Samuel Smith Imperial Stout

 Yes another Samuel Smith beer, and yes you've probably had it before.
But i haven't, in fact its my first Imperial Stout. This blog grew out of the photos and brief notes i'd been adding to my Flickr stream, which was to chronicle all the new beers i was trying. And trying beers like this one was of my aims, styles that were new to me, styles i had thought i would never like.


So this Imperial Stout stuff, i'm not going to go into its history, probably you know it and if you dont then start here and then best to search zythophile or Barclay Perkins for true beer history and fact. Trust me, hours will pass before you know it on these 2 sites!

Cue picture:

This has a lovely coffee cream aroma to it, and its colour is pretty black, coca cola black when you get further down and hold to the light. As you see a good cocoa powder brown head.
At this point my wife reminded me to put the bins out, so a couple of slurps and i was down the garden. As i avoided the dog shit in the back lane that some selfish bastard had left i noticed the constant warming, almost burning, still hitting my lower oesophagus. But this contrasts with only a little alcohol in the mouth.

It has some deep malts in there, and something is sitting on side of my tongue. I forget my tongue map so not sure what that might be, or did i read that tongue maps were wrong all this time? Must follow that one up.

It has perfect carbonation, and the little gas i do let escape gives me liquorice burps. As it warms you also get sweet chocolate and some hop bitterness.

Excellent beer.

Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Pale Ale

So far from Samuel Smith i've had the Oatmeal Stout and the Taddy Porter which were both excellent bottled beers, so lets go for 3 out of 3 shall we?
I have high hopes also as people commenting here on Samuel Smith beers generally have nothing but high praise for them, another reason i picked up several of their bottles last time. Still in the box is their India Ale and (really looking forward to) the Imperial Stout.
I actually opened this a couple of nights ago, but visitors and a poorly daughter have kept me from reviewing it.
5% and 550mls of copper coloured lovelyness.

As expected a wonderfully smooth drink, creamy head, biscuit malt aroma and a little floral perfume too. Taste is a light caramel malt, this goes down so well, you've drunk half before you realise and i had to think about what i had just tasted! Hoppy dry end to it with a little light bitterness.
Although this doesn't stand out proud like the above mentioned bottle in their line, its extremely drinkable and a great example of quality brewing.

A dull day turns good.

A manual handling study day is not the most exciting thing in the world, in anyones world. But on the plus side it meant i was around the corner from the Cardiff beer shop mentioned in previous posts. Seeing as i worked all over New Year on nights i thought a little treat was in order.

So...

Paulaner Oktoberfest - never had an oktoberfest beer, there was a choice of 3 but i choose this one.
De Koninck Belgian beer
Samuel Smith Old brewery pale ale - yup i went for another Sam Smith, well actually 3 of them!!
Samuel Smith India Ale
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
Durham Brewery Evensong - where as last time they had a few of this brewery's bottles and i was, on ChrisM  advice hoping to get their stout Temptation, but this was the only bottle left on the shelf! not complaining i'm sure it'll be good stuff.
Marble Dobber
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier  Marzen and Urbock. - smoked beers, i felt the need to try these, why not?

Again there was alot of choice, i was almost tempted by the Cantillon gueuze but it was a bit pricey, next time i will pick up an Afflingem blond, and Westmalle tripel, and they had the Australian Coopers sparkling ale which i almost took off the shelf this morning.

Samuel Smith Taddy Porter

I opened this on Boxing Day after a day visiting the in-laws and entertaining the kids. With them tucked up in bed i opened the Taddy Porter and hoped it was as good as their Oatmeal Stout.
It is almost black in the glass with a light chocolate creamy head.
The aroma is also a milky chocolate and coffee, lovely. This follows through in the mouth, wonderful smoothness, a slight burnt smokiness, more chocolate and coffee bitterness, and i felt it almost had a little cherry like sweetness.
Last time i beer shopped in Cardiff and picked this up they also had the Samuel Smith Imperial Stout amongst others, i think thats next on my list!

bigger picture here

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

From their website:
  At one time promoted as a drink for lactating mothers, oatmeal stout was described as nutritional on early labels. Oats are in the same family as barley, and a small addition yields great flavor and adds smooth body. Popular in the late 1800’s, the last oatmeal stout was brewed before the First World War until Samuel Smith reintroduced this style in 1980. 

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

This is the first oatmeal stout i've had, and was quite looking forward to it and i was aware of this style of beer from reading the Michael Jackson and Roger Protz books.
It is a 550ml bottle which is obviously a little larger than most other bottled beers you see these days. 
Pours in the glass a black colour with a light cappuccino colour head, slightly sweet aroma but also a roasted malt element.
Good heavy body, i was surprised how strong yet pleasant it was, it was almost vinous on the tongue. Smooth flavours of coffee and what reminded me a little of Coca-Cola. As you get further down the glass it lessens up on the heaviness but retains great flavour, creamy and silky.
I really enjoyed this, I'll be keeping my eye out for other oatmeal stout style beers from now on.


Bigger Picture here

Good times ahead.

Just before the weekend i had to go into Cardiff for a work thing which meant i could make a slight detour to probably the best (as in most varied selection) beer shop in South Wales that I'm aware of. Please feel free to correct me if you know of another.
On 97-99 Whitchurch Road is the Discount Supermarket which from the outside looks reasonable ordinary, little hint at the treasures inside.



Aside from the usual convenience shop fare and a large wine section, is a fantastic beer selection. Floor to ceiling shelves with a choice from all corners of these isles, including as high up as the Scotland's Orkney Brewery. Then there is the Belgian beers, German, many other European, and a good but small selection of US beers.
I picked up:
two from the Anchor brewing co. Porter and Liberty Ale
Orkney Brewing co. Red MacGregor

William Brothers Kelpie Seaweed ale
Timmermans Gueuze Lambic   -   this will be my first lambic beer btw.
Schneider weisse Tap 6
Samual Smith Oatmeal Stout
Marble Lagonda IPA
Leffe 9
and the Untapped Triple S  in my last post.

I then went to Dorset for the weekend to see family and friends, and my oldest friend Dougie kindly gave me three beers he picked up on holiday in Devon recently from the Teignworthy brewery. Cheers mate!!

Unfortunately i know am working three nights and then have the next few nights already booked up so all of these will have to wait until next week!!! To be fair thought one of these nights out is a small stag do which will be attending a beer festival so that pretty good compensation!