Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout - Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

CardiacNP

Louisiana

4.45/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft from Fox & Hound in Ohio

A nice imperial stout with 10%abv but you do not Taste it.

Dark black in color with a tight 1 finger creamy brown head. Decent lacing.

Malty chocolate , coffee stout.

Lightly carbonated. Smooth creamy mouth feel.
Surprisingly so for such a high alcohol beer.

Overall a solid Russian imperial stout. Recommend trying

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2013 02:04:57 | More by CardiacNP

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

Not sure where I first had this, but I think it was at TJ's, Paoli.

Opaque black pour with a rocky tan head that sank to a ringlet, leaving a bit of lacing on the glass. Aroma was dark malts, dark chocolate, hints of dark dried fruit. Definitely a tasty stout here, dark malts, dark chocolate, a little espresso, burnt marshmallow, notes of plum, and some mild earthy hops coming through. Body was on the fuller side of medium, robust and smooth, tremendously easy drinker for a 10% brew. Very nice overall.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2013 01:43:18 | More by Rifugium

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at rattle n hum in nyc

Pours totally black with a tanned head, filmy retention and patchy lacing.

Warm roasted malts with light smoke and coffee edges, bitter dark chocolate and a hit of sweetness.

Roasted dark malt with dark chocolate and a noticeable hop bitterness. Molasses and light syrup add in some sweetness. Coffee with a small spike of smoke help to balance out the profile. Finishes warm and toasty with a touch of alcohol.

Full sticky body, drinks nicely especially for the alcohol content. A pretty clear, nice roasted flavor with hops and balanced sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 17:18:50 | More by xnicknj

plaid75

New York

4.4/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at the Blind Tiger, NYC.

Poured a deep black hue with a one finger foamy tan head. There was very good retention and lacing.

The smell and taste featured elements of coffee, caramel dark chocolate and charcoal. The finish was remarkably and pleasantly dry.

The mouthfeel was full with a dry finish.

Overall a very good RIS. The dryness added significantly to the drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2010 17:46:27 | More by plaid75

DawnL

New York

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

Black as night with a perfect head of foam that dissipated into lace over time.

Sweet malt, chocolate, coffee - like a mocha cappucino with an added espresso shot. Rich, thick luxurious - and that's just the aroma.

The palate didn't compromise here, either. More chocolate, more coffee, more malt. On the palate the malt gains more complexity and the flavors come at you in waves - chocolate first, then coffee, then bitter hops, then malt aftertaste that verges on toffee, but without the cloying sweetness that that might imply. There is nothing cloying about this beer.

The mouthfeel has that incredible way of making you think you're drinking something very substantial - almost like a milkshake, but also like a porridge.

Absolutely phenomenal beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2010 15:34:29 | More by DawnL

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Drafting Room, Exton, PA on 12/11/09.

A - Pitch black body with a frothy burnt mocha-colored head and nice cascade a la nitro pour, which transformed into thick, creamy foam down the sides of the glass.

S - Initial aroma blends roasted malt, toasted nuts, a hint of coffee, bitter chocolate and earthy hop notes. A slight waft of alcohol also emerged as the liquid warmed up.

T - Flavor is quite roasty up front but not charred or too woody or bitter. This RIS artfully balances coffee and chocolate notes with a nutty malt character, concealing any trace of alcohol, which for a 10% plus RIS is no easy feat. Finishes with earthy bitter notes and another potent surge of coffee.

M - Medium to full bodied with an exceptionally creamy, almost chewy texture and very minimal carbonation. Finish is quite bitter, which is a quality I always desire with a RIS.

D - Fantastic RIS that stands up proudly with the best of them. This was a great introduction to this brewery, and otters are really cool, so that's a plus, right?

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2009 21:26:52 | More by ffejherb

donniecuffs

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured black into a tulip, with a very thin brown head and surprisingly decent lace. The nose revealed a mix that not only included chocolate, coffee, and malt, but also soy sauce (I had my friends check me on this). Sounds disgusting, but it actually worked! Anyway, the flavor was a nice round mocha-flavored coffee, with a slight alcohol presence which was mitigated by the nicely dry finish. Dry coffee aftertaste. The feel was thick and creamy, followed by dryness; fairly impressive mix. I also found this to be fairly drinkable for such a thick, big beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2009 17:20:12 | More by donniecuffs

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at plan b. Served in a pint glass... I wasn't going to be the one to point out to the bartender it's 10.6% ABV.

A - Black body with a generous frothy medium brown head.

S - Roasted coffee and chocolate. Slightly burnt.

T - Roasted coffee and chocolate. Some fruitiness comes along with the alcohol. An earthy bitterness in the end.

M - Full body, high carbonation for the style,abv.

D - No burning alcohol sensations. Not the best stout I've had but pretty decent.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2009 20:11:08 | More by DNICE555

Lunch

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia, Maryland as part of Baltimore Beer Week (10/13/2009). Served rather cold in a snifter, but I allowed it to warm up quite a bit to around cellar temperature.

Appearance: Very typical for a RIS as it was virtually black likened to that of motor oil with one finger of espresso brown head. Decent, but unremarkable lacing that left a slight oiliness on the inside of the glass.

Smell: Fairly complex nose that was dominated by chocolate and coffee giving off a roasted bouquet of toffee, vanilla, raisins, and just the faintest soupçon of graham cracker along with a flutter of alcohol ("Sideways", it was true and I just couldn't resist).

Taste: Oh my. This is a wonderful treat that crushes the smell in terms of complexity. Chocolate and roasted coffee comes through first quickly followed by oat, molasses, maple syrup, and rich malt. A slight hop bitterness is also present, but is far less dominant than many of its other American RIS brethren. As the beer warms, a minor alcohol tinge becomes subtlety apparent, but never comes through anywhere close to that of its lofty 10.6%.

Mouthfeel: A thick feel that is quite pleasing and oily. If I had one minor critique, it would be that I wish that it was just slightly thicker, but that is truly splitting hairs.

Drinkability: Truly excellent for its style as alcohol never really gets in the way and each sip seems to bring across new characteristics. I had no problem putting away two of these on tap, but as with any higher alcohol beer, the alcohol, even though it is hidden quite well, will catch up to you.

Overall this is an excellent and unique offering from a brewery that is seemingly headed in the right direction concerning its Imperial Series. I look forward to not only revisiting this beer again and again (as well as its Imperial IPA brother), but also to the hopes that they expand their Imperial Series lineup. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2009 14:59:29 | More by Lunch

mhatters

Pennsylvania

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

Served on-tap at the Vermont Brewers Fest (from my notes)

Pours black, no tones or notes of other color, thin light brown head.

Lots of roast in the nose, coffee, chocolate, and dark malts. The alcohol is present too.

The chocolate beats the coffee out, the roasted flavors play together nicely. A sweet finish.

A bit too thin for me, I would like this to be more full-bodied.

The high APV and the thinner mouthfeel would stop me after one bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2009 23:26:27 | More by mhatters

Imsothirsty

New Jersey

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

Had this at the Pour House last night, poured into a wine glass. Served way too cold.

Appearance: What I expected from an RIS, thin very brown head lacing

Smell: Alcohol! Really came through strong for me and overpowers the nutty, roasty, coffee smells, but they are there

Taste: Oooh nice, lots of choclate, less coffee than I expected, roasty and nutty flavors to start, kind of mellows out to a roasty mollases taste at the finish, very good.

Mouthfeel: Not very thick like many other RIS's, appropriate carbonation, some sips felt gritty.

Drinkability: The intense alcohol aroma before each sip along with the thin mouthfeel make me think twice about coming back for more, definitely harder for me to drink than other RIS's.

Overall Im glad I tried it, but not really standout.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2009 12:54:47 | More by Imsothirsty

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.21/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served in a snifter.

Appearance: Opaque black. Pours thick with a head that looks equally as good as the body rising to about 1/2" dark tan.

Smell: strong malt, has hints of pure vanilla and feel of chocolate at the same time. Pretty appetizing.

Taste: A strong dark chocolate with caramel features offset with a marly bitterness. It is a notch sweet, not to the point where it is anything like milk stout but just enough to keep drawing you.

Mouth: Smooth finish, takes at least two sips to adjust then goes down perfect.

Overall: Best Otter Creek beer I have had and ridiculously good Russian imperial stout. If its still by my shop ill be filling another growler without hesitation. Salud!

Serving type: growler

05-10-2013 22:11:15 | More by BlurryVisi0n

hopoilcrazy

Tennessee

4.06/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Mew for this extra!

A - Absolutely great...almost perfect look. Totally pitch black with a dark tan head that does not go away for awhile.

S - Milk chocolate and caramel malt. A little boozy. Bready almost yeasty tang. Puffed wheat.

T - Big, huge, enormous malt. It is a great malt profile: peaty, cocoa powder, kettle corn, biscuity. And at the end when the hops should balance, they don't but the beer doesn't suffer. Faint hop oil, but indeterminable.

M - Luscious coating and tingly booze. Soothing.

Overall, this beer is pretty great and I'm sure that it is a great value. I would drink this a lot if I could get it

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 03:55:45 | More by hopoilcrazy

davey101

Connecticut

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

12 oz bottle into a tulip glass, 2013 release?

A - Pours a jet black body with two fingers of creamy mocha foam. Settles down quickly. Pretty stereotypical RIS appearance.

S - Very roast dominant with some chocolate and coffee in the background.

T - Roast central here. Balanced out by some sweeter chocolate and bitter coffee notes. The 65 IBU's are present in the bitterness but the hop flavors are non-existent. Medium bodied and creamy.

O - This is a very solid beer that can compete with the likes of Narwhal and Old Rasputin. A little simple, but that's not entirely a bad thing. I'm not a huge fan of stouts with high IBU's but this was quite nice. This was my first Otter Creek beer and I'm left impressed.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 05:49:05 | More by davey101

smakawhat

Maryland

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass.

A real dark mocha and brown chocolate head only about a finger, which subsides to a small collar. Body is a very black walnut and extremely opaque. Scattered leopard lacing. Pretty nice.

Nose has nice chewy toasty grain, and lots of sweet roasty character. Mellow and emphasis on malts. Interestingly not getting hints of chocolate or coffee, but a real simple solid wonderful roast stout classic character. Very nice.

Palate matches much of what is hinted on the nose. Good roasting grains on the mid palate. The swallow brings a nice astringency, good warmth and toast char. Simple grain malt body, almost borderline biscuity with dark malt quality. A light texture, with some chewy quality. As it warms the body sort of weakens though.

Overall though this is a good solid Russian Imperial. Bare bones and simple, but just done well.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 22:58:14 | More by smakawhat

beyah

Maine

4.35/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Apearance - Very minimal head, it is dark tan almost brown, can't see though the beer if you hold it to the light.

Smell - Chocolate, roasty a slight coffee aroma.

Taste - Alcohol is evident, Roasted Malt, hop bittering with a sweet ending as it warms up the chocolate notes come through.

Mouthfeel - Smooth , a bit more carbonation than I expected in this style.

Overall - I have always loved the RIS style, this beer is good but need to age it still a bit to hot and hoppy. I'm going to set a few bottles aside for later.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 01:40:14 | More by beyah

templar316

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pour's black as night ruby highlight's at the edge of the parabola, the mocha head is gone quick. But it keeps working around the edges. The scent of dark fruits; dates and figs, fades into cinnamon and coffee. It's smooth, the ABV is hidden, but the flavor is mild. It's not a tongue crushing monster but dark roast char and hop bitterness at the end remind us that something extra went into the wort. The nuanced malt layers open and smooth the alcohol across the tongue. Eager to try this after a year in the cellar. An excellent beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 02:46:12 | More by templar316

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A- Poured from 12oz bottle to a giant snifter with jet black, oil-like body. A one finger dark brown, mocha colored head forms and stays around for a decent time. Frothy ring with big bubbles leaves spotty lacing.

S- Dark fruit and cocoa is what I notice mostly off the bat. Some caramel and vanilla sweets as well. The aroma isn't quite as strong as many great RIS examples.

T- Huge base of roast malt flavors. Big dark cocoa powder, heavily toasted nut, dark caramel and some general roast/burnt flavors make up the backbone for me. There is certainly a good amount of dark fruit (raisin, cherry feel) from the yeast they use. It has a nice edge to it from the roast grains but it does not feel astringent or unsettling. With warmth the cherry and cocoa balance out to give a nice truffle/dessert feel.

MF- Massively thick and creamy body, really nice way to support the heavily roast grain bill. Some bitterness probably from both the hops and the heavily kilned grains.

Cocoa and roast forward RIS with a good dark fruit feel as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 00:55:04 | More by cbutova

Pete27lax

New York

4.39/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on 3/5/2013

Pours a straight black with a mocha colored head. Good retention and good lacing as well.

Smell is the highlight here. Roasted notes are the heavy hitter on the nose but chocolate and a slight hint of licorice are also present.

Taste is good. Once again the dominant flavor is roasted coffee notes but the smooth milk chocolate flavors are more prominent here.

Mouthfeel is a little thin for an RIS but still good. Hides the alcohol very well too. Very drinkable for a 10% RIS as well.

Overall I am very impressed with this beer. Not going to lie I wasn't expecting to enjoy this beer as much as I did. Well done Otter Creek!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:41:09 | More by Pete27lax

JK4Stout

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A: Well, the color is right. It's darker than midnight and thicker than the cough medicine I'm not supposed to mix with beer. (What do doctor's know anyway?) But there was absolutely no head here! At first I thought this might be nitro and I was pouring wrong...nope, just a headless beer.

S: Not too shabby. A bit weak to be called an imperial from comparrison with other. Notes of chocolate and slight mocha.

T: Good, and certainly has that appropriate mild burn to great warming up ability that Russian Stouts promote. Just doesn't compare to old Raspy or Dark Hollow.

M: Weak for the style. This should linger and stick to the mouth all day. Breweries like to call things a little bigger than they actually are, and this may be the case here.

O: Meh. I'm not complaining that much. It was still a good way to spend the evening...this and Game of Thrones Season 2. But I just can't go much higher when there are several better subjects in the same style out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 23:25:11 | More by JK4Stout

Andrew61923

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle dated 12/3/12 into Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a viscous black with a half finger's worth of mocha colored head. Looks pretty imposing. I'm up for the challenge.

S: Heavy roasted malts, bitter chocolate. It almost smells hearty. I can tell this is going to be a big beer.

T: More of the chocolate coming forward with a slight alcohol tinge at the back of the throat. Finishes with even more bitter dark chocolate. Really nice.

M: The viscous pour was not misleading and this sits pretty heavy on the tongue. A thick beer that's meant to be savored, yet is plenty smooth on the palette. The 10% ABV is somewhat detectable, but this doesn't detract from the beer whatsoever.

O: For a beer I bought as a single because I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it, I'm pleasantly surprised. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get a full 4-pack, but it would be interesting to see how a bottle of this ages. My guess is that it would continue to get better. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:28:54 | More by Andrew61923

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle with 120312 on the neck. Pours a dark black color with virtually no head. Aromas of coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and earth. Almost no lacing. The taste is a smokey mocha flavor with some earth at the back end. Bitter dark chocolate aftertaste. Earthy and boozey as well. Nice alcohol presence that isn't overwhelming. Light mouthfeel for the style. Overall a pretty decent Russian Imperial Stout I'd grab again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:55:50 | More by PicoPapa

soccerman7

Vermont

4.19/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a tulip glass, Growler freshly poured yesterday.

A - A gorgeous tan head that is rather dense. Faded down after a bit to wisps on the surface.

S - The nose has everything you would expect for the style. Roast and smoke notes, coffee, herbal hop notes.

T - Rather smooth flavors. A really nice RIS. There is a lot going on and it keeps revealing more as the beer warms. Coffee, a dark red wine, smoke, pumpernickel bread, its all there. Well done.

M - A nice oily feel with a little bite on the back from the roasted barley.

O - A really nice RIS that should get more attention. A welcomed winter seasonal and looking forward to seeing different versions in the barrel hopefully.

Serving type: growler

02-08-2013 23:42:20 | More by soccerman7

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Kinda felt like a Finnish Sahti or something similar during this storm, but guess I don't have any available for review interestingly. So next best step is a RIS.

Pours a very dark inky looking pitch black thick beer, a small dark molasses brown colored fizzy head covering that fades pretty quickly although typical for a 10% RIS. This puppy sucks the light in like a nice black hole, none escaping, and gives the glass a nice show with legs from here to Boise.

NOse starts with plenty of dark malts, black malt right off, then some roasted barley, hint of dark chocolate that seems like 95% cacao dark, with a light burnt bitter acrid that is getting into the soy sauce category but not there yet. A faint vanilla as well as hints of earthy hops. A bit of cacao nibs I think too.

Taste starts with big dark malts again, roasted barley again but not coffee, and plenty of black malt. The super dark black malts bring char as expected, as well as a bit of acrid burnt roast and again starts to get soy sauce like again. Crazy dark chocolate in there a bit again, maybe even cacao nibs, but mostly a dark bitter almost acrid chocolate. THe super dark malts also bring some tannins and bitterness to go with it, as well as hints of earthy hops in the middle somewhere. The booze is in there a bit, warming mostly, but is blended into the big dark malts fairly well. The thick malts get a bit syrupy but not overly syrupy, with thick chewy malts, maybe even hints of creamy oats. Finish is semi sticky and sweet, long lingering dark malts, roasted malt, black malt, a bit of chocolate plenty of earthy hop bitterness and some tannins from the roasted malts, and just a touch of burnt acrid flavor lingering for a while, as it somewhat coats the mouth.

Mouth is fuller bodied, fluffy carbonation and thick slightly creamy and rich, just a touch of warming booze.

Overall pretty good, I think this will improve with age pretty well as it has all the right components, super dark malts that get slightly syrupy and borderline soy sauce, just light warming booze, some dark malt tannins, just the right about of earthy hops, which I think will age quite well. As for now being fairly fresh, it's a pretty decent beer but not great yet.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 21:56:07 | More by jlindros

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.04/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - stouty stout black, as black as you'd want your IRS to be. The pour wells up a finger of shiny black head with some staying power.

S - unsweetened chocolate on the aroma hits first, some burnt coffee grounds with a strong pure alcohol finish to the whiff

T - peaty, earthy malts are the biggest element in the taste, aided by a pure unsweetened cocoa powder flavor, some alcohol on the end, but it's hard to entirely hide 10%

M&D&O - rich, luxurious, warming, wainter busting, stouty, not extremely complex, but not mono-characteristic, quality flavors that you would expect in a nice stout, coffee, chocolate, its all there. A nice beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:50:43 | More by sinstaineddemon