Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout - Bierbrouwerij Grand-Café Emelisse

brentk56

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: A hard pour produces half an inch of beige foam that squats atop the black liquid; somewhat leggy, with dots of foam tracking the legs

Smell: Roasty and charred, with chocolate and espresso dominant

Taste: Very roasty, almost burnt, up front, with the chocolate and espresso developing in the middle; fruit tones add a subtle balance, but the burnt flavors dominate the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Overall: This has the makings of a good RIS, but it needs more fruity complexity (including better hop balance) and less char

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:50:41 | More by brentk56

thierrynantes

France

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from Chez Clem's, and tasted in 2013.

Appearance : dark color, with tan foamy head.
Smell : heavy malty, roasted caramel and licorice aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : roasted malt, with coffee notes leading to a dry bitter finish.
Drinkability : a nice beer in the Russian Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 19:04:32 | More by thierrynantes

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -23.3%

05-08-2013 07:34:50 | More by beernads

bootdown21

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-01-2013 13:39:19 | More by bootdown21

LestatSabastian

Alabama

3.84/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

The appearance was black with no head on the pour
smell was nice but could smell the alcohol
Taste was better than expected coffee, prune, and chocolate notes.
alcohol hidden better than I expected too.
mouthfeel was to thin for a stout for me
overall liked the beer. may buy again for a friend.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 07:29:33 | More by LestatSabastian

FrankShirley

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

04-09-2013 00:36:24 | More by FrankShirley

Twig2848

New York

4/5  rDev +2.3%

04-06-2013 03:22:16 | More by Twig2848

DruRho

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

04-04-2013 00:07:28 | More by DruRho

stcules

Italy

3.81/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Almost pitch black. Dark cappuccino colore foam, quite compact.
In the smell cocoa, hazelnut, toaste and lightly burnt, Not too intense, but complex. Some vanilla notes, too.
Full and round in the mouth, complex, smooth. Cappuccino. Important beer, but not too overwhelming.
And a good hop bitterness, too.
Intense, well hidden alcohol, good bitter and toasted aftertaste.
Good.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 18:48:28 | More by stcules

zach60614

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.3%

03-06-2013 03:07:49 | More by zach60614

woemad

Washington

3.21/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

11.16oz bottle purchased at Jim’s Homebrew in Spokane for $6.74. The label seems to indicate that it’s meant to be consumed by March, 2013. The wording is in Dutch, however, so all bets are off. Speaking of the label, it’s different to the one in the photo on BA.

Poured a viscous looking deep dark brown color that seemed almost a crude oil black. Things became a little browner looking when held up to the light, at which point some floaties could be seen drifting around the edges. Minimal, mocha colored head that quickly receded to a thin collar - not surprising given this beer’s 11% abv.

Initially, there was a big brown sugar aroma. Once things began to warm up, some chocolaty scents emerged as well. What did not seem to emerge were the more bitter elements associated with the style, nor was there any nasal inkling of the high alcohol content.

The taste starts out with the sweet elements noted above. A minor bitterness then makes itself known, but it’s nowhere near adequate for providing any real balance. The taste ends on a very mild dry note at the swallow.

While carbonation is low for the style, don’t expect a heavy, leaden mouthfeel, as things are actually rather watery in that department.

This seems like an incomplete beer, like an unfinished Imperial Stout, or a regular stout that happens to have a huge abv percentage. It's drinkable, but only just, and why would you when there are lots of better examples available?

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:46:33 | More by woemad

IrishColonial

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.3%

02-20-2013 01:55:10 | More by IrishColonial

nosavingsaccount

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

02-09-2013 16:43:24 | More by nosavingsaccount

ventiman

Ohio

5/5  rDev +27.9%

02-05-2013 10:26:00 | More by ventiman

Mattyb79

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

01-31-2013 05:39:21 | More by Mattyb79

Dreamer

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

01-19-2013 00:35:29 | More by Dreamer

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 mL bottle, label is notched as best before 12/2013.

pours jet black, with 3/4" thick khaki colored head. head is creamy, and has excellent retention, lasts to the bottom of the glass. smell is extreme roasted malt - burnt coffee, unsweetened cocoa. more of the same in the taste. big espresso flavors. acidic, a bit astringent, dry. thick, full bodied. oily, slick. low carbonation.

overall- definitely unique, probably the the "roastiest" beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 03:21:59 | More by jmdrpi

Guinnsslvr

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

01-02-2013 02:26:29 | More by Guinnsslvr

JohnK17

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.3%

12-11-2012 19:28:50 | More by JohnK17

snaotheus

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

11.16oz bottle poured into a pint glass

Pours black with no head. Some fine carbonation is struggling slowly up through the murky depths, but it doesn't appear likely to survive. Smell is black licorice, whisky, and tar. Smokey with coffee.

Taste is initially sweet, and then burnt bitter. More of the black licorice, some more of the coffee, a slightly tart flavor.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin, pretty surprisingly so. Overall, this is a pretty nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 04:55:28 | More by snaotheus

Yabev15

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

12-06-2012 16:45:09 | More by Yabev15

polishkaz

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

11-22-2012 04:03:03 | More by polishkaz

pixieskid

France

4/5  rDev +2.3%

11-19-2012 18:34:06 | More by pixieskid

samEBC

Belgium

4/5  rDev +2.3%

11-15-2012 17:06:04 | More by samEBC

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

A good finisher for International Stout Day, which exists apparently.

Solid obsidian liquid, oily, a few stray, straggling bubbles on top, but no real head to speak of; syrupy streaks left on the surface of the glass. Dark malts in the nose, a bit phenolic, dark dried fruits, dark chocolate, and something almost citrusy in there as well. The taste reflected the nose, though I really got a big hit of raisins from this up front, and it lingered pretty much through the entire session. Dark malt sweetness, roasty, but not excessively so, slightly and tolerably phenolic, notes of coffee and dark chocolate. Body was just about full, fairly chewy mouthfeel, and a bit warm with alcohol...it's hard to hide 11% in a beer like this. Very nice overall.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 04:23:35 | More by Rifugium