Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo

Alcohol and wood, dried fruit, and malty aromas and flavor. This beer tastes a bit stronger than it's ABV IMO. I got a good whif of bourbon right out of the bottle, and it carried through to the last sip. Some yeasty undertones as well. This is perhaps a little more dry and bitter than I prefer, but a nice strong ale, and you can appreciate the aging. I just get a boozy cling on my tongue. Very little head if poured according to the bottle instructions, and a fair amount of solids in the bottom. A nice ruby brown beer that hints at the strong flavor to come. Tasted from the bottle @ 65F.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
Stingo, traditional strong ale originating in the north of England, is mentioned in literature before 1700. Samuel Smith's Stingo melds the fine history of this style with the signature elegance of the brewery. Brewed from British malt and multiple hop varieties, Stingo is fermented in open-topped stone "Yorkshire Squares," with the Samuel Smith ale yeast strain. It is then aged for over a year in oak barrels that previously held cask-conditioned ale, gaining complexity and depth from the wood. Bottle conditioning - bottling the beer with live yeast for carbonation - produces soft conditioning as well as a fruity aroma and finish; it also allows Stingo to age and develop in the bottle for many months.