Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout - Stone Brewing Co.

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Black with a deep brown cap that started out about an inch and a half high and settled to a lasting half inch. There was some clumpy lacing on the glass. The anise is front and center in the aroma, with bready and roasted notes around the edges. Hints of chocolate and raisins, malted milk. Sturdy bitterness, but this was overshadowed by the medicinal quality of the anise -- a fairly intense licorice flavour that seemed to drown out a lot of the malt presence as well. Malty sweetness, roast and chocolate were still present, but muted. Full bodied with fine, creamy carbonation and mild alcohol warmth, slight astringency, nice texture overall. I can't say that I'm a fan of anise, so this worked out better than expected for me. However, I vastly prefer the regular version and found that any Belgian character that might be present couldn't really stand out against the anise.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 20:38:46 | More by DrJay

HopHead84

California

2.08/5  rDev -40.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12/11/2011

On tap at URGE.

A: Black, very black, with a thick frothy light brown head.

S: Dark chocolate meets black licorice and anise. It isn't terrible but they have taken the base beer and made it much worse.

T: Ash and wretched black licorice with even more wretched and powerful anise presence. A little chocolate, but it can't possibly redeem this flavor. Harsh alcoholic anise finish.

M: Full body with upper medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is astringent and dry.

Overall: A bastardization of a good beer. Avoid.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2011 04:17:11 | More by HopHead84

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

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

Pours black as night with a tan head that fades pretty quickly. I wasn't sure what to expect with this beer- specifically, how intense the anise was, how sweet the beer was, and how many other flavors were brought to the party to balance things. The answer is that the anise is very dominant in the beer. It starts off very dry and reminds me strikingly of Swedish licorice candies, which are not very sweet, but display a burst of dry licorice flavor. As the beer warms and opens up, it becomes sweeter and more like a pastis. Either way, the dominant flavor is by far anise with its strong licorice notes. You get this in both the nose and taste. I happen to like licorice flavors, so I enjoyed the beer fairly well. My wife, who loves RISs, but isn't a huge fan of licorice, couldn't drink this beer at all- total drain pour for her. I could certainly understand how you could go either way here. I do think the beer is a tad too sweet, regardless, and is fairly one note- the other stout flavors are buried by the anise. It is nice and creamy, and if you love anise you'll probably love the beer. I think it's drinkable, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 03:18:55 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

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

Truly one of the most memorable beers of the last couple of years. Very dark but more dark golden brown than black. A nice spritziness with a decent beige head. Thick bodied, though not as syrupy as a Barleywine.

Sweet with a candy and fruity flavor. The anise taste is like a liqueur. I don't even like licorice but I find this very drinkable in a totally off-beat way. Loads of dark malt, a touch of burnt sugar, caramel. But also sharp and tart in a fruity way.

I am not a big fan of Stone brews, but this one is audacious enough-- but well made-- to be likeable.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 06:16:35 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a luscious and very tempting opaque sable with a thick, frothy tan head that leaves a fair amount of lacing. Strong, smoky aroma has tones of unsweet chocolate, fine coffee, licorice and fresh-cut wood, with a firm overtone of anise. Flavor has chocolate, roast coffee, licorice and nutty tones, but anise dominates everything a little too much. It's almost like drinking absinthe. This would be a near-perfect - or possibly perfect - if the anise aroma and flavor were a mite or three less fierce. Full-bodied texture is fairly fizzy and sharp - you can sure feel it going down the pipes. Recommended to those who are adventurous when it comes to beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 03:31:05 | More by Cyberkedi

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

avalon07

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a jet black color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a big, creamy, tan-colored, long-lasting head. Excellent lacing. An great-looking beer.

S: Not surprisingly, the anise was front and center in the smell, along with some chocolate, malt, and coffee.

T: Like the smell, the anise was a dominant force, though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Also had traces of chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, and a little hops in the finish. Not your typical stout flavor, but very tasty.

M: A lot of carbonation and a typically slick finish. Full-bodied.

O: Because this beer doesn't conform to typical stout norms, some people won't like it. I think the anise is an interesting and creative addition to the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 13:05:35 | More by avalon07

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

Pours a midnight black into the snifter, off white/brown head forms and leaves little lacing. Looks appealing and dark. Aroma full of anise, with some oaky suggestions as well. In the flavor, big roasted malt, big anise, some well defined oak/vanilla/wood notes pairing well and even cutting some of the anise flavors. A small piney hop is noticed cold, but upon warming is lost. Mouthfeel is full bodied but ultra smooth. Overall, not an every day drinker, but a nice brewing experiment.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 15:16:49 | More by Stinkypuss

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I appreciate Stone's willingness to go against the trends with a spice that is not used as frequently which is my disclaimer...however I guess it has to be a spice you are very fond of.

A dark black looking stout with thick cream of light brown -looks good with tight bead and opaque clarity, lace sticks okay. The smell is where I don't really enjoy the beer as much -the first sense of it going awry anyway. I am not much of a fan of black licorice which is exactly what this smells like-black twizzlers ugh. The feel is okay but a bit clean with the spice erasing the sense of malt and leaving the palate a little too cool for the style I am supposed to be enjoying it is like a medicinal almost minty quality which seems like a natural mouthwash or witchhazel maybe.

The flavor is good but the anise comes into the flavor of the stout midway and just overtakes any flavor of coffee or oak or vanilla or caramel that you wish you would be tasting or might get in the original. The taste is almost like rootbeer it is so herbal and earthy as one of my compatriots mentioned during our tasting. I suppose if I were a huge fan on Anise I would be in love with the taste. I am not so pissed that I would dump this or stop drinking it but feel like the original beer has suffered by the heavy handed anise addition. I guess the review already gives you an idea why I gave the overall score of 3 -it is flavor I personally find to detract from the overall enjoyment of the stout so buyer beware.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 16:15:24 | More by Slatetank

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: thick, oily black without light getting through. Not much lace. The head is milk chocolate brown and frothy.

S: strong coffee roast, with smokey and chocolate notes.

T: initially sweet milk chocolate which fades to bitter coffee grounds. Bitter hops or intermixed. Licorice dominates the finish.

M: moderate carbonation and thick body, oily and creamy.

Overall: This is a bold and big beer. I though the flavors were tough to transition between but the booze are well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 00:57:12 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours with half a finger of orange-tan head on an opaque, black body. The foam disappears quickly and leaves very little lace on the glass.

S - Earthy notes of chocolate and licorice with a bit of clove. Surprisingly little else, maybe a little molasses but that's about it.

T - Dark sugar notes up front with lots of molasses and brown sugar as well as some licorice. Some slightly fruity notes of cherry and red apple in the middle as well as a bit of tobacco. The dark sugar dominates the finish and the anise is right there with it in a sort of charred, woody way.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a somewhat dry finish.

D - To be honest, this sounded a lot better than it turned out to be. The anise works with the dark malt in a strange way that makes it come off more like licorice with a very dark, syrupy character rather than the bright, spicy notes I would normally expect. The Belgian yeast character is kind of subdued and only contributes a few fruity apple and cherry notes in the middle. The oak is really the last straw as it gives the beer an astringent harshness in the finish and contributes to the burnt character of the molasses notes. It isn't quite a drain pour, but it is pretty disappointing and I definitely won't be drinking this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 05:12:18 | More by nickfl

FosterJM

California

3.6/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

578th Review on BA
Bottle to snifter
22 oz

Purchased at Bevmo Chino Hills, served at 57 F

App- This looks like the original RIS and contained a huge three finger head. Not much in the way of cling. Very khaki in color and very bubbly.

Smell- It's a soft aromatic beer which I was not expecting. The anise and the oak are quite prevalent but that's about it. The toasty roasted malts aren't there. More one sided than anything.

Taste- For the uniqueness of this beer I was expecting to have a face of WTF did I just drink. I had the '11 RIS the other night and it was quite tasty. This seems to be a bit of a base stout with some pepper notes and some sweetness.

Mouth- I like the feel of the pepper, sweet and bubbly. It's medium bodied and a bit higher in carbonation. The bubbles dance and it's quite nice.

Drink- It's an oddity for sure. The flavors are balanced and unique. For every other year this is a nice break from the ordinary. I'll have it again in 2013.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 02:47:35 | More by FosterJM

smakawhat

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a large snifter. 2011 odd year release.

A very large cocoa brown head off the pour is made somewhat uniform bubbles, good together swirling lacing.

Faint anisette qualities on the nose. Candy, and mild malt feel with lots of sweet Belgian style sense (yeast). Roast character lacking, but definitely a nice bouquet, not an overpowering sugar bomb, I enjoy it.

Taste is all black licorice/fennel/anise. Nothing else comes through, no malty backbone, no roast character, fruit... nothing, just lots of sweetness and exacerbating the sticky sweet quality. After some time the tongue and palate gets really dried out.

Well, pretty disappointed with this Russian Imperial from Stone as well. Drinkable yes but I would rather have Labyrinth from Uinta than this which is sort of similar in style but better tasting.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 02:40:31 | More by smakawhat

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle, I let the bottle sit for a half hour after taking it out of the fridge before opening it. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is anise, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and some root beer. Taste is similar to the aroma. I think the anise flavor is the strongest in this brew, but it doesn't quite overpower the roasted malt, chocolate, molasses and coffee flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's creamy and slick with moderate carbonation. I think it's a good overall brew. But if you don't like anise or licorice, then this beer probably isn't for you.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 22:13:21 | More by bluejacket74

dgilks

Australia

2.78/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours pitch inky black with a large tan head. Good head retention and nice lacing.

Big anise aroma with a touch of chocolate and smoke. For me the over the top anise kills the aroma.

This is quite sweet with a lot of liquorice. For me I don't get the awesome chocolate and coffee of the normal RIS. The anise just kills it.

Medium body with moderately-high carbonation.

For me this is hit and miss. I love liquorice but I find that the anise kills the awesomeness of Stone IRS. I think that Stone IRS with Belgian yeast would be fine but the additional liquorice is over the top and almost unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 04:53:04 | More by dgilks

blackie

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bomber from whole foods

a: served in a sweet unibroue tulip, the pour creates a thin topping of mocha colored head, falling back to leave a placid surface, the beer itself a deep black in color with some browns peeking through the edges

s: a steady current of star anise weaves licorice aromas through a body of deep roasted barley and dark chocolate, impressions of root beer and sassafras root, toffee and vanilla, molasses, some oaky spice, fresh genuine licorice - prominent but not overpowering the base beer but rather adding a nice compliment

m: carbonation on the lower end of the moderate range, gentle on the tongue, with a full bodied mouthfeel

t: the palate brings a pungent star anise flavor over roasted barley, dark chocolate, and burnt sugars, additional flavors of molasses, vanilla, spicy roots - sassafras, and sweet alcohol, hops impart a moderate bitterness to to the finish, the blend of flavors works out well - I can dig what the anise brings to an ris

o: obviously not for everybody - but I dig it, the anise blends well with the ris base and the oak adds a spicy vanilla complexity, not unlike a number of dark european anise liqueurs, a big beer with an interesting complex of characters

consumed on a snowy january eve

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 02:13:28 | More by blackie

champ103

Texas

2/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A: Pours pretty much opaque black. A two finger tan head rises with good retention. Light lace is left as the foam gently recedes after a few minutes.
S: Of coarse black liquorish/anise in the nose, and it is a little overwhelming at first. Big roasted a burnt coffee aromas come next. Charred and burnt wood with bitter dark chocolate. Some bitter and oily hops with plenty of alcohol in the nose.
T: Everything that is in the nose, and it all works at odds with each other. Black liquorish, burnt coffee, bitter chocolate. Burnt and charred wood with lots of burning alcohol. Oily hops that gives this another bitter bite on top of the chocolate. I am not a fan.
M/D: A full, syrupy, and oily body. Very thick, viscous, and like adhesive sticking to the roof of my mouth. Very hot alcohol and just all around unpleasant to drink. A chore to finish the bottle.

Another harsh, unbalanced, and crass beer from Stone. Nothing works right here. I will avoid from now on, and would not recommend this.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 19:56:44 | More by champ103

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I avoided this one for a while but tried it at a beer festival and liked it. When I saw it for $6.99 at a local Giant Eagle I grabbed a bottle.

A - Pitch black of course with tons of carbonation bubbles and an inch of dark mocha head. Lacing is somewhat sticky.

S - Smells of the traditional of the style with a bit of fruity hints from the yeast. Nice roast and chocolate with a mild hop presence.

T - Taste starts off kind of bitter with the hops then quickly the roast hits with a nice coffee taste. Second sip delivers more of the Belgium yeast with a bit of fruity sweetness. Overall the finish is creamy with hints of hops and roast but only mild and balanced.

M - This is drinking pretty great, almost as good as the original. A medium to heavy body but not cloying.

Overall I like this version but will always prefer the regular version for the style since they are the same price.
As a hater of black licorice and Ouzo (anise liquor) I found that those flavors in this stout are now very balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 22:36:11 | More by DrDemento456

mynie

Indiana

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

Ok, whatever...

It's Stone's RIS. It's smooth, it's got a nice body, and it's easy to drink. Not as rough or variegated as your superfancy top tier RIS', but pretty dang good.

Only in the very back you get a weird/neat bit of rockiness that tastes like smoke and beer jerky. After a few sips I realized it was the anise, but I don't think i would have known it was anise had the bottle not specifically prompted me to look for it.

So, overall pretty good. The anise probably detracts more than it adds, but it was neat to try and I enjoyed the whole bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 02:05:30 | More by mynie

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.2/5  rDev +20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In a tulip glass this beer was black in color with a small orange/tan head that dissipated quickly.

Coffee/roasted malt aroma. Definitely anise. Some dark fruit. And alcohol, don't forget that.

Lots going on in the taste. Coffee and a bit of chocolate. Raisins. Anise, which really lingered. Boozy.

A heavy hitter. Boozy, but in a good way. The alcohol added to, rather than subtracted from,the taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 19:28:22 | More by lordofthewiens

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +27.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep deep black color with a creamy, toasty tan-colored head that, while not huge, sticks around a remarkably long while. Dots of lace are left on the glass.

Definite anise spiciness right up front in the aroma, with a woody character underneath that, and something so toasty it borders on burnt-smelling without actually being as off-putting as that usually is in beer. Since anise is so similar to black licorice, I can also say it's got a ton of that too, or instead.

You really have to love anise and/or black licorice to get into this. If you're not, why are you buying/reviewing it? Seriously, it's a love or hate flavor. In the skilled hands of Stone, they take their wonderful Imperial Russian Stout and simply make it a more eccentric, exotic experience. Bold, very natural anise/black licorice spiciness right up front, but kept in check by other characteristics such as oak, quality medium-roast coffee, sea salt, and gooey dark chocolate brownies. Alcohol heat just barely checks in, helping to lift all of this up another sensual level.

The extremely impressive mouthfeel totally does it for me, and does very well by the beer itself, delivering these balanced, exotic flavors through a texture that is round, creamy, gooey, thick but not heavy, and wonderfully silky.

I love anise, both as an ingredient, and also as a sensory impression when it's not even an actual ingredient. The only problem with using it, especially in such a strong beer, is it's one of those flavorings that props up the alcohol and makes a beer smell/taste even stronger than it is. Does for me anyway. But Stone, as they will, have managed to use it wisely, making it a spotlight but not drowning the beer in it. Very well done, totally delightful, and one to drink slowly with hardly any chill on it...

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 23:58:43 | More by Metalmonk

ngeunit1

California

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

A - Pours a dark jet black color with a finger of frothy tan-brown head. The head hangs around for quite a while leaving behind some thick lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted chocolate malts and potent anise. There is also some oak and Belgian yeast in the background as well.

T - Starts off with a mix of anise and roasted chocolate malts. The anise is pretty potent. Through the middle, a mix of some oak and vanilla as well as a bit of the Belgian yeast flavor. The finish is a mix of all of the mentioned flavors with the addition of a bit of booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and fairly creamy. The oak and the booze in the finish warm the mouth alongside anise flavor lingering.

D - Pretty drinkable. The balance is not quite perfect here. The anise feels a bit too strong and the oak a bit too weak, and the Belgian yeast does not seem to make all that much of a difference.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 06:38:35 | More by ngeunit1

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

emmasdad

Colorado

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

Picked up a bomber of this one about a week or so back at Argonaut, curious to see how this one differed from the original. Poured a deep oily black color with a thin brown head. Aromas of black licorice, chocolate and vanilla. On the palate, this one was medium bodied, with flavors of oak, anise and black licorice.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 22:36:40 | More by emmasdad