Ivan The Great - Brau Brothers Brewing Co. LLC

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Brau Brothers Ivan the Great Russian Imperial Stout. What? An Imperial Stout from Lucan, MN? About freaking' time, huh? Label says: IBU: 90, SRM: 52, Alc: 9.5% by Vol. No further gobbledygook, thank goodness. Let's open it up.

Complete and thoroughly, utterly solid and flawless black. Rich, cocoa-tinged brown head. Looking good.

Aroma: black cherries, rum, and raisins hit first, but let's not forget plum, currants, and then comes black pepper. Molasses, anise, and last, but not least, alcohol.

Taste: Cocoa and espresso flavors from dark malts rush the palate at first sip, coating the sense. Stays long and hard in the mouth, but maintains a medium mouthfeel. Not as rich and full as as some big, bountiful RIS's, but not too far a cry away, either.

A good stab at an Imperial Stout. Not rising to the top of the ranks just yet, but a fairly good stand, nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 08:26:41 | More by feloniousmonk

chugalug06

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Solid milk chocolate lacing. Black brew, toffee colored head. A bit thin.

Slightly metallic. Very dark chocolate, cherry, toffee, yum.

Amazingly dark with chocolate flavors, licorice is way mild and hardly noticeable. Leathery, coffee, deep roasty toffee. Carbonation is beyond mild and perfect. Bitterness is well represented and balanced. Slightly awkward Sweetness, but it's setback and well placed. Deep, dark, not overly roasted. No heat.

WHAM-O! Solid brew, Highly recommended. Should be considered a must try. Thanks for sharing Graham, I hope to do another trade with you in the future!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 03:43:07 | More by chugalug06

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

thanks for the extra beer from hopazoid!

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: black bodied beer with 2 fingers of frothy tan head. The head on the beer has really good staying power and leaves a coating lace on the side of the glass.

Smell: Roasty, milk chocolates/ lactose note, coffee creamer, fruity esters, anise, and a hint of leather.

Taste: starts off with an aggressive roasty earthy bitterness reminds me of a breakfast blend coffee thats has over the top earthy notes. Liquid smoke and some milk chocolates. The finish is moderately roasty and fruity with notes of black licorice and tobacco hiding in the back.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. The beer is a little bit thin, but its nothing distracting. Not boozey at all; abv is well hidden.

Overall: Nice and enjoyable RIS. Nothing mindblowing, but I would not be scared to pick up more of this beer. Really nice offering from Brau Bros!

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 05:34:08 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Ilafan

Minnesota

4.34/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This little brewery out in Nowheresville, Minnesota is really starting to impress this fat beer drinker! I really liked their Moo Joos Milk Stout, and this Ivan the Great Russian Imperial is impressive, too.

I love it when a beer is nuanced yet balanced. This beer has that. It has both the "sting" of a hoppy IPA and the cream of a typical stout. It's a very nice combination here, and I am impressed with the creativity of it.

I look forward to more delicious beer from this upstart.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 16:04:44 | More by Ilafan

Mdog

Minnesota

4.06/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black, big head.

Smell: Bitter chalky dark chocolate, smoky note.

Taste: Dark chocolate, mild bitterness. Bit of coffee, very well balanced.

Overall: Picked up a single to give this one a try. It's pretty good. I prefer my RIS to be a little sweeter than this, but it is well made and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 21:05:20 | More by Mdog

2Cents

Nebraska

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

L. Black as oil with a thin caramel colored head. The lacing sticks around a little while.
At 9.5% there are plenty of alcohol legs.

F. The mouth feel is pretty thick with just enough carbonation. The Alcohol presence is apparent but not over powering.

S. Pretty much your standard R.I.S: Chocolate, Coffee, Licorice and leather. The first bottle I opened was loaded with yeast esters, this one not so much.

T. Roasted malts, caramel, leather and coffee flavors at first, then a grassy, astringent hop taste slides down the tongue and dominates the after taste,

O. This is very close to being a very good American R.I.S but the hops don't quite seat with the malt combo. That's to bad because I like a brewery that grows all of there own Hops and grains on sight and, at least tries to thinks outside the box on hop and grain combos.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 06:27:20 | More by 2Cents

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice.

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a moderate amount of bubbles. About two fingers of deep tan head that slowly fade into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A sweet and roasty stout aroma with lots of molasses and earthy hops. Dark roasted malts with hints of chocolate, burnt toast, coffee, caramel, toffee, cream, nut, yeast, and smoke. Lots of molasses and some pretty big hints of anise licorice spicing. A little tobacco and leather. Bigger hints of hops than usual for a stout. Good hints of earthy hops and grass. Decent aroma.

Taste: Follows the nose, although the roasty chocolate flavors are kind of tame for the style. Dark malts with some notes of burnt toast, chocolate, coffee, cream, caramel, toffee, and yeast. Burnt, smoked malt and some notes of leather and tobacco. Sweet molasses and anise spice giving notes of licorice. Very earthy with some good notes of grass. A decent taste overall.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, slick, and pretty smooth. Kind of thin for an imperial stout.

Overall: A decent stout overall with a nice hop presence, but could of been more roasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 06:35:35 | More by MattyG85

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A - Solid black with a very small creamy mocha head.

S - Sweet malt, fruity, anise, caramel, molasses, light roasted malt.

T - Molasses, burnt coffee, bitter chocolate, slightly sour, hoppy finish. Slightly harsh.

M - Somewhat thin with low carbonation.

D - Enjoyed the Rye Wyne but not really this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 21:38:42 | More by brewcrew76

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have found good ol' Brau Brothers to be lacking oh a little sweetness generally for my taste, but I am impressed with this stout. Looks good, smells good, and tastes really good in my book. A strong classic RIS flavor of deep strong bitter sweetness that seemed like an amalgamation of heavy strong dark fruits, coffee chocolate flavors resulting in something resembling old fashioned candies and a luscious black licorice. Pretty smooth beer that was not the thickest in history, but no problem here. Strong 4 star plus stout for me. I would like to try this beer again and compare it head to head with Rasputin or Samuel Smith RIS. See how good it is. I think it will compare well.

Drink this stout with a rousing rendition of Larry Coryell's solo guitar "A Rite of Spring."

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2013 02:01:43 | More by frankiepop

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.81/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a robust midnight body beneath the one inch dark tan head which quickly dissolves to leave a thin, sticky lacing.

The aroma offers roasted malt and hints of lactic milk chocolate.

The flavor is much more robust with generous roasted malt, rich coffee and espresso, and touches if bitter dark chocolate and black licorice.

This RIS offers a pretty meaty body with medium carbonation and a hearty roasted finish.

This was a nice imperial stout, perhaps a bit heavy on the roast but for a coffee fan such as myself it is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:06:50 | More by CHADMC3

morimech

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Solid black in appearance with a massive tan head that had excellant retention before settling to a thick cap. Heavy lacing is left down the glass.

Straight forward imperial stout aroma of roasted malt, coffee, cocoa, and leather. The beer boasts a lot of IBUs but not much for hop aroma. I do get some herbal qualities.

Big roasted malt flavors and hop bitterness. Slightly smokey and leathery. Also get some coffee, tobacco, and bitter chocolate. The hops give this a herbal/earthy quality. Firmly on the bitter, not sweet side of the spectrum.

The body is the weakest part of the beer. Just does not feel full enough for an almost 10% ABV stout. It does have great carbonation however with a smooth texture.

Impressive straight forward stout. Might be worthwhile to keep one around to age and see what happens. I hope they brew this annually.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 19:25:10 | More by morimech

XxNitExX

Nebraska

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle into Tulip glass

A- Pretty much black, with a nice tan head that does stay for awhile, beautiful lacing big thick bubbles

S- Coffee, Chocolate, tinge of alcohol, but a nice hop smell to go along with it all

T- Alcohol is more present with taste than smell but not over powering. Get a nice coffee taste, very little chocolate. Has a very nice hop backbone that helps to balance things out.

M- Thick, coats the tounge. Little carbonation but not alot. Could imagine being very good on a nitro tap.

Very nice RIS. Would consider it as good as Old Rasputin, but for different reasons. Much more hop presence than OR, but not as sweet. Very good beer overall from a great up and coming brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 02:19:08 | More by XxNitExX

mypenguin

Minnesota

2.68/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into large snifter

Appearance: Black, very little carbonation. Just a few little bubbles make it to the surface.

Smell: Hints of coffee and a little alcohol.

Taste: Burnt coffee, burnt toffee, just burnt anything. I took a sip every 10 minutes or so hoping there would be some maltiness or anything other than burnt coffee taste, but nothing ever came forward to show itself. After 6 swigs, the rest went in the sink.
I couldn't get past the overwhelming acrid burnt whatever was in there.

Feel: Seemed pretty dry for a RIS. While you could tell there was high alcohol, it didn't have that smoothness I like in a malty RIS.

Overall: The other 3 bottles are going back to the liquor store today for store credit. I figured it was worth a shot at $8.99/4 but I was wrong.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 16:49:46 | More by mypenguin

bsp77

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Snifter.

Appearance: Jet black with a head that struggles to form, even with an aggressive pour. Slight lacing.

Smell: Mostly just an oddly sweet fruity aroma. Some caramel and hops. Where are the roasted malts?

Taste: Interesting juxtaposition of unusual roasted notes (smoke, tobacco, leather, char and burnt caramel) and that fruitiness from the aroma. Fairly bitter and abrasive as soon as it hits the taste buds, but becomes more nuanced after that. Pretty hoppy, but not much hop taste truly stands out. Surprisingly little coffee or chocolate notes.

Feel: Full bodied with low carbonation. Smooth, but not as creamy or decadent as some Imperial Stouts. Very dry finish.

Overall: This is an interesting take on an Imperial Stout. Not one of my favorites, but would gladly have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 04:28:06 | More by bsp77

mjryan

Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Oh how I enjoy me a humongous stout from time to time. Ivan the Great. A guy from the brewery told me they were considering calling it Ole the Terrible. I like that name better, I might have to steal it. On to the beer. This stuff is good, really good. It's black, duh. Smells of full city roast coffee, almost burnt toffee, bakers chocolate and faint peat smoke. So many flavours, where to begin? Dark roasted coffee, caramel, bitter chocolate. Charred marshmallow, prunes? Yeah, maybe. Seemless run of all those and then some. Finish is abrupt, jarring even. It's a fucking Russian stout, it's supposed to knock you off the tracks. Bitter, almost acrid, blackened bits of whatevers left over in the pan kind of thing going on. Okay, not really, but sort of. Yikes. Delicious really. What a finish! It's Commy stout season season, and I've bagged my fair share so far and Ivan stands tall with the best of them. Zdorov'ya tovarishcha.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 08:50:33 | More by mjryan

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

4.11/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter from a 12-ounce bottle.

A: Pours jet black with a thin tan head that quickly settles and forms a small ring around the edges. lacing runs down the side of the glass, although not very sticky.

S: Some dark fruit, coffee, and molasses up front, with a hint of anise. A touch of earthy hops lingers in the background.

T: Molasses, anise, and strong coffee notes, with some dark fruit on the mid-palate. Finish is rather hoppy with some piney and earthy undertones.

M: Body is a bit thin for the style, but tolerable. Moderate in body, with loads of flavor, and a long finish.

O: Another quality offering from Brau Brothers. Its only real weakness right now would be its mouthfeel, although I think it could benefit from some cellaring. Another good Minnesota offering and definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 04:30:38 | More by WYVYRN527

Chase_Myhran

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Brau Brothers sends us Ivan the Great.... Should I be scared?
Ivan pours our into a thick black and ominous looking brew with a rather thin caramel colored head that stands rather resiliently. The aroma is that of a smooth and slightly boozy caramel. When Ivan first meets your palet there are no surprises for a Russian Imperial Stout. As Ivan moves to the middle a surprise will meet you. He has a thick and highly rich caramel-ly flavor. It finishes in much the same fashion. The mouthfeel is pleasantly creamy.
Not a big believer in Russian Imperial Stouts, but I have to say this is pretty tasty.
Drink on, amigos!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 04:16:52 | More by Chase_Myhran

yamar68

Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a near coffee black with an edge of ruby clarity. A minimal amount of khaki carbonation retains for a moment before receding to a stubborn, consistent outer ring.

Burnt coffee grounds, fudge, a bit of that overripe red fruit, some vanilla or caramel, brown sugar and molasses, alcohol character is pretty damn tame. Smooth milk chocolate with a hint of black licorice.

Not quite as balanced on the palate... some bitter chocolate/coffee/candy that gives way to some raisin, cherry flesh, abstract bitterness, dry coffee grounds... nothing to write home about but I think it fits the bill.

I'm not totally sold on this one but it certainly has some potential. Maybe some time in the cellar would show me something special.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 04:13:51 | More by yamar68

jera1350

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slick looking solid black with just a thin ring of brown foam around the edge of the tulip. Some lace is left clinging.

The nose has an off almost sour smell to it with some black licorice, molasses and earth. Hint of vanilla in there?

Strong flavor. Has a rye like sourness to it with tobacco, some coffee and alcohol with a strong hop bitterness. Quite boozy actually. Really a pretty harsh RIS at this point. Would be good to let this one sit a while to round out the rough edges.

Feels way too thin for this style of beer. Has a slick feel to it with plenty of warm alcohol.

A 3.5 at this point, but I think this one could improve if aged. Very interesting take on the style. Can't say I've had one with this type of flavor profile, especially in the hop department.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 03:38:20 | More by jera1350

Ungertaker

Minnesota

4.19/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into a Hunahpu's snifter.

A- Pours a deep mocha brown with little to no light penetration. The khaki head is about 1/16" and quickly fades. Thin lacing is left with each sip.

S- Tobacco and licorice are the driving forces. Dark chocolate, pine, and licorice are much more subtle.

T- The hops are much more present than the aroma lead me to expect. A bitterness hits almost immediately, then transitions to dark chocolate and licorice with a faint dried fruit flavor. Tobacco and coffee are present throughout, but very light. The bitterness of the hops comes back at the finish.

M- This beer is thick enough to feel, but not mouth-coatingly viscous. The medium carbonation gives it an almost creamy texture.

O- A very solid first attempt at an RIS. I am going to set a couple aside to see what some age will do to this. The hops are strong right now and I think they will fade into what could be an amazing brew! For the price ($10.99/4pk), this is a steal. The last few releases from Brau Brothers have kept me interested in what they are doing. My hope is that they age this in Templeton barrels, like they did with the Rye Wyne and the Quad.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 22:32:00 | More by Ungertaker