Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Cigar City Brewing

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2010 bottle with a year of age on it.

A - Black with a nice beep brown small(ish)head.

S - Big. roasty, chocolate, malty

T - Like the nose. Chocolate, roasty, coffee, malty. Very smooth.

M - Very thick, slightly oily. Coats the mouth.

O - Very good. Up there witht the best imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 00:59:24 | More by s1ckboy

GallowsThief

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out of a bomber into my tulip. 2011 vintage.

A – Black. Beyond black. Huge 3 fingers of creamy deep dark brown head that just clings to the glass. Looks like chocolate egg cream froth.

S – Dark chocolate, toffee, molasses, coffee, vanilla.

T – Huge and heavy roasted malts immediately. Full dark chocolate taste right after but not making this overly sweet. It is there but its not a super sweet stout. Vanilla and molasses present. Has a nice bitter effect at the end. Warming alcohol finishes it off.

M – Thick and creamy. It totally coats your mouth from corner to corner. Viscous is the word. Nice.

O – Excellent stout. Its got a great complex taste. Leaves you wanting more. Was an easy drinker considering the ABV. Glad I bought a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 00:15:31 | More by GallowsThief

JayS2629

Alabama

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured jet black with thick, dark mocha head that fades slowly into rich, creamy rings. Sticky black legs like molasis run down the edges of the glass. Beautiful.

Bold, rich, roasted coffee punches through dark chocolate, molasis, over-ripe plums and dark cherry notes. Hints of vanilla, tobacco and licorice fade into some warm, inviting, rum fumes in the finish.

Dark chocolate and molasis balanced with roasted malts and black coffee create a background for dark fruit notes of cherry, figs, and plum. Hints of vanilla, dark cola, tobbacco and licorice. Earthy hops balance rum notes in the finish to create a complex and enjoyable beer.

Rich, syrupy, smooth and silky. Warming. Thick and sticky.

Super rich, complex, enjoyable imperial stout. Defninite warming sipper to share on a cold night.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 20:00:41 | More by JayS2629

zac16125

South Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into a snifter
2011 version, but no specific dates or other distinguishing numbers

A: Pours a viscous, viscous, opaque jet black, with 2 plus fingers width of bubbly yet dense, dark,  chocolate ice cream colored head.  This is the darkest head I've seen on a beer, ever.   Great retention, and takes minutes to dissipate down to a drinkable level.  Leaves a decent amount of lacing.  Amazing looking beer.

S: Very aromatic from the moment I opened the bottle.  Big dark fruit characters with tons of fig and some raisin.  There are even notes of unripe sour plums.  Chocolate aroma is present as well, along with some roasted malt and toffee notes.  The alcohol presence is noticeable but not negatively so.  There is a wood oaky aroma as well.  Lots going on with the nose, but dark fruits are the most prominent.  Very nice.

T: Initial sip gives roasted malts and dark fruit sweetness.  Other flavors noted are fig,  an oak flavor thats bourbon like, milk chocolate,  a nutty character, bitter bakers chocolate on the back end, and even a hint of coconut at one point. Early on its almost too sweet, but as it warms the sweetness is balanced by other flavors including hops and roasted malt, and an earthy grassy flavor.  The flavor profile is complex, with large variations from sip to sip.  Very good.

M/D: Silky smooth, very nice.  A very chewy mouthfeel and does a great job of coating the palate.  About as full bodied as you can get.  Carbonation is very minimal, in a good way, which makes the head and retention that much more impressive.  Pretty good drinkability considering how massive this beer is.  

O: Overall, a great beer.  Really top notch.  Actually it's very similar to Hunahpu , except the Hunahpu flavor profile is slightly ( and I mean only slightly) better, and I actually like it more than rum barrel aged Hunahpu.  A great offering that I highly recommend trying if you can get it.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 02:19:16 | More by zac16125

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to injuredreserve for the bottle. Shared with Bilco and angrybabboon

Appearance: Thick, dark, and massive. Pours like motor oil and sludge. So very still. No head. Syrupy and viscous. I've poured some big stouts, but this might be the scariest thing I've ever seen come out of a bottle.

Smell: Char. So very burnt. It's charred and aggressive. Smoke and more smoke. Meat ends. Turn up the grill and burn those malts. Sweetness is in your face. Alcohol pulls through, but is quickly subdued by the all out malt assault. Coffee and cocoa. Holy hell. Some vanilla and dark fruit. It's all about the char.

Taste: Unrelenting malt aggression. Burnt, charred, and sweet. Somehow they've achieved Maillard reaction flavors. Did they cook this with a blow torch? Bitter cocoa and some fresh coffee. Meat and a mellow roasted compliment. It's confusing. Plums and raisins. Cherry. Waves of flavor and depth. Complex and then some.

Mouthfeel: Heavy, slick, and full. It's beastly. So very heavy. Carbonation is almost non-existent. So much body.

Overall: This transcends the levels of normality. We're talking about something that fringes on a solid. It's a beast and a half. So much char that a bottle would be impossible to drink alone. Bring your friends and be astounded.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 01:54:41 | More by Goblinmunkey7

oberon

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Maybe the deepest pour of any stout I have come across,jet black with a deep cocoa powder colored thick creamy head,just awesome.Deep molasses and coffee aromas really stand out when pouring,some roasted nut and chocolate round out an aggressive aroma profile.Thick and creamy feel to the beer makes it glide down to easy.Flavors of black strap molasses and chocolate start out on the palate wich is somewhat sweet but not overly so,French roast coffee and mild earthy tones keep the beer balanced and more quaffable,the alcohol is there but it didn't make it less drnkable.Wow this is a brash bad ass imperial stout,no wonder the high ratings,one of the best beers I have had this year...if not the best.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 23:55:22 | More by oberon

sukwonee

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2011 vintage.

A: Black motor-oil body with one finger mocha head that lingers. Lots of lacing.

S: Roasted malt, dark chocolate. Smells very close to Hunahpu without the peppers.

T: Yum... very very good tasting stout. Dark chocolate, roasty malt, coffee, some hops. Taste is very... long...(couldn't find a better adjective) and it lingers very long too afterwards - dark chocoalte and bitterness. It's awesome and I think it will age very well too, although it tastes great now.

M: Same and Hunahpu. Thick, syrupy, chewy, awesome.

O: This is probably my favorite non-barrel aged and specially treated stout to date.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 00:52:19 | More by sukwonee

tectactoe

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to nedvalton for this one! Definitely big one on my wanted list. Marshall Zhukov pours dark as fuck with another dark as fuck tan head - seriously, this is incredible. The only beer that can rival this level of darkness and viscosity is probably Founders Imperial Stout. If the look is any indication, this is gonna be a good beer. The nose is heavily roasted and super malt-heavy as expected. Deep espresso beans, cocoa, bittersweet fudge - this beer SMELLS thick. Mostly sweet in the aroma, but it shows some signs of light char, roastiness, and even a hint of leafy bitterness.

Swish! This beer wafts across my tongue about as thick and dense as they come. Waves of thick, sweet fudge, chocolate, and heavy roasted malts rush back and forth with huge robustness. After the initial taste, the brew seems to lighten up a bit and the chocolate takes on more of a sweet, milky flavor. Some light licorice and anise flavors add to the sweetness as well. Much to my liking, there is a very noticeable hop character; ashy, leafy, and herbal, providing a nice bitterness that slashes through the sweetness of the beer. There is some char and roast, but not quite enough to reveal a "smokey" flavor. Heavily woody and even a little nutty on the end with a huge dry-roasted coffee bean aftertaste. Medium carbonation provides the creamy and chewy mouth feel of this beer - big, robust, and powerful.

This is a damn fine beer. It's got just about everything I'm looking for in an imperial stout. For an 11%-er, the alcohol was hidden well, making this one dangerous. Sweet, roasty, and even bitter, this beer will put you on your ass. It's huge, it's powerful, it's not for sissies. Definitely rivals some of my other favorites, FIS and Ten FIDY. I wish this stuff were easier for me to acquire, I'd have it all the time. But maybe that's a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 05:38:05 | More by tectactoe

nootch23

Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle poured into a snifter.

A - pours a thick, midnight black with a half finger of chocolate colored head. Can't see anything through the glass.

S - great smelling beer, smells really big. Smells of chocolate, roasted malt, coffee underlying the big boozy smell that is right up front.

T - really complex tasting beer. Really big notes of chocolate, molasses, licorice, coffee, and a lot of fruit flavors like cherries and prunes, if you can believe that. The alcohol is definitely there and has that alcohol burn with each drink. Despite the alcohol in each taste, it's an easy beer to drink, really smooth going down.

M - thick presence lingers with lingering tastes of chocolate, fruits and coffee. very smooth finish.

O - this is a great beer yet a pretty big one that will probably be unbelievable given 2-3 years in the cellar. I love complex tasting beers and each flavor plays beautifully off the other. The booziness is present but is balanced out pretty well so its not overwhelming or overpowering the rest of the beer. I'm really glad I had this and thank akuyper for sending it along in our trade. This is a beer that is definitely worth seeking out and trying and/or cellaring. Am very interested to see how this beer tastes after aging for a few years. I can see why it's so highly regarded.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 18:28:02 | More by nootch23

nickd717

California

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

Bottle via trade thanks to Sebletitje, and another shared by Nick3 and mfielden.

A - Pours jet black and thick with a medium thick brown head, very dark, leaving a small layer of foam and good lacing.

S - Aroma is nice and intense with chocolate, coffee, roast, molasses, and black cherry.

T - Flavor is similar to the aroma and really huge with lots of roasted malt as well as some caramel, dark chocolate, espresso, smoke, and lots of cherry. Some people thought there were actually cherries in this beer. Hops noticeable in there as well.

M - Palate is really full and chewy with a long bitter hop and cocoa finish.

D - High for what this beer is. Overall this is a notch above Hunahpu's even, with a creamier, fuller palate and higher drinkability, although it lacks the nice spiciness that Hunahpu's has.

Oh yeah, does anyone else notice a lot of Communist themes in Cigar City's beers? If this was the 1950's, Joe McCarthy would definitely not approve.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 22:54:47 | More by nickd717

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

A: black as night, with a sandy brown head and great lacing

S: deep, rich, dark roasted malt, chocolate, toffee

T: I love it when I'm really excited to try a beer and it totally measures up to the high expectations I had. Rich, big, robust, complex, delicious, with hints of chocolate. This is a big RIS, and done very well.

M: Aggressive without being hot, thick, great carbonation level, easy going down, especially for 11.5% abv. As the glass is emptied it looks like an oil slick took place where the beer used to be. Viscosity lives here.

D: I have another bottle in the cellar that I'm pretty excited about. Highly recommended. This is one of the best in the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 03:20:59 | More by Huhzubendah

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Arrives with a fudge brown color and a decent head that leaves a nice pattern of lacing behind

Smell: Fudge, coffee and molasses

Taste: Chocolate fudge and molasses, up front, that is joined by dark fruit and citrusy hop flavors by mid-palate; the flavors mesh nicely after the swallow and the finish has a bit of toffee, too

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: An incredibly well-balanced example of the style; kudos to Cigar City

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2010 16:18:49 | More by brentk56

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

750 ml capped bomber into a couple of tulip glasses. Thanks go to Jw347 for this in a recent trade.

Pours black as motor oil coming out of the bottle, topped off with a ½ finger of burnt and blackened looking dark mocha head. There actually isn't a whole lot to the retention or lacing on this, as this peters out pretty quickly, but the amount of sticky brown oils that it leaves down the sides of the glass has you anticipating the dark decadence to come. The aroma is sharp in the nose at first with roasted coffee character, before a gooey smelling mix of chocolate and caramel malts rise up underneath. Citric green hops add some fresh green balance to this. Lot of beefy power here to the nose but I'm not getting any heat, as this merely amps up the robustness of the flavors.

The taste is thick and tangy in the mouth with chocolate fudge and toffee character up front. This is enveloped by crunchy burnt notes of roast and coffee, while a solid tingle of green and earthy feeling hops runs through the middle of the profile. The backend is heavy with leftover sweetness and citrus flavor before leading into dry roasted and zippy espresso finish. The mouthfeel is full, thick, and VERY chewy in the mouth. That 11% ABV is just beautifully hidden here, as you can feel just how big it is as it sits on the palate but there is absolutely no heat signatures coming out of this at all. Beefy but not boozy. Fantastic feel!

While not the most complex RIS out there, this doesn't have to be, thanks to the robustness, power, and most importantly balance of all of those huge flavors that are involved here. It's no wonder that this makes a perfect base for all of the different varieties that they put out of this beer. Just a well crafted Russian Imperial Stout with the alcohol content being right where I like it.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 20:31:43 | More by Kegatron

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

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

A: Same as Hunahpus with a jet black color and very dark head and lacing.

S: Very complex malt character with molasses, fudge, and smoky malts being most prominent. A little teriyaki saltiness as well, but with plenty of sugariness to balance.

T: Also a great taste with balanced malt notes and a little bit of hop esters as well. Bitter back and big fudge and smoke notes.

M: Very smooth and inviting.

D: Very drinkable for a stout of this magnitude. Another excellent stout from Cigar City!

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 03:44:55 | More by Dreadnaught33

titosupertramp

Tennessee

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

A big thanks to pittsky for the opportunity to try this.

A: Marshal Zhukov pours out of the bottle like oil that's a couple of thousand miles past due. Very dark and well carbonated..glad it's not from the flat batch. Chocolate colored head. Not a lot of lacing.

S: Big nose. Chocolate, molasses, licorice, roasted malt, raisins. Just what you want an RIS to smell like. Very inviting.

T: Everything from the nose is there. Molasses and chocolate are the most dominate flavors to me. Nice complex taste.

M: Thick, rich and coats the mouth, leaving a nice chocolate aftertaste.

D: Alcohol never shows itself at any point..not in the nose or taste. Drinks very well.

From this point forward, when someone asks what is my favorite RIS, this will be part of the conversation.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 06:03:55 | More by titosupertramp

Demer

New Jersey

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

Poured into my snifter. This beer is huge. Its pitch black with a deep dark brown head that stays the entire time in glass. Tons of lacing. The head is clumpy and awesome. You just know this is a serious beer just by looking at it.

The nose on this once is all roasted malty goodness. Theres some mocha and coffee thrown in to for good measure.

The taste on this beer is awesome. Roasted malts with some sweet chocolate, coffee, molasses. I also get some vanilla. This beer is motor oil thick.

Overall Im glad I have a few more bottles of this laying around. It is a great beer. I enjoyed every sip from first to last. This one is world class.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 14:52:57 | More by Demer

stxSS07

Illinois

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

750ml into a tulip. Courtesy of moose3285...thanks Mike!

A- Pours an oil slick black. Chugs out of the bottle. This is the darkest beer I've ever seen. Head is a dark mocha brown...leaves a huge brown film/legs when swirled.

S- Huge. First smell is of dark cacao powder, figs, and raisins. Scents of molasses, roasted malt/coffee. Alcohol is present, but not in a stinging way..I feel like it lends a hand to the sweetness. I pick up some licorice and vanilla on the back end as well. Very complex and I'm sure there are more notes that I just can't pick out individually.

T- First taste is of sweet dark fruits - figs and cherries mostly. Mid-palate I get more dark fruity notes...mostly raisins but coupled with a touch of bittering hops. Huge coffee/espresso finish...lasts forever. Somewhere in there I get the smell/flavor of a fresh pouch of Beechnut. Easily the most complex non-BA RIS I've had.

M- Thick and chewy with adequate carbonation. One of bigger stouts I've had as far as feel goes.

O- As previously stated, this is the best non-BA RIS I've had. The flavor is so incredibly complex and powerful that I almost doubt there were no additives (i.e. coffee) to this. I will definitely be seeking this out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 04:54:36 | More by stxSS07

Mora2000

Texas

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

Very excited to finally try this beer.

The beer pours a deep, inky black color with a large brown head. The aroma has a ton of milk chocolate in it as well as some roasted malt and a little bit of cream. The flavor is similar, with a hint of light smoke and some very dark fruit up front (mainly prunes, plums and raisins), I also get a lot of chocolate and some very heavily roasted malt. Thick, creamy mouthfeel and low carbonation. An excellent imperial stout, proving once again that when it comes to big, bold stouts, Cigar City is one of the best.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 03:21:58 | More by Mora2000

Lare453

Florida

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

32oz growler into a dfh glass

a very dark dark dark brown. almost black. beautiful light brown head that leaves a ton of beautiful lacing.

s cocoa, bitter chocolate, coffee, malt, vanilla

t a big malty beginning, dry bitter chocolate middle. the ending is bitter coffee, chocolate and chicory. the aftertaste is long lasting and is a delicious mocha, chicory and coffee and it is a bit dry

m thick and rich. smooth and great carbonation. big body and bold

o amazing beer. i would highly recommend this to anyone that likes stouts.

thick, rich, delicious, dry, sweet. just fantastic.

Serving type: growler

10-08-2012 01:42:49 | More by Lare453

WillCarrera

Illinois

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

750 ml bottle, bottled August 31, 2012, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Absolutely gorgeous. Pours pitch black, thick and viscous looking. As it fills the glass it slowly produces a two-finger, dark chocolate brown, thick and creamy head, which has nice retention and spotty lacing.

S- Loads of chocolate and roasted grain, some char, fruit and vanilla.

T- A big rush of malty sweetness, chocolate, cocoa powder and molasses, after a bit some roasty flavors become more dominant, with roasted grain and a huge amount of coffee. Some notes of fruit and vanilla are playing in the background. Slight alcohol warmth towards the finish, but it's very well hidden in general.

M- Full-bodied, low carbonation, has a creamy, velvety and slightly slick feel with some lingering chewiness.

O- This is a damn impressive beer, one of the tastiest stouts I've had in the last few months. Everything you could want in a stout is here in a big way and it all works very well together. If you were fighting your way room-by-room through the burning ruins of the Reichstag this is the kind of beer you would want to be drinking.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 04:29:36 | More by WillCarrera

stouts4me

Illinois

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

2011 bottle poured into my 3F snifter.

A: Holy mudslick ! Blackest Black you can imagine, thick and very chewy. Looks like a chocolate mousse on top of a pour of motor oil - absolutely THE BEST if you love BIG stouts !

S: a bit of cherry,fruity, plum, with the barley toasted aroma, really very nice and welcoming.

T: Well, if you have read to here , you KNOW what is coming here - GEE-BUS !!! Unreal, deliciousness, just mouth-coating, smooth, not-to-sweet, awesome and so beguiling. You can't stop comi8ng back for more tastes. Smell the awesomeness, swish it and chew it and let it slowly drip down your throat.

M: thick, smooth, delightlyfully chewy , and just friggin' mouth-coating greatness !

O: EPIC. TOTALLY, will definetly seek out additional bottles.

Thank You Cigar City, signed, Fan For Life - stouts4me.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 01:41:53 | More by stouts4me

yamar68

Minnesota

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

Big thanks to robinsmv for this one!

Pours like motor oil... except maybe darker, and thicker. So sexy looking - dark coffee brown head fades to a thin, well retaining film that smears lacing across a layer of oily alcohol legs.

Oh my... bittersweet. Chocolate cookies, fudge... it even SMELLS thick. Damn. Some brown sugar or cinnamon, french toast, molasses... nose-gasm.

Bittersweet chocolates of all kinds, abstract roasted malt qualities, incredibly thick and exceedingly smooth, alcohol character goes virtually undetected... I wonder how many calories are in this bottle. My guess would be a lot, and it's worth every fuckin' sip.

Damn good.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:29:25 | More by yamar68

Bitterbill

Wyoming

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

Thanks go out to Matt for the bottle!

It pours black with a 2 finger head of tan foam.

The smell is all sorts of complex; coffee, milk chocolate, toffee, sweet malt, molasses. Wow.

The taste follows suit. All the smells are there with the bottom line of this being a very malty/sweet RIS with just enough bitterness to keep it from getting cloying. Super good tasting and the alcohol is hidden pretty well.

The smoothest of mouthfeels with a better drinkability rating than it has a right to, this is simply marvelous.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:14:45 | More by Bitterbill

draheim

Washington

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

750mL (bottled 8/31/2012) into a snifter. Pours a thick, oily pitch black w/ a deep reddish tan head. Absolutely opaque and black as night. This is an impressive looking imperial stout.

Aroma is thick and sticky as well. Molasses, dark roasted malt, rich chocolate, vanilla, dark stone fruit.

Taste faithfully follows nose. Bittersweet chocolate, sticky molasses, rum-soaked figs, espresso, vanilla, toffee, and just a touch of booze. There's a ton of dense sticky sweetness here, but it's balanced perfectly by a sharp, cocoa-like bitterness.

Mouthfeel is chewy and coating; thick and rich. Decadent. Yet it somehow manages to vanish off the palate and finishes semi-dry, leaving behind a nice chocolatey aftertaste that lingers like a rich bittersweet truffle.

Overall, a truly impressive Russian imperial stout and a genuine dessert beer. I was expecting this to be good, but not this good.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 03:07:56 | More by draheim

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 vintage. Poured into a snifter.

3.0 A: Black color. Aggressive pour yielded only on finger of creamy light brown head. Retention was poor, even for the ABV. No lacing.

5.0 S: Really awesome nose on this. Rich dark chocolate is plentiful. Deeply roasted espresso undertones. Lots of blackstrap molasses with caramel, lightly herbal and citrus hops, and a oaky woodiness. Black cherry with a touch of sherry. Full of the CC house flavor that works so well in their stouts.

4.5 T: Like the nose, this is complex and powerful. Dark chocolate is again the strongest flavor with molasses, caramel, and neutral malt sweetness next. Notes of vanilla, oak, cherry, and herbal hoppiness. There's hitns of sherry again, but it acts to complement the flavors. Really tasty.

4.0 M: Heavier body. Carbonation is a bit lower than I'd prefer, but not horrible. Reasonably creamy and smooth.

4.5 D: Really tasty beer. About as good as Hunahpu's.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 03:15:01 | More by DavoleBomb