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Czar Brew - Russian Imperial Stout Aged In Oak Bourbon Barrels
Sprecher Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Sprecher Brewing Company
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.75 | pDev: 14.13%
- Reviews:
- 59
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 28, 2020
- Added:
- Aug 05, 2007
- Wants:
- 13
- Gots:
- 24
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by drseamus:
Reviewed by drseamus from New York
4.53/5 rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.53/5 rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
The bottle is too tall to fit in my fridge.
A: Jet black with a nice dark mocha head. Just like it should be.
S: Vanilla, oak, and alcohol fill the aroma.
T: Damn tasty. It gets better the longer it sits in my mouth too. It has a slight bourbon taste but not overwhelming which is perfect. There is a very nice chocolate flavor also. Everything is nice and balanced.
M: A bit thinner than I expect in a RIS but barrel aging tends to thin the beers out. Not too shabby at all.
D: Very nice beer. The flavor gives no hint as to the 11% ABV. I wish there were more than 1200 of these.
Feb 05, 2008A: Jet black with a nice dark mocha head. Just like it should be.
S: Vanilla, oak, and alcohol fill the aroma.
T: Damn tasty. It gets better the longer it sits in my mouth too. It has a slight bourbon taste but not overwhelming which is perfect. There is a very nice chocolate flavor also. Everything is nice and balanced.
M: A bit thinner than I expect in a RIS but barrel aging tends to thin the beers out. Not too shabby at all.
D: Very nice beer. The flavor gives no hint as to the 11% ABV. I wish there were more than 1200 of these.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Czequershuus from Minnesota
3.31/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
3.31/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
This beer pours a dark opaque black with a small but long lasting head. The aroma is rather boozy, with vanilla. oak. chery. a hint of smoke, and caramel. the flavor is ery sweet, with vanilla. butterscotch, candy, bubblegum, and a slightly sour mash note. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with light, tingly carbonation and a thin but sweet finish. Overall this beer is okay - it suffers from being rather sweet but not rich - but it is still enjoyable.
Mar 25, 2017Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
3.18/5 rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.18/5 rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Unknown vintage; drank 2/27/15 @ the Yarchives.
Black appearance; a few stray champagne bubbles.
Small dark khaki head; nice lace.
Oak & cloying caramel in the nose.
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Oak & set chocolate syrup flavors up front; cloying bourbon & caramel notes on the finish. A too-sweet booze bomb...not a good combination.
Feb 20, 2017Black appearance; a few stray champagne bubbles.
Small dark khaki head; nice lace.
Oak & cloying caramel in the nose.
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Oak & set chocolate syrup flavors up front; cloying bourbon & caramel notes on the finish. A too-sweet booze bomb...not a good combination.
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina
4.1/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 11/15/2012. Pours pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense dark tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, coconut, toasted oak, and bourbon; with lighter notes of leather, tobacco, raisin, plum, coffee, smoke, and roast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, coconut, toasted oak, and bourbon; with lighter notes of leather, tobacco, raisin, plum, coffee, smoke, and roast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate roasted bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, coconut, toasted oak, bourbon, and roast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted malt and bourbon barrel flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Slightly drying from bitter/spiciness as well. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent barrel aged Russian imperial stout! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted malt and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the big ABV. This aged extremely well. Tons of barrel presence with no booziness; and well rounded stout complexity in balance with the barrel notes. A very enjoyable offering.
Aug 20, 2016Reviewed by ZebulonXZogg from Illinois
4.27/5 rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This pours a thick, oily black and not a bubble in the glass.
Aroma has just enough bourbon to let you know it spent time in a barrel. Plums, raisin and smoke make their presence known. Flavor is dark fruit with just a hint of booze. The label says 11.9% ABV, they sure fooled me.
Updated 3/19/17
Bottle found in the crawl space at least
two years old. It aged quite well. I updated the scores. Better than I remember.
Apr 22, 2016Aroma has just enough bourbon to let you know it spent time in a barrel. Plums, raisin and smoke make their presence known. Flavor is dark fruit with just a hint of booze. The label says 11.9% ABV, they sure fooled me.
Updated 3/19/17
Bottle found in the crawl space at least
two years old. It aged quite well. I updated the scores. Better than I remember.
Reviewed by JakeMorgan13 from Illinois
4.7/5 rDev +25.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.7/5 rDev +25.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
I found this barrel aged stout very under rated. It was very well mingled together. Bourbon perfect to me. I see alot of this on the shelf rite now and I'm very happy no one knows how good this is. Try it you will be pleased!
Apr 03, 2016Reviewed by DrDemento456 from Pennsylvania
4.28/5 rDev +14.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +14.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Taste of bourbon and chocolate and roast are very well mended together. Not very heavy bourbon flavor. I actually can't believe it's 11% since it drinks like it's around 9%. Found the single for around $5 which is pretty good if not great for a bourbon barrel Imperial Stout.
Aug 31, 2015
Czar Brew - Russian Imperial Stout Aged In Oak Bourbon Barrels from Sprecher Brewing Company
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
158 ratings
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