As I just did a review of a Samuel Smith beer yesterday, and posted it a couple days ago, I'm not going to bore you with my recap of Samuel Smith beers. I would, however, comment on the fact that I have a single United Kingdom tag rather than something broken up into states or parishes or the like. As I reflect on it, it seems particularly strange. After all, I don't include either the BrewDog beers or the Innis & Gunn beers in that title. Instead, those get a separate Scotland tag. I know that there's some sticky wicket that people from England have about being called either England or Britain or UK or something, and I know one term offends them. Possibly two of them. So, I guess I'm just defaulting to what I think isn't going to offend people. Let's hope this beer isn't offensive.
First sip is full of those toasted malts, and the chocolate isn't nearly as bitter as I expected nor is it as forward as I expected. Most Imperial stouts are stolid and difficult to approach, but this is unusually smooth and almost tastes as if it has been introduced to lactose sugars to produce a hybrid Imperial milk stout. I'm impressed with the sip, and I'm eager to see if this can really blossom in a full swig.
Tip-in is dark, toasted malts with earth at the fringe and a bit of chocolate in the center - carbonation is not a factor at all. The middle brings a cold carbonation sizzle to the roof of the mouth as I feared the beer to turn watery, but it does not; instead, chocolate, molasses, toasted malt, and brown sugar fill the void with the glee and charm. The finish echoes the rest of the beer with toasted malt carrying the load, but it swings sweeter as it blends into the trail off.
Bottom Line: The bottle says it won a gold medal in 1896. I'd say it earned it.
3.75/5
