The Triangle

Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Now, one bottle of Yorkshire Stingo makes for a quite accurate imperial pint. May I point out, though, that this is a bottle conditioned beer. This means that it will keep improving over time even though it is bottled, but it will also have yeast sediment in the bottom of the glass, so be careful while pouring. My bottle poured out as a nice, cloudy reddish brown with a pleasant beige head. Notes of vanilla and oak, biscuit and caramel waft from the top of the glass. The cask aging is wonderfully present. Supposedly, this beer is aged for a year in barrels that have been in constant use for 100 years! The beer definitely delivers a satisfyingly complex flavor. The aging has blended the beer well, but it still showcases the vanilla, treacle, citrus, toffee and floral components in its flavor. The treacle, toffee and vanilla really make a great combination. It makes me kind of sad that this is only a special yearly release.

I have to say that I was really surprised by this beer. Perhaps I shouldn't say it quite like that; I have had Sam Smith beers in the past and have really enjoyed them. I don't believe I remember anything I have truly disliked in any of their locally available offerings. Stingo is really just something special, I think. It goes way above and beyond the excellence I had already come to expect from this old school brewery. The flavors are not inaccessible to most beer lovers, and many newcomers may find this to be a nice cold weather drink. If you can find it, give it a try. It's well worth the effort.

< prev Page 2 of 2

Article Tools