Rating: 4.5/5
The Hobbit Smaug Stout by Fish Tale Brewing is a 9.5% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Chili peppers.
Label:
The Dragon Smaug
After escaping capture by the dangerous Woodland Elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake Town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all- a creature more terrifying than any before, which will test not only the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself – the Dragon Smaug
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The second beer in the Hobbit series, comes Smaug, the mighty dragon. The dragon and the dark beer style with the chili peppers does certainly seem to meet what many would suggest as being a true epic compliment. Now, let us see how this beer fares. Whether you think this is a hype or not for the Lord of the Ring movies, either way, I will show you what this beer is all about. For me, I think this is great! Love the Lord of the Rings. So let’s dive into the deep dark liquid recesses of Smaug the Dragon Stout.
Aromas:
Dark chocolate, roasted coffee, Roasted mild chili spices, earthy hop notes, smokey notes, dark fruits like raisins, currants, blackberries, molasses anise, caramel, vanilla and brown sugar.
Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberry notes, earthy notes, minor hints of chili, roasted coffee, smokey notes, caramel, molasses, anise, vanilla, brown sugar, milk sugar and butterscotch.
Aftertaste:
Dark chocolate, mild spiciness, earthy notes and mild dark fruit linger. No alcohol in the taste, creamy and smooth mouthfeel, sipping drinkability and pitch black body.
Overall:
For a stout, it is very good. You won’t get much chilies, more in the aromas. There is just a slight hint of them to give it like a hint of nice spice. Still, very delicious as a stout though. I would recommend it if you can find it and try it once or collect it. I think this type will age but if you have tried a delicious imperial stout, you probably have tried this one or better. Great job though with this one.
Anime Corner:
Original artwork by tachikawa mushimaro as well as the other original artwork were used in pairing with Smaug which had to do primarily with the label, Smaug and the dark appearance and spicy chile flavors. Although not so spicy as I thought but it still warms ya up very good. That and overall, the artwork is just bad ass with the beer pairing.
Sources:
http://wallpoper.com/images/00/24/15/16/dragons-anime_00241516.jpg
http://shares.worldanimeclub.com/king-include/uploads/658242-1550866249.jpg
Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore) 