Samuel Smith
Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo
A strong ale matured in oak casks that have held the brewery’s own beer for decades, and one of the few living examples of how British beer was aged before stainless steel.
- Strength
- 8% ABV
- Style
- British strong ale
- Brewery
- Samuel Smith
Also called Yorkshire Stingo.
"Stingo" was a Yorkshire word for a strong, well-aged beer, and the practice behind it — long maturation in wood — was ordinary in Britain before it became a speciality. This is brewed in that line rather than in the modern American barrel-ageing one: the casks are the brewery’s own, they have held beer rather than spirits, and what they contribute is oxidative depth and a trace of the wood rather than bourbon.
The distinction matters for a reader trying to understand what "barrel-aged" means, because the two traditions produce very different beers from the same nominal technique. This one reads of dried fruit, treacle and sherry, and it is the older answer.
What it tastes like
Inherited from British strong ale, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried for its place in the history of beer |
|---|---|
| Strength | 8% ABV — checked 2026-08-19. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Stable — this product has changed little and is not expected to. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- Matured in the brewery’s own oak casks rather than in spirit barrels, which is the older British tradition
- A surviving use of a regional word for a strong, long-aged beer
If you like Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
Old ale — try Theakston Old Peculier or Robinsons Old Tom
A close structural match for Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly more caramel & toffee (moderate → high).
May not suit: Very close to Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
English barley wine — try Thomas Hardy’s Ale or Fuller’s Vintage Ale
A close structural match for Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly more sweetness (moderate → high).
May not suit: Very close to Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
American barley wine — try Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
A close structural match for Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably more citrus (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more citrus than Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
American brown ale — try Brooklyn Brown Ale
Keeps most of what Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo does and shifts yeast fruitiness (esters).
Different: noticeably less yeast fruitiness (esters) (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less yeast fruitiness (esters) than Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Wee heavy — try Traquair House Ale
Keeps most of what Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo does and shifts bread & biscuit.
Different: noticeably more bread & biscuit (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more bread & biscuit than Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
English brown ale — try Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale
Keeps most of what Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo does and shifts dryness.
Different: noticeably more dryness (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more dryness than Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
Bock — try Einbecker Ur-Bock Dunkel
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Different: much more bread & biscuit (none–trace → high).
May not suit: Noticeably more bread & biscuit than Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Baltic porter — try Żywiec Porter
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Different: noticeably more roast (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more roast than Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Czech dark lager — try Velkopopovický Kozel Černý
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Different: noticeably less yeast fruitiness (esters) (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less yeast fruitiness (esters) than Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from British strong ale. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
- Pizza
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
- Tagine
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
- Christmas dinner
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
- Burrito
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Keeping it
British strong ale shows best within 6–24 months of packaging. After that it declines in quality rather than becoming unsafe.
Tolerates age. Keeps well without getting better. Useful if you are stocking a cellar and want something that will still be right in a year.
Derived from British strong ale. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.