Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout - Stone Brewing Co.

portia99

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle (2011 release) poured into a Harpoon 100 Barrel stemmed glass.

A - This is certainly going to be a multi-staged pour. Pours initially with four full fingers of thick creamy chocolate milkshake head that holds on seemingly forever. As it slowly falls, nice webs of lacing are left on the glass. Body is near black and pretty much opaque. Good looking stout.

S - Certainly no mistaking the anise here...quite intense and up front. The licorice-y black twizzler aroma is muddied up a bit the woodiness of the oak, picking up a bit of molasses, touches of roasty coffee that are rather subdued but still there. Not really grabbing any of the estery/fruity aromas I'd associate with use of Belgian yeast however. Overall, I'm saying too much anise...not enough of everything else.

T - Ok...Belgian yeast does come thru here, perhaps in a bit of a weird way though. The estery nature of the yeast doesn't really play off the other aspects of the beer all that well. The base beer with its intense roastiness, ground coffee bean flavor comes thru with much greater intensity and pleasure than in the aroma. Anise is still there from beginning to end and gives a bit of an overly intense licorice flavor and coolness. The esters play on top of both of these with a dirty/muddy oaken woodiness, an unidentifiable fruitiness, mixed with some chocolate and dark fruits, and a mild hint of tartness on the finish. As with the aroma, the flavor is a bit of a miss for me. I like the anise idea, but it is a bit over the top...although I think the addition of just the anise might work better without the use of Belgian yeast...heavier anise on the deeply roasty std edition of Stone's IRS could work fairly well.

M - Body is fairly full. Carbonation is surprisingly on the lower side, creamy and smooth despite the eruption of foam on the initial pour. Alcohol is kept in check with no real warmth detectable. Licorice coolness lingers as the does the somewhat offputting Belgian yeast esters.

O - Overall I much prefer the original version of Stone's IRS...the addition of the anise holds some promise, but the Belgian yeast didn't really work for me. Probably one of my least favorite Stone offerings.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 00:53:12 | More by portia99

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Belgo Anise IRS '11. Poured this one into my Victory Golden Monkey tulip. Waited nearly a year, and still a little scared of what lies under the cap!

A: Pours pitch black. No light getting through here. Maybe some blood reddish hues around the edges at the top. About a half finger of tannish head. Fades down quickly. There are some alcohol feet.

S: I guess that Anise has died a little bit. I get dark bitter chocolate, black licorice, and some dark fruit actually. Not a lot of roast but it is quite cold. Some of that Belgian yeast comes through too.

T: I know this one was panned last year, but I find this to be rather pleasant with a year of age on it. It's different that the regular IRS that is for sure. You get some dark chocolate bitterness up front, and some of that Belgian yeast spice. The Anise is there in the form of black licorice but it's no where near as in your face as I'd heard others mention. You get it on the close and it hangs with you for a while.

M: Full bodied but carbonation help to clear palate. Pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 14:12:41 | More by inlimbo77

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2011 Vintage
Really love the regualar IRS I hope this one is just as good.

A= Pours a deep black color with a thick half finger of head that holds some decent retention and spotty lacing on the side of the glass.

S= The smell is interesting to say the least. Not anything like the regualr IRS. It has a veggie like anise smell. I would say licorice but it's much more veggie like. Other than that it's quite mute and weird. Not too much going on besides these odd vegitative aromas.

T= The flavor isn't as bad but still a grand step down from the regualar offering. There is a bit of the veggie taste but more of a genuine licorice taste from the anise. The belgian yeast offers a spicyness to it that sort of covers most of the "stout" flavors leaving little roast or darker malt flavor. The oak doesn't come through much leaving me with a very odd feeling about this beer.

M= The mouth is a little light for my taste. Damn belgian yeast.

O= An odd beer for sure. Not my style and I'm glad I only bought one of these when they came out. I much much much prefer the regular version of this which is outstanding while this is subpar in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 02:58:19 | More by jjanega08

draheim

Washington

3.58/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a dark dark brown w/ a 1-finger tan head that settles to a ring + film.

Aroma is heavy on the anise and black licorice, some dark roasted malt, and an earthy nuttiness when swirled.

Taste again is dominated by black licorice and star anise. Also kind of a metallic taste on the finish. Not really picking up any of the oak, anise is so prevalent. But maybe the oak helps w/ the mouthfeel a bit.

Speaking of which, mouthfeel is fine. Nothing really stands out, maybe a little dry courtesy of the oak. I probably expected a smoother, creamier experience given the Belgian yeast strain.

Overall... eh. This was OK. Not as bad as some of the detractors would have you believe, but I didn't really like it all that much either. Hey, eventually somebody was going to make a Belgo anise Russian imperial stout on oak, so why not Stone.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 05:24:32 | More by draheim

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours pitch black, with a light brown head. In the aroma, mellow anise, oaky, and a touch of alcohol. In the taste, Anise, licorice, small notes of oak and alcohol. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry oak, licorice, and alcohol in the aftertaste. Interesting flavors, quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 18:01:18 | More by OWSLEY069

evilkalla

Alabama

2.75/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Serving: Bomber into an ale glass.

A: Very dark brown/black, practically opaque, with a very thick quarter inch head on it. Very nice.

S: Smells like a bag of licorice. Absolutely bizarre for a beer. Not sure this is working for me.

T: There is a stout in here somewhere but it is overpowered by the anise flavor. Not good.

M: Good for an imperial stout.

O: This doesn't work at all. I picked this up as most Stone experiments are pretty good; not in this case though.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 23:42:02 | More by evilkalla

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

2.43/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

22oz bottle poured into snifter

Pours a viscous blackness with a thin layering of tanned head. Retains for a minute, leaving some spotty lacing on the glass.

A stiff kick of anise in the nose with some Belgian funk. Slightly sweet with chocolate and coffee. Malty and robust with alcohol warmth.

Syrupy and sweet up front with an initial kick of unmistakable anise. Dark chocolate with dark roasted malts, supported by and underlying Belgian yeast funk. Definitely an odd combination of flavors, followed by some sweetness. Finishes a little sweet with an alcohol heat.

Fuller body, decent carbonation, sticky and chewy on the tongue. I enjoy the base beer, but this is not what I'm looking for in an imperial stout. WAY too much anise and the funky yeast doesnt help.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 23:27:12 | More by xnicknj

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.73/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with tan head in snifter. Lots of sticky lacing.

Smell is rich dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee and toasted malts. Not really familiar with anise but there is something sweet there that I can't describe....maybe that's it.

Taste follows the smell pretty well for me. Lots of dark chocolate and toasted malt. Not much bitterness for a Stone brew.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied, thick and chewy.

Overall this was good.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 00:45:40 | More by TrappistJohnMD

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into an oversizes snifter. Pours very dark, with a creamy tan foam head that leaves soapy lacing along the sides as I swirl the beer. The head dissipates quickly enough, leaving a ring of small bubbles with wisps of tan smoke slowly swirling.

Has a bready, almost doughy aroma, with a ton of alcohol slamming the nose. The anise is rather prominent, such that is smells like a sambuca pastry. Hints of vanilla and cocoa are underneath.

Starts sweet, almost syrupy, with black licorice, bready malt, and boozy hops. Think of it like drinking essence of good'n'plenty, with a bitter finish.

This has a heavy, thick mouthfeel, owing to both the adundant malt, high alcohol, and sweet anise. Has a dry, slightly tacky finish.

Without a doubt, this is the least hoppy brew I've ever has from Stone. It is a decent enough stout, and this is the second time I'm enjoying this ale, so it was good enough the first time to warrant a second look. I also appreciate Stone trying a different take on a well-tread style of beer. Still, it tastes like the experiment that it clearly was.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 00:33:26 | More by TheHoppiest

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 6/2011 notes. Poured into a Caracole small snifter. Pours a dark brown, near black. Thin tan head and slight lacing. Aroma of roasted malt and a hint of anise and Belgian spice. A spicy, estery flavor up front followed by roast malt. chocolate and light caramel. Finish is anise with a light hop kick. Nice light creamy body. Side by side tasting with the regular Stone RIS, which had a more standard smokey and dark malt and dark fruit flavor up front, but still had a somewhat estery finish with a strong alcohol component. The Belgo has a nicer finish than the standard, but a more unusual overall taste progression. It is unusual and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 22:33:30 | More by LiquidAmber

htomsirveaux

Texas

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried on tap at Dancing Bear, 3 Mar 2012. Served in a cylindrical half pint.

NB for anyone else at this event, the Stone and Yeti taps were switched.

Small dark brown head quickly dissipates. Minimal carbonation. Pitch black in color, opaque. Aroma is roasty, vanilla, licorice, chocolate. Starts with lots of chocolate and licorice. Middle is lots of chocolate and licorice. Finish is lots of chocolate, licorice and cocoa. Medium to heavy body. Alcohol is warming but not hot. Some lingering tannins in the finish and aftertaste. Alcohol becomes more prominent as it warms.

I liked this a bit better than A did.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2012 18:08:10 | More by htomsirveaux

AbsolutFrank

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +31.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a Delirium Tremens snifter/tulip.

Appears black as used motor oil, with a half fingernail of milk chocolate covered head that quickly dissipates after a few tastes.

It smells first of charred oak, quickly followed by liquorice and espresso, faint bittersweet chocolate and faint dark red wine in the background.

Such a unique delicious complex taste. First note hitting is strong molasses and Shiraz wine, then burnt oak, then even notes of dry dark chocolate, black liquorice and espresso. The lingering finish/aftertaste is of dry dark chocolate and shiraz wine.

Mouth feel is where the Belgian yeast is present. It coats the tongue like a Belgian tripple or quad, with the same alcohol burn without strong alcohol flavor. Yet, very smooth coating and warming as you'd expect from a Baltic style stout or porter. I think you feel the sting of hops rather than taste it in the dry finish.

Overall this is one of my favorite beers on planet Earth. There is really nothing like quite like it. The only thing I've had approaching this complexity is Moa's Imperial Stout, but I find this to be much, much better. Perhaps if you can envision and amalgam of Stone regular RIS, North Coast's Old Rasputin, and a strong Liquorice and Shiraz wine presence with some Belgian mouth feel in addition to what you expect from a Baltic beer mouth feel, you have an idea. I'll probably cry if they never make this again. After my first taste I bought a total of five bottles, I write this while drinking my second to last.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 04:06:26 | More by AbsolutFrank

Gushue3

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Stone IRS snifter

A pours flat black and sits the same in the glass. A good sized light brown head grows slowly and has nice retention. Lacing is left down the glass when the head comes down.

S Theres an odd scent that I can imagine some people call pepperoni. Not sure how to describe it. Some booze and sweet malts in there as well. Something smells a little bit off

T Dark fruits and black licorice ff the bat. Oak and a stronger bitterness comes out in the middle and carries to the finish.

M Full bodied stout with lighter carbonation. Drinks pretty smooth.

O Not a terrible beer. Some people have crucified stone for this beer and while its not the best stout, its an attempt at something a little different.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 01:16:23 | More by Gushue3

gshak

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +31.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wow, this beer is drinking fantastic right now, and I dare say, I prefer this to the original. Here's why:
A- nothing much to write home about. Pours viscous and stays flat in the glass with no head whatsoever.
S - Strong notes of anise, oak, molasses and milk chocolate.
T - This is where the beer really shines. A cherry-like tartness opens up the palate. Molasses follows through, accompanied by milk chocolate, and coffee notes. Bittersweet toffee notes take up the baton and last quite a while, transcending into an all anise and woody finish. I'm really digging this!
M - Definitely full, and the (minimal) carbonation really helps his beer deliver a fulller flavor.

An extremely well crafted beer, and one that will age with the best! Glad I have a few more of these!

Update - 9/12/2012. The tartness has kicked up several notches in the last 7 months it spent in the cellar, aka wine cooler at 60 degrees. The taste now reminds me of chocolate covered sour cherries with some anise and wood in the back. It is easier to knock down a few ounc es of this in a sitting, but 22 oz is a challenge. At this rate this might turn into a world-class sour in about 2 years time, and I am not sure I like my stouts that way. On current tasting., I'd kick this down to a 3.75 at best.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 07:27:53 | More by gshak

Ootppizza

California

3.63/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

i'm not a big fan of anise so i'm a little biased. over all a beer i could enjoy one of but thats it. I put it on tap at my pizza place and for the most part people enjoyed but it was a very limited crowed. The after taste is so strong that it kind of kills any beer you want to have afterward.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2012 00:41:38 | More by Ootppizza

donmonkey1

Tennessee

2.93/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Dark brown/black with a very nice dark tan frothy head that laces nicely.

Smell: Molasses, coffee, nuts, toasted malt, Coca Cola, burnt toast, licorace.

Taste: Burnt grilled hamburgers with burnt barbeque sauce, charred wood, alcohol. There's another taste that I can't begin to describe but it's actually quite bad.

Mouthfeel: Medium/heavy body, lacks carbonation.

This is a complex, heavy beer worth exploring but I don't like the taste. It would be fun to drink one with friends to compare notes but it's really pretty yucky. I'll bet everybody else will love this beer to the point of insanity.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 00:33:32 | More by donmonkey1

exodus1369

California

4.18/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

What a great beer! Looks like a great Stout Dark and rich. The small is a bit on the light side had to really get my nose in to it to pick up any thing and it had a very light head. But once it ran past the taste buds it really made up for it. All I could think was just rich caramel taste. Wonderful and a very smooth taste!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 04:09:15 | More by exodus1369

billab914

Virginia

2.63/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into y CBS snifter. It poured black in color with a frothy tan head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma has a strong anise presence. It has more of a bubble gum, fruity, licorice flavor that I don't think works for it at all. I get a little dark, roasted malts to it, but the anise is overwhelming in it.

The taste also unfortunately is dominated by the anise. I get a some vanilla to it up front and some roasty, bitter malts in the finish. The anise is too much for me though.

The mouthfeel is heavy and somewhat creamy. Carbonation is moderate for the style. Overall I just didn't find to be a very good beer. The anise was just too dominating and covered up too much of the IRS flavors. It just didn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 02:30:49 | More by billab914

Brabander

Netherlands

3.58/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A guy in the tasting group brought this beer with him at the tastingday @ de Molen in Bodegraven, Holland. This tasting was organized by THE beerlady of Holland, Fiona de Lange.

We had this bottle after a regular Stone stout and this one was better with a fuller taste and lovely anis smell and taste. For the rest....i had better stouts than this one
.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 19:40:52 | More by Brabander

Mar02x

Netherlands

3.85/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

We were at a tasting at the Molen, organized by Fiona de Lange (the Dutch Beer lady). This was the beer I brought with me.

A - A pitch brown beer.

S - A stron anise smell, like black candy 'drop'.

T - The taste is that from black candy.

M - The body is Tha bit thicker than the normal RIS from Stone.

O - It is a good stout, but not excellent.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 19:31:03 | More by Mar02x

PDXHops

South Carolina

1.78/5  rDev -49.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Bomber poured into a DFH snifter. As dark as you'd expect with a generous tan head and plenty of sticky lacing.

In fairness to this brew, the measuring stick is the excellent regular version of the IRS, a lofty standard indeed. Having said that, this is, well, a pretty odd beer. Aromas of licorice, bubblegum, fruitcake and, I dunno, flowery air freshener(?) completely drown out the goodness of the base beer.

Frankly, I'm not sure I'm really picking up on the 'Belgo' yeast. The licorice is pretty overpowering, but a charred, somewhat dirty presence demands attention as well. There's a burnt plastic element that reminds me of Sweetwater Happy Ending, another beer from another generally impressive brewery that disappointed. Kinda boozy, too. On the positve side, a nice bitterness, molasses and bittersweet chocolate loom underneath. They simply don't get a fair shake here. I'm a Stone fanboy, but this beer misses the mark by a wide margin.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:27:47 | More by PDXHops

Brad007

Vermont

3.78/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours the universal hue for stouts (dark, dark black) with a one-finger brown head into my glass. If it looks like a stout, it must be a stout, right?

Creamy and spicy with only a mild amount of roasted malt in the nose. A bit of cocoa here and there. Very balanced for the style. I don't feel overwhelmed at all.

The anise is present upfront and it is actually kind of unpleasant. I don't know why but it detracts from the creaminess and the roasted malt. I'm just not feeling it.

Mouthfeel is a bit weird as well but somewhat more tolerable. Again, not my thing.

Pass, big time. I would rather have the original.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 05:15:19 | More by Brad007

MaximalC

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark, opaque brown as one would typically expect from an imperial stout. Head is nothing to write home about and recedes in short order, though that is not out of the ordinary considering the alcohol content. Strong point here is big, bold flavor. It says anise on the label, and it's certainly there, but I don't find it to be overwhelming. Nice dark chocolate notes linger in the aftertaste along with an alcoholic warmth that slightly exceeds my ideal level of presence, but once again, that can be forgiven in a brew with 10.5% AC. Hops don't impinge on the overall flavor, which is surprising for a Stone offering and a plus in my book. Mouthfeel is sticky, but not viscous. I wouldn't describe this as a decadent stout, but flavorful, balanced, and substantive would certainly fit.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 02:09:55 | More by MaximalC

CHickman

New York

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer review from 1/18/2012, on tap in NYC at Taproom 307: pours pitch black color with a huge frothy 2 finger tan/brown head that faded very slowly and left excellent sticky lacing clinging to the sides.

Smells of anise, licorice, coffee, cocoa, caramel, molasses, dark fruit, and more licorice on the tail end. The alcohol is well hidden by the nose if you discount the liquor odor from the anise/licorice.

Tastes like it smells, with anise, licorice, coffee, cocoa, caramel, molasses, syrup, charcoal, dark fruit like plums, dates and raisins, herbs, pepper, light floral hops, toffee, faint vanilla, toasted grains and liquor like Sambuca. The flavor is complex, roasty and very much like an after dinner liquor. Wow, the flavor is rich, sweet and completely hides the alcohol; this is a slow sipper that is aggressive, yet goes down smooth and leaves a nice warming sensation.

Mouthfeel is creamy, crisp and somewhat chewy, with mild carbonation, a medium body and a sweetness that lets the anise and licorice shine through the roasted malts.

A slow sipper that is tasty, unique and enjoyable. Another winner from Stone, but I’d go for other Stone stouts before going back to this as I’m not a big fan of anise, licorice or Sambuca.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 04:02:49 | More by CHickman

beerbellydaddy

California

3.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

Pour – pours an opaque blood black and gives three fingers foam with some spotty lacing.
Smell – can smell black licorice, anisette, and alcohol
Taste – as indicated by its scent, a strong black licorice and anisette flavor is at the forefront. It also gives a creamy roasted taste and offers a warm alcohol afterbite with 10.5% alcohol content.
Mouth – it fills ones mouth with a full, creamy, lightly carbonated feel.
Overall – I love pretty much everything from Stone, but this one is not my favorite offering from them, nor is it my favorite Imperial Stout that I’ve tried. This one is a little too heavy on the extra anisette taste and I think it might benefit from a bit more carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:55:26 | More by beerbellydaddy