as good as their stouts.

Pours hazy, amber red with a deeply carbonated brew and a hefty three to four finger head. Gorgeous. Aroma is oak and a depth of grain not often detected in other beer. Beer from Belgium monasteries come to mind as the closest comparison. Taste reveals a lighter than anticipated brew with a quick profile that hits the tongue with oak and mild grain. The oak character is particularly quick, which is unexpected and, to be frank, a bit disappointing if I'm honest. Still, a nice beer and worth sampling.

 

Love this beer but I love any old English strong ale. Some of these are far too sweet but this one sat just right for me.

Best By Date: 6-10-27

A - Amber / garnet colored pour with nice clarity, light carbonation, and a dense ring of creamy lacing.

S - Toasted toffee and dark fruit aroma.

T - Toasted toffee malt base with dark fruit, raisons, and oak while finishing balanced with a slight lingering bitterness.

M - Big medium body with gentle carbonation.

O - Decent but totally sold on this one.

 

L:
-pours a clear reddish copper with no discernible head
-low-to-medium carbonation visible
S:
-strawberries,plums,dried fruits,caramel
T:
-Follows the nose + heavy strawberry aroma
-finishes dry
-low-to-medium bitterniss
F:
-low-to-medium carbonation
-medium body
-slight alcohol noticeable
O:
A good English Strong Ale/Barley Wine although i expected more depth here.

"Best before 6/10/27"; drank 1/9/25 @ the Yarchives.

Mostly opaque orange/brown appearance.

A rough pour yielded a small, noisy tan head; no lacing remained.

Mild caramel, wood & strawberry notes in the nose; the strawberry really comes on strong as this warms.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Caramel, strawberry & dry wood flavors; mild booze heat emerged as this warmed.

A fantastic, sturdy traditional ale. I should buy a case.

It pours a maroon hue with a tan head that has unbelievable retention. The nose is that of a very malty beer and kinda reminiscent of an old shelf turd IPA if you've ever sniffed one of them. The taste is very complex and starts with raisins and other dried fruit, and continues with a slight bitterness. The mouthfeel is less thick than I was expecting but nonetheless very complementary for the flavor.

Copenhagen 5/1 2025. 50 cl bottle from Meny, Vermlandsgade, Kbh. S. Black label with a lot of golden letters explaining that this I a limited release, barrel-aged fellow.

Pours clear maroon with a big off-white head. A bit bubbly. Settles as 0,3 cm thick layer of foam covering the surface of the beer. Moderate lacing.

Aroma is fairly intense with a distinct, sugary, sweet odor of malts, brown sugar, dark fruits and alcohol. Rye bread, raisins, plums and a bit of liqueur. Oaky.

Medium strong carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft, yet lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is intense with a medium strong sweetness followed by a stronger bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter with a sugary undertone. Lingers for a while. Finish is semi-dry with a touch of alcohol.

Potent and not too sweet.

 

This one pours a golden and mostly clear golden amber color, with a small fluffy head, and a bit of lacing.

This smells like herbal and sweet tea, caramel, toffee, raisin, caramel, and oak.

This is a really nice take of like a barrel aged old ale or something like that. There’s a nice fruitiness, raisin and fig, and a really pleasant oakiness. There’s some nice toffee and caramel notes, with a distinct fruity and herbal quality that feels like tea to me.

This is medium bodied, crisp, but rich, with no booziness and a really nice drinkability.

This is an excellent and almost sessionable barrel aged beer. It’s really complex and one of the most interesting Samuel Smith beers that I’ve had.

 

Very good smell and taste. A nice addition to the Samuel Smith brewery.