Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Cigar City Brewing

cope0021

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a black, viscous fluid that sucks all the light out of a room. No lacing, but it sure coats the side of the glass like syrup. No head to speak of.

Nice aroma. Mix of sweet notes and muted alcohol. Nothing overpoweing. This is what I expect heaven would smell like.

First taste is sweet, but not too sweet. Some flavors of chocolate and raisins. Perfectly ballanced beer.

This beer is thicker than thick, but smoother than silk.

This has to be among the best beers I have ever tried. I cannot wait to get my hands on some more.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 03:33:12 | More by cope0021

PaculiarBrews

Florida

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours thick and very black.
I am not going to comment very much on this one because alot of other people have already said my thoughts. I will say that it is the best Imperial Stout I have ever had. I was only able to find 1 bottle. If you have a chance to buy or trade for a bottle of this, I cannot recommend it enough. Your taste buds will thank you.

~Peculiar

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 02:36:33 | More by PaculiarBrews

DUBinMIA

Florida

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

poured into a heffe glass just for grins... pours thick motor oil black!!! with a deep brown thick foamy head about 3 in. with lace. maybe my glass was the prob. but the head retention lasts forever.

smells of sweet malt and bitter chocolate some pine and citrus hops also noted... mmmm i can't wait! slight alcohol notes toward the end barely...

where to begin... how about WOW!!!! everything i have been hoping this beer would be. complex and big as hell!!! malt sweetness to start with a light almost milky vanilla flavor then abrupt bitter coffee takes over... then a pause with dark cherry features and then come the hops.... floral and then almost piney. amazing complexity!!!

MY FIRST ALL 5 BEER!!! just noticed that!
mouth feel is thick and creamy that allows flavors to linger.

Overall i am very impressed with this beer... totally worth the $16 i paid for the 1 pint 9.4oz bomber. YOU NEED TO TRY THIS BEER!!!! i have been waiting and searching all over for this one and it lived up and beyond my own hype!!!

just noticed this is my first ALL 5 BEER!!!

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 01:57:37 | More by DUBinMIA

calcio360jrd

Florida

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oh zhukov, you are still one of my top 5 fav beers.

Bottle poured into my st bernardus chalice, hell no i didn't share this with anyone else tonite!

I have read forum posts about people saying which beer is the darkest, and they sure are right when they say that it is the marshal, black as nite this one is.

Lovely roastiness off the nose of this one, little bitter chocolate smell and coffee, sounds like what i had about 14 hours before this with my breakfast.

In some ways i actually prefer the taste of the regular version of zhukov to all the other treatments for the sheer fact of how clean it is, the alcohol is there but not in the forefront, the coffee taste is very prevalent to me.

This overall is just a great, if not the best, imperial stout for my money on the market, glad i got about another dozen bottles here around the house!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 05:03:54 | More by calcio360jrd

mrebeka

Michigan

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2010 vintage -- I've had this one in the cellar for close to 2 years and finally cracked it open.

A- Poured into a CBS snifter...black as motor oil with very little head. Nice lacing around the glass. As a WWII buff, I love the labeling.

S- Heavy coffee with a perfect amount of chocolate, some molasses and hints of vanilla. Great smell, can't wait to taste.

T- Excellent....I love stouts, and I just love this beer. A great mix of flavors. Robust layers of chocolate and coffee. The high ABV is there, but covered up with the array of flavors quite nicely. The more I drink this, the more I wish I had more.

M- Very heavy and very chewy but in a good way.

O- Hats off to Cigar City on this brew. I still love my Founders and Goose Island stouts, but this one is a big plus for the best brewery south of the Mason Dixon. Having this makes me want to try a Hunahpu even more.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 02:46:43 | More by mrebeka

Phoenix2443

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle from randombattle, poured into a new Belgium globe glass.

Pours a dark black with a short brown head. Nice foam color I'm excited now.

Well I smell the alcohol there but hey it is 11%. Lots of dark roast smells too.

Taste is lots of milk chocolate and dark roasting as. Hop bitterness is a good balance at the end. One of the best tasting stouts I can recall.

Mouthfeel is where this really shines, nice and heavy. Syrupy without the soy sauce awfulness.

Overall this has to be the best stout I've had to date. I am really impressed. Lives up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 08:05:59 | More by Phoenix2443

Bobheed

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Poured an extremely vicious black, super thick like syrup had about a finger of darkest reddish brown head I've ever seen. This is without a doubt the darkest beer I've ever seen

S: Has a pretty big bourbon characteristic despite it not being BBA. I also got quite a bit of espresso and wet wood type scents.

T: Right upfront, it tastes almost just like pure molasses, then that goes into some espresso qualities and nice bourbon soaked dark fruits. Tons of dates, tons of dark chocolate. Finishes strong with alcohol.

M: Super thick and with a slight alcohol burn. With the super aggressive appearance and flavors of this beer, I was really happy about the mouthfeel being so crazy and intense.

Overall this was excellent, one of the best stouts, let alone beers I've ever had. I managed to stockpile a few as Cigar City is not sold in my state. Look forward to future bottles with more age on 'em.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 04:51:43 | More by Bobheed

maximum12

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to moose3285 for throwing this into a friggin' incredible box of Cigar City brews that arrived not long ago. Mike, you are on my list of people to speak up for when judgment day rolls around.

Pours black. Thick black, like the lakes around here, which are so ready to freeze at the first solid cold snap. The head is sunburnt tan, really wild reddish tint to it. Purty. The smell is divine, heavy on the chocolate & malts, hold the hops. Bonus points for the both the cool bottle as well as the historical figure...gives my old History Minor a little goose.

Marshal Zhukov would have been thrilled to learn he's been reincarnated as this brew. Wow. This bastard has depth like the Mariana Trench. Roasted, firethrower-tarred malts are all over the place, but there's a warm coffee element, balanced out by a smattering of chocolate applause, & a sweet sling of hoppy nip at the end. All of which melds into a single chorus of happy.

The balance on this monster is remarkable. None of the tastes or apparent ingredients outweights any of the others, & all seem to insist on complementing one another rather than playing Soviet & Capitalist. Rich, creamy, warming. Really, words fail me.

This beer is borderline perfect. I am delighted to unexpectedly have another one in the basement (thanks mully) which I will hold onto for a while. Although I cannot see how aging this would make it any better.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2009 02:55:56 | More by maximum12

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A – This brew is darker than the days of Stalin, with a Bolshevik-brown head which is quickly severed, leaving splattered rusty crimson stains on the glass wall.

S – The aroma is so big that not even the Iron Curtain could curtail it. Impressions of aromatic non-Warsaw Pact cocoa, Western coffee, capitalist licorice, Communist Cuban Rum and Ukrainian rawhide emanate even more free than the Soviet people in the days of Glasnost! As it airs out the alcohol sting totally dissipates. Which would be a terrible thing in USSR.

T – The taste is huge; pleasurably acrid and burnt flavors punctuate this brutal brew. Coffee flavor, suggestions of smoke, charred wood and charcoal are initially available with a hearty dose of burnt cocoa on finish. As it warms and airs out, it reveals tremendous new character; cherry, brown sugar, cola, cinnamon and more of an impression of espresso than one of coffee. This is an amazing example of the RIS; keeping with its tradition, it is certainly fit for consumption by even the most bloodthirsty totalitarian maniacs.

M – It is blood-thick. Plenty viscous for the brutality of the roast.

D – This brew is absolutely nuts, the raw rugged real deal.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 05:23:23 | More by ktrillionaire

InebriatedJoker

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks schwaeh for sharing this bottle with me-

A: Poured dark as night with one finger head that dissipated into a thin coffee colored lacing.

S: Chocolate,molassas,toasted malt,coffee.

T: Chocolate with dark roated malt,slight vanilla,slight bitter coffee, anise.

O: "WOW" I was blown away at how delicious this RIS was ,I loved the way it coats the tounge and leaves an oil slick residue on the glass , the thickness of this stout is out of this world, Very well made and will definitly seek out again..

Thanks again Steve.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 22:31:10 | More by InebriatedJoker

sharpy26

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Smells of deep roasted espresso, alcohol, and burnt sugar.

Taste is incredible. Just deep dark malts that coat the tongue. No alcohol taste present at all. Lots of different flavors with a chocolate aftertaste.

I bought the bottle and then stored in the refrigerator for several months, so that could have played a factor. This stuff is dark. One of the best imperial stouts I have ever tasted.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 21:46:22 | More by sharpy26

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle 11,0% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
2010 Vintage

Thanks to my buddy futura123 for this one.

Appearance: From pictures I had seen, Marshal Zhukov was almost guaranteed to get a 5 on appearance, however the almost inaudible hiss upon cracking the cap might put this in jeopardy. The pour lives up to my expectation - thick, viscous and black as Satan's heart. Needless to say the beer appears pitch black in the glass, with a back light not even managing to reveal a micron of red along the edge. Sadly my initial concern regarding the carbonation appear justified, as even the most vigorous of pours only manages to generate a very thin layer of foam. The foam that does generate is a beautiful dark mocha colour - I can just imagine how good this would look with a full head! A swirl coats the glass in a thick brown residue, that fades into heavy alcohol legs (this is going to be a bitch to clean).

Smell: Holy balls, now this is what I call a nose - you can smell this from a mile away and boy does it smell good! Massive dark chocolate aromas combine with dark roasted coffee, roasted malt, dark caramel and molasses to form the bulk of the nose. In addition closer inspection of the nose yields notes of: Caramelized/burned brown sugar, sweet dark toffee, a little sweet milk chocolate, burned raisins, dates, a hint of dates, some char, a hint of smoke and a little liquorice. As the beer hits room temperature, the nose becomes a lot sweeter, with dark chocolate fudge and a hint of vanilla becoming apparent.

Taste: As the nose promised, the flavour is massive in every way - each sip bombards your taste buds with masses of dark chocolate, sweet dark caramel, molasses and a massive blast of roasted malt towards the finish. Other flavour notes include: caramelized (almost burned) brown sugar, coffee, sweet dark fruits (raisins, dates and maybe a hint of cherry), milk chocolate, a touch of vanilla, some char, a touch of liquorice and a distinct woody note (strange since this has not been aged in any barrels).
The finish is still quite bitter (the 80 IBUs don't seem to have faded after 2 years in the bottle) and lightly dry. There is absolutely no trace of the 11% Abv, which makes this dangerously drinkable.

Mouthfeel: Perfect! As with the rest of the beer, the body is absolutely massive - viscous, chewy and sticky. The carbonation is of a very low level (just perfect for my tastes) and wonderfully smooth.

Overall: Marshal Zhukov is one hell of a beer and is easily one of the best un-barrel-aged imperial stouts I have had! I would highly recommend this for anyone who loves massive imperial stouts. I will certainly be trading for a whole lot more of this!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 08:42:42 | More by Thehuntmaster

xpdrinker

Florida

4.85/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - 25.4oz bottle courtesy of biggsbowler (thanks!). Bottle July '11. Pours like sludge. Super pitch black, monster dark brown head. 

S - Coffee, dark chocolate, booze-soaked dark fruit, molasses and a little raisin. Little bit of vanilla.

T - Cocoa, chocolate truffles, slightly nutty. Dark fruit, vanilla. Fantastic.

M - Like a bucket of black paint. Carbonation has faded a little but this thing coats the mouth and stays. You can almost chew on it.

O - This is probably not only my favorite stout but also my favorite beer. Perhaps it's destiny that it's released the same month as my birthday. I'll be getting an entire case next year.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 01:46:42 | More by xpdrinker

ccrida

Oregon

4.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle (thx Dstructo), 9 months old, poured into my Delirium snifter, Marshal Zhukov's is pitch black with an almost brick colored light brown head, exceptionally dark, leaving foamy lace. Impressively imposing.

Smell is good but odd, there's an almost quinine like fruitiness that is very Belgianesque. Man, I really like it, just a hint of phenols and ethanol when I really bury my sniffer keep it from a 5.

Taste is big but surprisingly smooth and well integrated. Massive roastiness, with more of the fruity esters, maybe the London ale yeast, I really dig the depth it provides. In fact, I really dig this RIS period, super impressive. I've had a few drain pours from these guys, apparently it's all strikes and gutters. I'm shocked with how much I'm enjoying this beer and how easily it's going down. I had it at a tasting about 4 months ago, but it was a long night of crazy beers and this one didn't get a chance to stand out - but the 110k + OT I brought sure did, it was nasty, dirty heat. None here, though, strait butter.

Mouthfeel is very thick, viscous, mouth coating stickiness, substantial but not to heavy in the belly.

Drinkability is damn good. This is a massively rich RIS, yet it's really smooth and enjoyable as hell. As much as I like to cellar beer, I can't really see a compelling reason to sit on this on for much longer other then to experiment, as it's drinking excellent now. The tail end of ski season here in Oregon, I'm glad I didn't wait 6 months for next season.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 07:00:55 | More by ccrida

weissbierdrinker

Belgium

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Let me give a big thanks to fogdog for a great trade!

Not sure I've ever given out this many 5's to a beer, but this one really deserves it. Pours a thick motor oil color (as stated in a previous review thought it really fit) with a chocolate brown head that fades sloooowly leaving a nice amount of lace around the glass.

Smell is of herbs, molasses, some hops, and something else I can't describe.

Taste is phenomenal! Dark chocolate, roasted malts, molasses, caramel, herbs, some peppery notes, and bitterness from the hops. Thick mouthfeel and not sugary sweet. The alcohol is ever so slightly present and it makes for a very drinkable beer. There is so much going on in this beer that I just can't believe it! Wow wish I could just buy this by the truck load. One of the best RIS's I've ever had.

Very well balanced not overly sweet from the malts, not overly bitter, just right in my book, and not the least bit watery, again it has a very creamy thick mouthfeel. What a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 17:47:07 | More by weissbierdrinker

shand

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Cigar City snifter. 2011 batch.

Woohoo! This batch of Zhukov's surely has no carbonation problems! It pours an absolutely impressive (my roommate said he'd be afraid to drink it) pitch-black color with a voluminous, three finger+ dark chocolate coloured head (it escaped the glass, even on a slow pour). Retention and lacing are both great. The aroma is absolutely full of big roasty flavors of coffee and malts, as well as dark fruits. The taste is huge, with massive amounts of dark fruits, roasted coffee, and silky-smooth coffee. Looking for anything subtle? Well, there's some slight herbal hop aspects, but in general you aren't going to find "subtle" here. Zhukov's is like a sledgehammer of flavor direct to the face.

The mouthfeel? This is the biggest, thickest stout ever. Ten Fidy doesn't have shit on this. It'll coat your mouth for minutes after you take a sip. The light, but still noticeable carbonation helps this go down very easily. The drinkability is very good for the high ABV and the thickness, only the smallest hint of alcohol is available. This is the batch of Zhukov's to make anyone a believer. This is one of the best big stouts I've ever had. Be on the lookout for the 2011 bottles. If you see them, get as many as you can. It'll be absolutely worth it.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 02:32:12 | More by shand

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Found a botle of Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout at my local Whole Foods in Manhattan. When did Cigar City start sending the Zhukov up here??

Appearance: Huge bottle onto my Sierra snifter. God this thing pours thick and then some! Outrageous. Pure Kuwaiti oil with a pitch-black color to match, plus an oversize head the size of a fist. Carbonation issues? This thing sure did pop out with a bang and overflowing, which is rare for an Imperial Stout... all in all, though, this looks exceptional indeed.

Smell: Booze, sweetness, chocolate powder, dark fruit, a hint of sourness.

Taste: The hops shine here, along with strong chocolate and cold-brewed coffee. Some smoke as well, very subtle. A tad of anise and a dry, spicy finish.

Mouthfeel: Exceptionally rich, creamy and sleek/slick, with a nice hoppy/tingly feel at the end of the sip. Dry, reverberates in the mouth long after you're done. A tummy-warmer for sure!

Overall: Damn good this is! One of the best Imperial Stouts I have ever enjyoed, no doubt. From the looks to the last drop, this is truly outstanding. Worth the price of admission and then some! The alcohol is the only aspect of this beer that gets on the way of sheer enjoyment. Boozy, it requires sipping. I took over 90' to finish this...

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 23:45:02 | More by DoubleSimcoe

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled this at the DC bottle share at the Smoke and Barrel on October 14, 2012.

Appearance is exactly what you expect in a big stout, dark with a little creamy head.

Smell not that intense, but very pleasant, a little smoke and a tiny tart fruit

Taste is similar to smell; no surprises. The alcohol is hidden well in this beer. Mouthfeel just so smooth.

The whole beer is just what I would call smooth deliciousness.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 19:38:20 | More by mendvicdog

dstc

Florida

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Opaque black color, completely dark. Very small brown head, one of the darkest beers and heads I've seen. Head falls to nothing, thin, chocolate lace.

Deep, robust, roasted malt aroma with coffee hints.

Nice dry bittersweet chocolate flavor up front followed by a bitter coffee flavor ending with a lingering bitterness. Absolutely wonderful flavor.

Mouthfeel is full and thick. Very chewy and very smooth.

Holy crap. Not my favorite style but this is the greatest stout I've ever had. Awesome.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 13:27:26 | More by dstc

Finatic

Florida

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750ml bottle shared with friends and poured into a miniature Cigar City sifter.

A: Awesome black like motor oil appearance. A nice light brown fluffy head with some lacing and decent retention.

S: The chocolate and coffee undertones just strike your nose as soon as the bottle is uncapped.

T: A lovely chocolate, coffee taste overwhelms the palate. Nice hidden taste of burnt malts comes out as the beer warms.

M: Perfect carbonation and the alcohol is well hidden, a very easy beer to drink given the high ABV.

O: Cigar City has nailed this one right on the nose, my favorite Russian Stout so far in my limited array into the RIS arena.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 17:55:35 | More by Finatic

MBrausen

Minnesota

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a CBS snifter.

A. Pours a dark black, mocha brown head the settled to a light foam layer.

S. Smells of chocolate, toffee, and a little caramel.

T. Tastes of milk chocolate, light toffee and caramel with a mild hop profile showing.

M. Very thick and chewy, malty and very sticky finish.

O. Super good beer. Amazingly simple and pleasureful beer, chocolate in the right amounts, a great RIS and well made. I will be looking for a bottle of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 21:48:45 | More by MBrausen

afksports

New York

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've had this on cask, and tap twice, but most recently on tap so that's what we're going with. Had it at the CCB event at Blind Tiger on 11/17. Some crap post nasal drip had me tackled, so I was only able to enjoy this and the Peach IPA. Argh, Novemberrr!

It pours a thick black with a dark tan/brown, almost khaki and red head. The finger thing stuff dissipates and leaves not much lacing, but keeps some decent legs. It's pitch black. No wonder the Germans couldn't beat this guy. They couldn't see. The smell is just as fantastic, with coffee, espresso and chocolate predominating. Burnt notes are there, caramel, toffee. Taste is out of this world too. Everything that's in the nose is in the drink, plus a sweetness that covers the booze.

It feels great going down, with the only knock being that there's not much variation on the velvety smoothness. I will drink as many of these as I can get my hands on. While I'm still standing.

And if November colds don't get in the way.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2010 18:52:09 | More by afksports

olimpia84

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap during my visit to CCB. Beer was poured into a CCB snifter.

A: pitch black body with a creamy one finger chocolate milk colored head and beautiful viscous lacing as the beer goes down.

S: strong aromas of coffee, dark chocolate and roasted malts that cordially invite you to sip on this beer. Amazing.

T: follows the nose very closely with a thick presence of coffee, dark chocolate milkshake, brownies and lots of roasted malts. Slight sweet aftertaste that ends up begging your palate to go back for some more. Complex taste, yet very well executed; this is an amazing Imperial Stout.

M: I've never had something like this before. Smooth, creamy, soft, thick, and sticky mouthfeel. Let me mention the word smooth again because that's the keyword to describe this. Full body with low carbonation, the high alcohol level is not really felt at all.

O: Best qualities are the taste and the mouthfeel; this beer is an example of how to set the bar high...really high for Imperial Stouts. It was a pleasure enjoying this beer from start to finish, it's the perfect "dessert" beer if you ask me. God bless CCB.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 02:19:16 | More by olimpia84

falcon1

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout by Cigar City Brewing is an outstanding example of an Imperial Russian Stout. It is tremendously rich and creamy in taste - rather sweet on the tongue. The flavor is immense, but not over powering to the senses. It reminds me of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream and people in Central Ohio will understand what I am talking about. One of the best Imperial Russian Stouts that I have had the pleasure of tasting recently.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 18:00:17 | More by falcon1

Danny1217

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours jet black, like ink. You can literally see the thickness of it. Not much head to speak of, but the intensity of the black color speaks in itself. Smells very roasted. Some hops coming through (it is a very fresh bottle, so the hops are all in tact) as well as dark fruits, chocolate, espresso, toffee, and booze. The alcohol on the nose is powerful, and actually frightening. Fortunately, the alcohol is completely hidden beneath the bold flavors. Bitter chocolate, roasted malts, espresso, figs, and citrus hop flavors. Bitter and powerful. Flavorful even as imperial stouts are concerned. Each sip coats my mouth with its deliciousness. A somewhat light carbonation makes it feel so creamy. This beer is viscous and full bodied.

Could be the best RIS I have had. Definitely one of them. I need to find some more of this and see how it does with age.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 04:56:45 | More by Danny1217