Samuel Smith Imperial Stout

A good stout in the winter is just a wonderful thing. It’s like when you were a kid and came in from building a snow fort and had hot chocolate. Except the stout is cold and gives you a buzz.

Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout is a masterpiece of stouts. But what makes it imperial? Well, the Russians of course. According to Samuel Smith’s website, this beer was brewed to survive the long journey from Yorkshire, England to Imperial Russia. Thankfully, Samuel Smith has now perfected transporting their beer and not only can it make the journey to Imperial Russia, it can also make its way to the Cleveland, Ohio grocery store where I got it.

When they weren’t sipping on vodka, these Russians had good taste in beer. Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout is smooth and silky. It pours a very nice, brown, foamy head which lingers for a good while. Like many stouts, this one touches on notes of coffee and cocoa. Some stouts have more of a toasted flavor that the Imperial Stout most decidedly does not have. It falls on the sweeter side of the taste spectrum.

The flavors are rich, but not overpowering, so it is easy to pour a glass and look down a few minutes later only to realize you drank it all already. Or maybe your fiancé drank half of it while you were in the bathroom. I guess everybody likes this stout!

If you want to feel like Russian nobility, set your vodka down, put on your ushanka (http://goo.gl/H579t) and grab a Samuel Smith Imperial Stout.

оставаться стильной!

-Comrade Z

P.S. For more info check out Samuel Smith's website: http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/