Disputin - Russian Imperial Stout - Brouwerij De Molen

KFBR392

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Totally unique for a Russian Imperial Stout. Pours with a medium bodied and colored brown. No heavy motor oil texture that has become so common for RIS. Higher carbonation then average. Thin head. No lacing.

Smell: Super sweet. Sweet bourbon, light leafy greens, figs, pipe tobacco, malt, with some hops. Again very unique for RIS. I love what it brings to the table though.

Taste: The front is such a wonderful mix of caramel, molasses, bourbon, and malt. The body is medium thickness but has no lacking aspects. The aftertaste pleasantly sits, with all the major players being felt.

Mouthfeel: Smooth. Goes down dangerously smooth

Overall: This beer kicks ass. Unique and a beer to go out of your way for.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:52:30 | More by KFBR392

acevenom

Louisiana

4.3/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter glass. Pours black with a thick tan head that dissipates slowly. Some lacing is left behind on the side of the glass as the head retreats. The aroma is of figs, prunes, molasses, chocolate, and coffee. There's some malt roastiness, but it's not very strong in the aroma. I also get some alcohol in the smell. The dark roasted malts come through stronger in the taste than they do in the aroma. I get the alcohol, figs, prunes, chocolate, and mild coffee in the flavor. However, this is still good roasty imperial stout. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. There's some roastiness in the aftertaste. The beer is a bit thin in the body for the style, but it does drink pretty well. The alcohol brings a nice warming feel. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 01:10:41 | More by acevenom

bobhits

Kentucky

3.05/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

L. Reddish hue, very thin looking, an marginal head at best. This is NOT a Russian imperial stout's look it isn't even close.
S. Hints of coffee, bakers chocolate, and a good bit of molasses sugar aroma. There however isn't nearly enough roasted malt here. The overall balance is very sweet and sugary to the point that I question the style claims here as well.
T. Cease & Desist is much more of a strong dark Belgian ale with a poorly done spice flavor than a stout. Once you accept this bait and switch it is a rather nice little beer. Dark fruits give this beer's sugary flavor. Raisins, figs, and perhaps some partially fermented apple. There's a bit of coffee finish and a hint of hop profile.
M. Watery for a 10% beer, very. There is still a nice bit of alcohol bite in here as well.
O. Cease & Desist seems to me a lot like a Belgian quad with a lot of Belgian yeast with a hint of coffee in the finish. Very very drinkable beer given the high abv. It is a nice change of pace but hardly something i'll seek out again given the high price tag.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 11:17:20 | More by bobhits

matttttYCE

Arizona

3.44/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

This one is labeled Cease&Desist. And I wonder how it compares to Old Rasputin now that I read the label again. Holy bottle hiss, batman, this one's no Flat Abbey, that's for sure. Anyways, I digress. Bottled on April 14 2011. Big head, like massive. *Looks at watch* Cola tan colored, liquid is dark cola as well. Well, good lacing and retention. *Looks at watch again* Too much if there ever was such a thing. I want to drink my beer without getting a foam mustache, when will it subside? Okay, phew, now we can procede. Aroma is a bit lighter than expected for an RIS. Cola hints, Dark fruits, chocolate, cocoa power, toasty malts, coffee, ashy-ness, burnt molasses and brown sugar mixture. Hints at soy sauce as well but not bad. Taste is nice. A bit soy saucey though. Otherwise good. Burnt brown sugar and molasses, light cola, cocoa powder, coffee bitterness, dark fruits, maybe currants? Idk my bff Jill. The mouthfeel is surprisingly good. Even with the seemingly insane carbonation level, the body is medium-full, the consistency is filmy viscous as an RIS should be, the carbonation in the mouth is only medium-high, and the finish is moderate though cola-y and soy saucey.

Overall, decent beer. Is it better than Old Rasputin? Well I haven't had them side by side but at this point I'd probably take Old Rasputin. Am I any less inclined to support North Coast with my "hard earned beer money" as the label here states because of their thinking that I was "to [no, this wasn't my typo but actually one on the bottle] dumb to tell the two products apart..."? In a word, no. Thank you De Molen for that good laugh. It's a little hard to take your cause seriously in light of that. The point here is that you should let your beer speak for yourself, instead of doing things like putting attack campaigns on your labels, and sadly, your beer is only really mumbling in the background of my brain.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 08:58:14 | More by matttttYCE

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Impromptu hostel review. Found a nonic pint in the cupboard. Score!
Bottle dated 13/07/2011 and drank 11/09/2012.

Pours out like a cola. The same color and the head has has big fizzy bubbles. The body is fairly black but quite a bit of amber around the bottom edge. Was expecting something a little more black from a 10.4% stout named after Rasputin.

Big dark fruit component on the nose along with dark chocolate. There is also an underlying of ash, sweetness, and bread as well.

Dark fruit leads in on the taste. Dark chocolate and roasted coffee aren't too far behind. Gets a little ashy and dark fruity in the aftertaste.

The body isn't too big on this. Maybe all the carbonation makes it seem that way. It's easy to swirl up a nice head after it has subsided but the bubbles don't tax the palette.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:17:30 | More by MattSweatshirt

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.08/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a Talisker glass. Bottle 706. Bottled 14 April 2011.

A: Huge head won't stop over foaming. The color is black. Opaque. Heavy lacing.

S: Chocolate malt. Light hops. Bitter.

T: Really really good. Musty, fruity, chocolatey, bitter. Complex and hard to describe. Spicy; floral yeast. Excellent finish.

M: Lightly flat. Dry.

O: Great beer. Great stout. Highly recommended. Will try again.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 06:57:29 | More by AgentMunky

rappmann

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

33 cl bottle dated 02/11/2011 labelled as Rasputin, 9.3 ABV

A - Dark dark brown almost black, one finger of off white head, sticks around for a while, thick lacing.

S - Sweet dark malty nose, bready, with dark fruits, like dates. Molasses, and straight dark sugary notes.

T - Malty as the nose would suggest, again, dark fruits minor but noticeable bitterness. Little bit of chocolate, but overall just a beautiful, sweet beer.

M - Little bit over carbonated, but not offensive. Very light mouthfeel for a beer this strong.

O - A nice RIS, a bit pricey, but hey, you only live once. If i found it for cheaper and not at a bar, I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 05:45:24 | More by rappmann

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 1 Nov 2011.

A - Poured dark brown, settled black with a small layer of light brown head.

S - Roast, sweet molasses and brown sugar. Fairly sweet overall nose.

T - Roasted malts, molasses, brown sugar. A slight bitterness is present but this is fairly sweet overall.

M - Medium body. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 11:33:59 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Dope

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Label reads "Cease and Desist", 11.2 ounce bottle. 10.5% ABV. Bottled in March 2011

A: Immediate gusher. Pours pitch black with an enormously frothy light brown head. Lost a good portion of the bottle in the process. Fades impossibly slow, getting bored waiting for it. Leaves just tufts of fluffy lacing behind.

S: Ashy char. Prominent dark fruit. Mild chocolate.

T: Up front, lots of dark fruit like cherry and dates. Turns chocolatey and then bitter ash in the middle, into the finish. Finishes bitter with a little coffee and more ash. Has a creamy, almost lactose-like quality sometimes.

M: Fairly heavy, carbonation is a bit too high (not sure if intentional). Creamy.

O: Not a bad RIS. I tried not to knock it down too bad for being a gusher and too high carbonation. Might be a mistake bottle. But it's still quite tasty with lots of chocolate and that typical de molen ash (but not overpowering at the same time). Nice creaminess too.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 04:57:52 | More by Dope

rapidsequence

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, bottled Apr 2010, so two years old. Mine is a "Rasputin" brought back in my suitcase from Belgium. A gift from Beerpirates--thanks Wim!

Appearance: Its a very dark brown, almost black. Very large, finely bubbled head with great retention-- almost too much, as if its overcarbonated. Spots of lacing.

Smell: Roasted coffee, cocoa powder, Belgian yeast, licorice, leather, and a little oxidation.

Taste: Big complexity of interesting flavors that mostly mesh well. Bitter old coffee, bittersweet chocolate, leather, a hint of charcoal, some spiciness, rum soaked raisins in the finish. Theres's some alcohol heat, especially near the end that dries it out a bit too much. Good, different.

Mouthfeel: Its a little overcarbonated and thin feeling as above. Maybe its the age.

Overall: Its got a couple of minor issues, but overall a very tasty RIS with Belgian influence.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 00:42:33 | More by rapidsequence

zaphodchak

Virginia

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not a whole lotta wax on here. It's a 2008.

Thin offwhite head, cloudy rich brown. Faint lace. Little spiral on the surface.

Smells like age, and a bit of cherry and rich malt.

Taste is good, powerfully malty with a bit of licorice, a trace of cherry. Some age is evident, but not 'vintage'-ey. Kinda Belgian yeast profile. This could be a roasty, slightly dry quad. Relatively balanced by some bittering hops that remain present despite 4 years cellaring.

Nice and smooth feel.

Very nice beer, but by no means meritorious of the $25 I paid for it.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 01:16:44 | More by zaphodchak

pixieskid

France

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Notes, sometime last year...have had it a couple times since...

Med full body, frothy and spritzy mouthfeel, good carbonation.

Molasses, brown sugar, rich malts, strong sweentess upfront. Dark fruits (cherry and blackberry) with hints of licorice. Finishes with a slight dark chocolate bitterness and residual brown sugar note.

A tad too sweet and a bit over carbonated...

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 21:50:02 | More by pixieskid

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour at the bottle share hosted by Adam Fine Wine & Liquor held at Sophie’s Place in Redondo Beach, CA.

2011 vintage.

Pours a murky dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, coffee, cocoa, and some slight dark fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with a medium amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 03:34:22 | More by UCLABrewN84

homebrew311

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Bangers and Lace. Pitch black and opaque appearance. Cocoa colored head that leaves nice lacing. Nose has deep molasses, roasted malt, bitter chocolate, and deep earthy hop character. Taste is rich with Malta up front and followed by firm bitterness. Nice hearty stout, low carbonation, creamy body. Well balanced and loaded with good imperial stout flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 05:49:15 | More by homebrew311

n2185

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

2008 bottle

A: pours a dark brown with no carbonation.

S: roasted malts with sweet chocolate, molasses, and dark fruits.

T: roasted malts with semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit. There is a slight char flavor on the finish.

M: medium-thick body with low carbonation, this beer is a bit thin and watery.

O: a good stout, though the lack of carbonation and thin body hold it back.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 23:31:14 | More by n2185

Rizalini

Nevada

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle,bottles on April 14, 2011. Poured into my Stone tulip...

A - Warning, this one foams over when you pop open the bottle. The light brown head continues to grow even when poured into my tulip. The head grew to a huge 5 finger thick foamy head. Slowly starts to fall, but still very thick. The beer is dark brown, but not black.

S - The first smell is of chocolate and tobacco. On second smell, I get notes of dark fruit, rum raisin, leather, and some slight fruity esters.

T/M - There is a slight astringent taste, also the flavors are a little lighter on the tongue than in the nose. Still, there are bittersweet dark chocolate notes, tobacco and leather. Mouthfeel is medium, a little lighter than a normal stout. The flavor sticks to your tongue. Love the coffe afteraste.

O - This is a pretty damn tasty stout. After I aged it for about a year, the alcohol is almost undetectable. Very drinkable, and would definately buy again if I came across it. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 03:37:04 | More by Rizalini

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 330 ml brown bottle, abv. listed at 10.4%. Pours out an absolute dense pitch black abyss, capped by a quick creamy tan head that settles to the thinnest of caps.

Roast malt, oat sweetness, dry wafery dark cocoa, molasses, orange peel, mild alcohol on the nose. Black cherry and red grape skins appear as it warms, along with some black currants and other dark dried fruits.

Dry roasty malt and wood up front in the flavour, followed closely by spicy, grassy hops, dry finish and aftertaste with mild warming alcohol.

Medium-light bodied mouthfeel, slick texture, moderate carbonation.

Clean and straightforward, yet a bit of a let-down as I was expecting more complexity, although perhaps that's my own fault. Pretty good for what it is, but for the price tag there are Imperial Stouts with far more depth available locally. Still worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 03:37:33 | More by IronDjinn

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

just shared a bottle from 2008, listed at 10.7% abv. wow what a few years can do to a beer like this! it poured a weird looking yeast laden milky brown color with almost no head. not very appetizing at all in fact. the smell was nice though, lots of alcohol, wood, licorice, and dark roasty malts. flavor is rather mellow compared to the nose, probably a product of age. notes of bitter dark chocolate come through the very boozy nature of this one. feel is great, pure satin in the mouth. minimal carbonation at this point, but it still has a resonating sort of feel on the tongue. overall a really interesting stoout, and one id like to try fresh next time for a comparison. i am sure the age has really altered the character of this beer, but it was certainly a treat.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 17:18:04 | More by StonedTrippin

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured into my tulip glass...color is very reminding of cola, and it appears to be clear as it poured. There is a gentleness about the carbonation rising to the top as well. The head isn't really that great, or plentiful for that matter...basically creating a ring around my glass. The lacing is quite good, retaining strong wisps of foam around the glass.

S- My initial reaction to the aroma is of booziness, and dare fruits. There is some roasted dark malt, unsweetened chocolate, and a Madeira like richness about it....raisins/prunes etc. The finish contains some Earthy dry bitterness....

T- This is a really amazingly tasty beer! First, the alcohol is superbly well hidden...one actually wouldn't know this was over 10% if they didn't read that on the label. There is distinct flavors of black coffee and unsweetened cocoa bitterness, roasted malt, and a rich Earthy dryness about it on the finish. The dark fruitiness experienced in the aroma becomes actually quite subtle and only lingers really on the aftertaste.

M- This has a solid medium body to it, which I wasn't really expecting, and the carbonation is very mellow, providing a creamy, roasty beverage.

O- This is definitely worth the high praise that previous reviewers have given it. While I think one is enough to sip on for anybody, it has real character, and would be a great nightcap type of brew. This would also serve well to pair with a BBQ steak I feel. Nice job and I will seek this one out again!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 23:44:23 | More by ChrisCage

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle, 10.4% ABV, and again, good for 25 years - I like the optimism! And the fact that they can sell this product with the original name here in Canada, though the Yankee lienee's label is the more striking of the two.

This beer pours a clear, very dark amber-highlighted brown - black from afar, but far from black, with two fingers of puffy, creamy beige head, which displays some sturdy retention, dragging the lace down to a low ebbing shoreline detritus.

It smells of edgy, somewhat acidic black fruit, further boozy raisin, bittersweet chocolate, ash, a toasted toffee graininess, and musty, earthy hops. The taste is big, big, gritty chocolate malt, some adjoining sweet roasted grain, soused sour dark fleshy fruit, a bit of edgy, metallic alcohol, and bitter herbal, leafy hops.

The carbonation is low-lying, and just supportive, the body a hefty, but spry, medium weight, and fairly smooth, with a touch of creaminess in amongst the remarkably restrained barbs of heat. It finishes quite sweet, the chocolate, fruit, and booze carrying the day in the face of that increasingly weird herbal hop character.

While there are some indicators that could recommend this as more than just an average RIS, there are more that point it towards generic (not a bad thing) strong ale territory. Not a bad big beer, just lacking the roasted fullness of the better examples of the genre. That, and those herbal notes really don't help the cause.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 23:55:30 | More by biboergosum

SalMineo

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I don't know if I got an old bottle but this seemed more like a Barley Wine than an Imperial Stout. When I poured it had almost no head and just sat there.

The smell and taste had that exactly of a barley wine which needless to say isn't my favorite beer out there. I think I was more upset at the outrageous price tag of $25.00 and the delivery of a barley wine style ale than an Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 14:48:13 | More by SalMineo

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served as Cease and Desist at pigs fly.
The beer was black in color with a thin tan head.

Boozy aroma. Roasted malt and dark fruit.

Boozy taste. Chocolate and coffee. Raisins.

This was a nice enough beer. I thought the alcohol was a bit on the intrusive side, and detracted from the enjoyment of the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2012 11:11:52 | More by lordofthewiens

keefriffhards

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rich and thick like motor oil. Tastes considerably better. The bottles we got upon opening proceeded to have a profuse amount of head that flowed out of the bottle like lava for some reason, and would not stop. They had been stored standing up, ad 50 degrees F, and not moved or shaken at all. The brew itself was amazing though, only wish some had not been lost (though we slurped up the head as fast as it came out). We had 6 bottles, and all of them did this. However, well worth it in any case. Amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 04:50:29 | More by keefriffhards

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured into tulip 2/4/12

A dark brown or even cola, not at the edges the body itself, short lived mocha foam leaves random lace where it existed

S fruit cake and rum raisin, some burnt brown sugar, over-ripe fruits and a little spice

T some booze on top of what I smell, there's no the dark roast notes I normally look for in the style but it still tastes decent, just a little milk chocolate on the finish

M a little syrupy and sticky on the lips, low carbonation but its enough, fairly full and just a little heat

O not quite a RIS in my eyes, lacking the dark roast notes I desire in the style, more of a Strong Ale IMO

enjoy within 25 years is a bold statement for any beer, I didn't mind this one but not up there with some of the better big stouts

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 06:01:18 | More by wordemupg

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottled June '10, reviewed March '12.
Pours black with a large, lasting tan head.
Nose show chocolate fudge, piny hops, toffee, prunes, spicy phenols, liquorice and golden syrup. Enticing.
Syrupy sweet flavours, with more chocolate, golden syrupy and toasty malt, followed by pine and a boozy, cloying finish.
Carbonation is on the high side.
A bit too much booze and a bit too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 09:50:21 | More by CrazyDavros