Czar Brew - Russian Imperial Stout Aged In Oak Bourbon Barrels - Sprecher Brewing Company

jrallen34

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I drank this on tap into a snifter.

The beer is black with a light tan head that is gone quickly.

The aroma is very strong with bourbon that really just knocks you on yoru ass. There is also some light oak.

The taste is awesome. It is really sweet with tons of vanilla, makes you question where'd the bourbon though but I guess it shows itself as the vanilla. There is very light bourbon and oak at the end.

The feel is a little too light for a stout but this is incredibly drinkable.

Overall this is a great beer that really shows of its barrel aging unlike so many other BA beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2009 20:49:37 | More by jrallen34

KFBR392

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pour with a light to medium bodied thickness. Could see the dark brown color on the pour but was black once accumulated in the glass. Light brown head formed on the pour which subsided and was non existent while drinking.

Smell: A lot of bright coffee aromas and some chalky malt. Hops burst through and seem to throw off many of the darker accents. The sweetness just blankets over many of the more interesting accents here.

Taste: I kind of expected the flavor to be erratic but this had many more traditional BA stout accents then I expected. Bubbly hop front with a good bitter bite. The front and beginning of the body are the best parts of this brew. Coffee, milk chocolate, light vanilla and caramel, and some average bourbon accents. There seems to be some disconnect between the flavors here. The finish is confused, some chalky bourbon and malt which gets lost. There are some accents here which want to finish strong, but bizarrely just fade away into a watery finish.

Mouthfeel: For an RIS, probably on the light side for mouth feel. The palette seems to beg for more. Does not drench the palette like the elite RIS's do.

Overall: Comes off overall pretty average, slightly forgettable. Not something I would get again, but not something that should be avoided.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:17:16 | More by KFBR392

DangerDawg

Ohio

4/5  rDev +7.2%

05-10-2013 03:28:05 | More by DangerDawg

gueuzedreg

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

04-30-2013 21:18:45 | More by gueuzedreg

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

04-10-2013 05:47:17 | More by RedneckBeerz

Jasonrm72

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

03-31-2013 03:27:49 | More by Jasonrm72

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +7.2%

03-13-2013 06:26:49 | More by Zachtheporter

Lukas

Illinois

4/5  rDev +7.2%

03-10-2013 17:10:46 | More by Lukas

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%

03-09-2013 22:03:10 | More by BrownAleMale

CaptainNomihodai

Illinois

3/5  rDev -19.6%

02-28-2013 22:25:59 | More by CaptainNomihodai

bradcochran1234

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%

02-24-2013 21:05:03 | More by bradcochran1234

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

02-20-2013 01:35:20 | More by t0rin0

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4/5  rDev +7.2%

12-27-2012 04:10:47 | More by DoubleSimcoe

Joefisherman

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

06-24-2012 14:46:07 | More by Joefisherman

atone315

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

04-13-2012 12:37:09 | More by atone315

TonyTalon

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%

04-13-2012 02:49:30 | More by TonyTalon

imperialking

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

03-15-2012 19:27:22 | More by imperialking

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had been aging Czar Brew since the summer for a cold winter night. Amidst the other Russian Imperial Stout sampled, this was a stand-out.

Poured into a sniffer, it produced a modest white head. Aroma of whiskey and bitter fruits tempted the tongue. Intial flavors included a mild whiskey flavor, maltiness, and hints of raisins. The aftertaste was the higlight as butterscotch and carmel made an appearance before disappearing into a warming whiskey flavor.

I was not overly impressed with the regular version of Sprecher's Russian Imperial Stout, but Czar Brew is an much more impressive effort. It balances sweet and tartness, though it is not overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 16:43:48 | More by JohnnyHopps

Mscarpen

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +7.2%

12-04-2011 22:09:00 | More by Mscarpen

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +34%

12-03-2011 19:51:35 | More by FreshmanPour77

barnzy78

Illinois

3/5  rDev -19.6%

12-01-2011 03:17:58 | More by barnzy78

Supergenious

Michigan

4/5  rDev +7.2%

11-22-2011 01:29:19 | More by Supergenious

camil1mj

Michigan

2.9/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bought this past Spring while I was in Madison, WI. Poured at cellar temp into my Founders snifter.

A: Deep, dark, brown. Foamy, 1 finger thin head. Minimal lacing.

S: Sweet and roasty with a faint alcoholic finish.

T: Immediate sugary sweetness nose followed by some roasted malt that leads to some bourbon undertones. The sweetness dominates the overall taste of this one.

M: Very thin for the style. Medium carbonation.

O: One of the weaker BA stouts I have had. Too thin and too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 02:04:45 | More by camil1mj

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought a single 22oz. bottle from Woodman's in Janesville, WI for $11.89 in Summer 2011.

Pours a pitch black color with a thick foamy head that last a long time. Scents of coffee, carmel, cocoa, and bourbon fume from my glass. The taste is hard to describe as it is thick, creamy, and smooth. Quite robust and yet the flavors go quite well together. Some spices and burnt sugar are also obvious. Certainly a well made, tasty beer but the value is really lacking. for half the price you can get a beer that taste just as good as this one. So while this beer is good, it's not of the best value for your dollar.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 04:15:27 | More by Lemke10

womencantsail

California

2.05/5  rDev -45%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks? to Greg for sharing this...

A: The beer pours almost black in color with a finger of tan head.

S: When the first thing you smell is butter, you're rarely in for anything good. Lots of butter, a bit of roast and bourbon, a touch of vanilla, and some sourness. Not sure whether that's vinegar or just too much booze.

T: The flavor is much the same. Heavy on the butter with a more pronounced sourness and even more booze. Light bourbon and vanilla flavors with lots of roast and oak, some coffee is also there.

M: Medium bodied with very low carbonation.

O: This was a nice contribution to the dump bucket.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 04:57:38 | More by womencantsail