Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

My buddy Adam brought over a bottle of Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout to share. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of lots of bold and dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and toasted malts. It was great to smell when it was first opened but died off quickly. The taste is sweet at firth with lots of chocolate before it finishes with some oxidation. A lot of metallic flavor overtakes the light vanilla and caramel flavors. The finish is bubbly and not too appetizing. The alcohol content is 7.9% ABV. This beer was way past its prime and it is difficult to say if it’s a good beer or not, as I was bombarded with metallic flavors. Maybe I’ll try this one again if it’s fresh. Maybe.

Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout

I was very curious to try the Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout (I love the label!) and I ordered a glass on tap at the new Federal Taphouse. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma is big on toasted malts with chocolate and vanilla mixing in as well. The taste is dry with dark chocolate and lots of toasted malt flavors. A dry finish arrives that leaves behind hints of pepper and vanilla with a bubbly and carbonated mouthfeel. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This beer exceeded my expectations and was a quality beverage. I think it represents the style was and had a robust and bold flavor.

Troegs Scratch 83- ¿Impending Descent?

While at the Troegs tasting room, I picked up a case of Scratch 83- ¿Impending Descent?, the imperial stout released just in time for the end of the world. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and sugar. The taste is bold and robust with lots of chocolate, toasted malts, caramel, vanilla, and almost a honey sweetness. Some touches of sugar hit before some alcohol booziness hits on the finish. The alcohol content is 10.9% ABV. I am absolutely in love with this imperial stout and I hope that Troegs makes this into a regular release. However, it was noticably hoppier from the bottle than it was on draft, and I liked the draft version better. I also feel it would benefit greatly from some different barrel aging experiments, such as rum, whiskey, and red wine.

Pennichuk Brewing Pozharnik Russian Imperial Stout

My buddy Matt brought over a bottle of Pennichuk Brewing (Closed) Pozharnik Russian Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a thin bubbly tan colored head. The aroma consists of coffee, espresso, vanilla, and chocolate. The taste is bold and has a roasted coffee flavor. Espresso, vanilla, and chocolate hits the mouth pretty strongly. The finish is dry and has a large roasty flavor. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This was a nice coffee infused beer that had plenty of chocolate background with a nice vanilla accent.

Mission Brewery Dark Seas

I ordered a glass of Mission Brewery Dark Seas, a Russian Imperial Stout, while at Mad Mex in Monroeville. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of sweet chocolate, milk, cream, toasted malts, and has hints of coffee. The taste is smooth and chocolaty with a strong toasted malt flavor. A caramel finish with milk and a coffee after taste with a nice dryness round out the flavors. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This was a rather good Russian Imperial Stout with all the right flavors and a good balance. I would definitely order another glass of this if I see it.

Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon

I picked up a bottle of Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon while I was in Ithaca New York. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that laces nicely on the glass. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, vanilla, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste is big and bold with lots of dark chocolate and robust coffee flavor. There is a great toasted malt background with a vanilla finish. The after taste is dry with a hint of smoke and it really dries out the mouth. The alcohol content is 12.5% ABV. This was a wonderful Russian Imperial Stout with great chocolate, coffee, and vanilla flavors. The finish was smoky and dry and stuck around for a long time.

Millbock Brewing Company Black

My friend Tierney won a mixed pack of Millbock Brewing Company beers, and brought them over, so I decided to try the Black, a Russian Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and toasted malts. The taste is dry and toasted malts with a dark chocolate flavor, caramel, mocha, and coffee. There is a really dry finish with roasted malts. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. This was a very roasted Russian Imperial Stout, and if you like dark chocolate flavors and toasted malts, this is the beer for you. I liked the mocha accents that provided a nice accent.

Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout at the Lancaster location on my last visit. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and toasted malts. The taste is full-bodied chocolate, mixing both dark and milk chocolate, with some toasted malts. There are hints of lemon and orange in the background, but the are quickly overtaken by molasses. The finish brings out some vanilla and cream before a coffee and espresso after taste dries out the mouth a bit. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. I completely understand how this beer won a gold medal, as it is wonderfully balanced, but focuses heavily on the chocolate and coffee flavors.

Terrapin Big Daddy Vladdy Russian Imperial Stout

I ordered a glass of Terrapin Big Daddy Vladdy Russian Imperial Stout from Al's of Hampden while there for my work “team building.” The beer pours a black color with a filmy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate with alcohol. The taste is smooth and large with toasted malts, chocolate, smoke, and a hint of toffee on finish. The alcohol content is 10.3% ABV. The Big Daddy Vladdy was a solid performed in the Russian Imperial Stout category and definitely announced its alcohol content. The sweet chocolate flavor mixing with the smoke flavor provided a wonderful blend of flavors across the tongues.

Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout from Pinocchio's in Media, PA. The beer pours a black color with a lofty foamy tan head that has a good lacing on the glass. The aroma is filled with chocolate, coffee, and roasted toffee. The taste is very chocolaty with a strong espresso presence and a smooth roasted malt finish. The aftertaste is milky and smooth as well. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. The Rabid Duck was an ideal Russian Imperial Stout. The chocolate and espresso flavors were overwhelmingly amazing and really danced across my tongue.