Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Cigar City Brewing

mechamifune

North Carolina

4.41/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a motor oil black with the slightest bit of a brown head. Only a whisp remains after a few seconds. Super sticky leg in the lacing. Carbonation minimal. After Dark Lord, about the thickest looking beer i've seen.

Smell is chocolate and dark fruits. Not overpowering but very good for the style.

Taste is chocolate, bitter roastiness, sugary sweetness, dark fruit, and a slightly bitter, dry finish. A nice complex taste with all notes integrated well.

Mouthfeel is full and super smooth. Reminds me a lot of Founders IS in that regard. The highpoint of the beer.

Overall, this joins Founders IS as my favorite "normal" IS. Of course founders is significantly cheaper and easier to find, so this loses out in that regard. Cigar City continues to impress me with their stouts and I look forward to trying more and more of their stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 16:17:33 | More by mechamifune

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

wyatt13

Illinois

4.74/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Bottled on date of August 31, 2012, so about 9 months old. I actually bought this bottle from Letspour. Poured from a 750 ml bottle into my Cigar City snifter.

A - One of the most badass looking brews I have ever seen. Motor oil is honestly an understatement -- the viscosity of this beer is hard to describe, but it is extremely impressive. Even more, the darkest head I have ever seen pops up to cap off the beer. Nice alcohol legs, with nonexistant lacing.

S - Awesomely complex, with bitter chocolate, high-quality coffee (bordering on espresso), some nice hop bitterness, and a bit of vanilla to round things out.

T - Immediately pounds your palate with an immense bitterness, only to have this recede and the bitter chocolate, roasted malts and awesome espresso assault your taste buds. Each sip left an aftertaste of 5 minutes that imprinted itself on my memory.

M - Thick, thick, thick. Almost like a beer milkshake. Minimal carbonation, but that fits perfectly with the style, in my opinion. Layers upon layers of sweetness simply coat the mouth and lips. The most impressive mouthfeel I've ever had.

O - I was admittedly pretty excited to try this, but this even managed to exceed my expectations. Especially in terms of appearance and mouthfeel, I'm not sure that I can conceive of anything more ideal. Can't wait to open up my Hunahpu's now!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 02:31:12 | More by wyatt13

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours like motor oil; thick, viscous with little carbonation there's a brown sheen that adheres to the edge of the glass.

Chocolate malt scent with dried fruitiness such as dates or even apricot. There is a little coconut and vanilla in the scent.

The taste has dry chocolate, dried fruit, coconut, vanilla espresso, and salty soy. The taste and feel scream out creaminess with dry crackers tones. There is so much going on yet this is a solid cohesive stout. Strong, thick and tasty it's a huge player.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 00:20:19 | More by KYGunner

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 2012 vintage 750 ml bottle into a Cigar City Brewing branded snifter

Pours a thick, viscous dark midnight black capped by by a dark brown one and half finger head. I'm always amazed by how Zhukov pours; this is one huge, thick RIS. Strong roasty malt, bakers chocolate, boozy alcohol, and dark fruit. One sip brings an explosion of flavor, charred dark chocolate malt, huge plum, prune, and black cherry notes, molasses which finishes with continued bold roasted malt, dark roast coffee/espresso, and warming alcohol. Ridiculously complex. The mouthfeel of this brew leaves nothing to be desired, huge and viscious, oily, velvety, creamy and silky. The most full-bodied brew that I've ever had and possibly the best mouthfeel of any brew I've had. As far as I'm concerned Marshal Zhukov is the one of the standards for Russian Imperial Stouts. Quite possibly the best brew I've ever had in the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 05:35:26 | More by chanokokoro

mdaschaf

Washington

4.05/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very thick black, very oily looking and viscous. A small brown colored head forms upon pouring and reduces to a thin cap on top. Minimal lacing.

S: Tons of molasses, it really dominates the aroma. There is some chocolate mixed in, a little bit of coffee, and faint roast. Definitely know its got some alcohol in it as well.

T: The flavor is certainly still full of molasses, but to a lesser extent. The chocolate is more pronounced, with some licorice and faint dark stone fruit. The roast comes through on the finish nicely, not much alcohol presence.

M: Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Slight warming as it goes down.

O: A big stout for sure. Really over powering in terms of thickness and sweetness, great if it is the only beer you plan on drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:41:09 | More by mdaschaf

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

raznug

Ohio

4.71/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Marshal Z pours thick and black and is topped with 1" of brown colored head
Smell: The aroma is a blend of roasted malt, alcohol, toffee and chocolate. The aroma is rather intense good but intense.
Taste: The flavors that erupt from the pint glass is just simply amazing; chocolate, roasted flavors, coffee and a nice amount of alcohol burn.
Mouthfeel: Thick and oily is a great way to describe the way that this beer feels going down.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 17:46:22 | More by raznug

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2011 vintage (I think, old label). Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a Pipeworks snifter.

A- pours pitch black with a 3" dark cola head. Big trails and giraffe print of lacing remains on the glass, half finger of head remains as well.

S- sweet maple syrup, chocolate, roast, anise and some dark fruits.

T- sweet chocolate, maple syrup, anise, sweet dark fruits, roast and some ash.

M- full body and medium carbonation. Big thick feel, creamy and smooth.

O- better than I expected from what I have heard about MZ. ,anyone the age mellowed the sweetness some, even though it is still very sweet for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:23:25 | More by kawilliams81

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.69/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Pours thick and dark, completely opaque brown-black. You have heard it before and will hear it again pours like lovable motor oil base with a slightly over-sized head just over a finger's length a very very dark tan with a deep mahogany tint.

Smell: Strong alcohol with a nice burnt sugar scent and strong molasses. This beer doesnt smell it dispenses aroma.

Taste: Comes off with strong molasses, and heavy dark chocolate that feels blended with roasted coffee. It's bitter no doubt but offset with slight sweetness that comes off borderlin perfect.

Mouth: With sweet bitter chocolate, seriously a rarity that a stout like this quenches your thirst. Medium carbonation feels a little lighter than some but how sticky it is what makes this brew worth it.

Overall: This brew hit me the way in way that honestly I would be crazy to leave it alone on the shelf. And to think I already thought I had the best Russian Imperial Stout before this. Great beer, go spend a few bucks...Salud!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 07:13:00 | More by BlurryVisi0n

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.95/5  rDev -9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a brandy snifter. Brewed 31 August 2012.

A: The darkest head I've ever seen. Dark chocolate brown, creamy, with good retention. The beer is black and opaque and viscous.

S: Booze, licorice, bittersweet chocolate. Strong, but not obviously complex. A hint of metal.

T/M: Soft, smooth, and thin. Not what I was expecting. I would say the mouthfeel is flat, but that's not quite right, because it's also velvety-creamy. The flavours are muddled. It's strongly malty, with hints of fruit (date? coconut?) and roasted barley and bittersweet milk chocolate and blackstrap molasses. Still, it's incoherent and I get the distinct feeling that it's not living up to its potential.

O: A nice RIS that's so smooth it goes down perilously easy, but it could perhaps stand a touch of carbonation or hop spice to accent the different, darker flavours that are (not) bubbling under the pitch-like surface.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 06:00:42 | More by AgentMunky

beerdrifter

Germany

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up from a great trade with Mike! Thick, pitch black pour with an amazing creamy dark caramel colored two finger head with decent retention and crazy lacing. The nose is hugely roasty and subtly sweet with hints of espresso, molasses, dark chocolate, toffee, and booze. The taste is complex and is dominated by the roasted malt along with hints of strong bitter dark chocolate, espresso, wood, burnt coffee, licorice, and some subtle vanilla and dark fruits with just a touch of smoke. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy and slightly oily with a bit of sweetness that is abruptly squashed by a lingering bitter finish. For a beer with such a beautiful head, it had a bit of a flat feel and could have used a touch more carbonation, but that's really being picky. I love the way it coats your mouth with flavor. Overall, this is a big rich bold beer that's really drinkable. First ever Cigar City beer, but definitely not the last!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 17:36:01 | More by beerdrifter

mhksuccess

California

3.89/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into snifter glass
it pours extremely dark almost black
very little head
it smells very smokey
i would say this taste is very smooth, taste of toffee and a sweetness
on the back-end
very balanced hints of lot of flavors but a good mix not one that is overpowering
i spilled a drop with a swirl lol and get a hint of coffee/expresso
overall i find that the hop profile is a little not quite to my tasting
that is why i feel that an overall rating of a 4 possible little lower is what i woudl score
think i may pass on this next time

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 15:52:09 | More by mhksuccess

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A- pours black with no head to speak of. Incredibly disappointing there

S- tons of licorice and ark malts, along with some slight chocolate. Pretty nice

T- licorice dominates the flavor profile. Getting some soy sauce too. Tad bit of chocolate. No coffee to speak of. Very, very disappointing

M- super thick and syrupy body. Dear god. Incredibly viscous

O- I expected much more, given the reputation. Very disappointing beer

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 00:34:12 | More by bigfnjoe

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Marshal Zhukov pour flat black into the glass with a very small brown head on top. A few spots of lace stick to the glass.

The aroma is rich with chocolate, roasted malt, nuts, dark fruit (raisin, fig) and a touch of coffee.

Each sip of this full bodied beer is velvety smooth, creamy with light carbonation. The rich flavor is loaded with chocolate, roasted malt, toffee, nuts, and dark fruit (raisin). It finishes mildly bitter with a touch of grass. Once gone the chocolate and nutty notes linger on the palate.

This beer has an awesome mouthfeel with a full flavor that expands as it warms. I hope someday I can get another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:20:01 | More by WanderingFool

Florida_SC_Trojan

Florida

4.26/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Let me start of by saying one of my top five breweries in the US. I had this beer in a 750ml bottle. This is a big bad beer and the name is fitting. A nice thick dark head. A nice rich dark chocolate smell. The taste is dark chocolate, malts and fruit with a bitterness at the very end. Well balanced and a touch of sweetness. The only problem I have with this beer is the mouthfeel. Too much alcohol burn. I would like at a lower ABV. Needs a year or two of aging.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 21:19:40 | More by Florida_SC_Trojan

elgiacomo

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottled August 31, 2012. Served at cellar temperature. HUGE thanks to Mark for this treat!

Pours incredibly thick and black with without a doubt the darkest head I’ve ever seen on a stout. Leaves some lacing and recedes to a wispy cap and ring.

Aroma is really rich deep dark roasted malts, dark chocolate, espresso and gourmet coffee, dark fruits, rum-soaked raisins, figs, dates, anise, molasses, hint of smoke. Good to very good strength.

Flavor is espresso, serious coffee, dark chocolate, raisins, figs, burnt roasted malts, smoke, anise, molasses, caramel, toffee, fairly sweet, alcohol is there but fits in perfectly for a beer of this size. Unbelievably rich and complex.

Mouthfeel is full-on full-bodied, thick, chewy, sticky, eat it with a fork. Perfect.

Freakin’ fantastic. This is right up my alley. The thicker the better when it comes to Imperial Stouts...I find Ten FIDY to be a little to thin for my tastes...this one delivers. So rich. So complex. Tons of espresso and chocolate as well as boatloads of overripe dark fruits. My only bottle...I will cherish and savor this one and hope to land more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 05:45:19 | More by elgiacomo

haazer

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Sat on this for about a year, perfect time open on this snowy night.

A- Holy sludge. Thick black high mileage motor oil. And this is the first black head I've seen. It towers in the glass and very slowly subsides, leaving lacing on the glass. The head does lighten to a brown cocoa powder color.

S- Burnt dark malty chocolate aroma fills the air at the pour. Such rich dark chocolate, good roast profile. Espresso, a bit of sugary molasses and underlying toffee. Booze is well masked.

T- Sweet chocolate syrupy flavor initially. The chocolate winds into a creamy espresso. There is toffee, and definitely thick molasses. The flavor rounds out with an earthy bitterness from the English hops. No alcohol detection at all. This is dessert in a bottle. It's as rich as a double chocolate devil cake if there is such a thing.

M- Full bodied and rich, thick brew. Molasses(re-occurring theme) viscosity, and mid to high carbonation.

O- This was sweet yet delicious. Decadent and rich. Would love to try any of the variations of this beer, especially Hunahpu. Probably the most chocolate profile you'll see in an RIS and I like it. Love CCB.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:29:43 | More by haazer

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.34/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle to worthy sniffer

A:dark dark mocha brown with a dark red leather like mini foam that leaves a really thick lacing. This thing is totally opaque as no light went through

S: wow chocolate city so much so it's almost overwhelming there is some mocha in there maybe a hint of alcohol but mostly chocolatey goodness

T:the staring flavor is coffee and dark chocolate the coffee bitterness with a little bit of dark fruit in there. The chocolate carries through with a little bit of the mocha flavor and the dark fruit coming out more like figs or raisins this taste also could be coming from the molasses as there hints of sweetness as well

M: it is pretty oily and very thick and chewy toffee like for sure as you can almost feel the sugar sticking to your teeth. The expresso and fruit flavors add a crisp taste that seems like it could be smoothed out with more time though still very good.

O: I am very impressed with this beer but in mad at myself for not being able to wait longer to open as I know this would taste better with at least two years on it but alas I wi have to come back. That being said the chocolate and expresso flavor is some of the best I've ever had in a beer and is well balanced with the sweetness the dark fruit power should fade with age and that will make the better flavors come out more. So looking forward to coming back as enjoyed the hell out of this get it if you can

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 04:36:27 | More by Pinknuggets

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

popery

California

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes, 8/22/10. Good imperial stout but not really a standout. I still don’t really get all of the CCB hype. Pours black with a brown head. Looks pretty thick. Nice head retention. Solid chocolate/coffee/roast flavor. Taste is on the sweet side with a definite, lingering molasses note. Medium full body. Some hop bitterness helps curtail the sweetness. Good beer but doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from the pack. As a year round beer (and depending on price), it’s very good, but among all >10% stouts, it’s not so memorable.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 07:38:31 | More by popery

GameFreac

Georgia

4.74/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Cousin got me a bottle a few months ago. Finally getting around to drinking it. Can't wait to finally try this.

Appearance: Pours the darkest color I've ever seen bar Ten Fidy. Huge pillowy brown head. Looks insane.

Smell: Smells of chocolate, cherries, alcohol, mocha, coffee, syrup, and dark malts.

Taste - Tastes absolutely amazing. Chocolate, dark fruits with predominantly a cherry flavor, coffee, dark malts, slight roast, syrupy sweetness, and more milk chocolate and a slight hop bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel: Thick mouthfeel. Barely any carbonation but it works. Leaves a cocoa powdery film in your mouth. Awesome.

Overall: One of the best beers I've ever had. In my top 5. So fucking delicious.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 02:32:03 | More by GameFreac

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ML bottle poured into a Gulden Draak tulip glass

Appearance- Motor oil black with 2 fingers of dark brown head that some what dissipates but stays with the beer the whole way leaving stick multi layered lacing on the glass.

Smell- Wow getting bourbon here even though this isnt aged in boubon barrels at all. Also getting coffee, lots of forms of chocolate, and some espresso.

Taste- Up front the 1st thing that hits is a little booze. The booze is followed by chocolates and coffee and bitter hops. The finish is a long cloying roastyness.

Mouthfeel- Heavy body that coats the mouth with a perfect amount of carbonation balance. Also, a nice alcohol warming towards the end.

Overall- Very interesting Russian Imperial stout. Lots of charecteristics of a BA stout with a very nice long toasty/roasty finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 22:59:55 | More by BrownAleMale

dbc5

Ohio

3.96/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. 6 ounces poured into a 10 ounce Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout snifter.

A. Pour appears extremely viscous. Moderate pour yields about a one finger, coffee colored head which recedes into darkness quickly. Not much evidence of carbonation once the head recedes.

S: Large amount of chocolate upfront. Also picking up a brown sugar character that I've gotten from other Cigar City stouts (Cognac Milk Stout). Some coffee and vanilla as well. Dominate aroma is dark chocolate, followed by the sweetness and coffee.

T: Tons of roasted malt sweetness up front. A good amount of dark chocolate. Definitely a sweeter stout. Picking up some vanilla, which in combination with the extremely thick mouthfeel, lends a cream-like character. After swallowing, getting some bitter coffee and just a touch of hop bitterness attempting to balance out some of the sweetness.

M: This is the most noteworthy aspect of the beer. I don't know that I can identify a more viscous non-barrel aged stout. Short of Bourbon County Stout, this may be the thickest beer I've had. It coats your palate and sticks around forever.

O: Enjoyable brew. It is pretty sweet and I can see that being an issue for some when working through the 750 ml format. Being honest, I'm a fan of sweet beers but found myself becoming a bit fatigued in the palate by the end of the bottle. Would be happy to acquire another bottle somewhere down the road to see what age does to it.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:20:10 | More by dbc5

BrownNut

Florida

4.46/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage, drunk Jan 2012. Bottle to tulip, served starting at 55 degrees F.

When they released this in Sep 2012 they recommended letting it age for several months to fully come together. As of Jan 1 2013, that's about right.

A - 4.75 - Opaque black with a thick, enduring mocha-colored head. Serious lacing.

S - 4.0 - Somewhat reserved. Chocolate. Hint of coffee. Hint of wood. For a flash I got something boozy, for a couple of flashes I got something vinous.

T - 4.5 - The months of aging have taken some of the bitter edge off. It was difficult to get through a 750 of this when I had it fresh - not in a bad way, just in a big, bold, challenging way that made you take it slow. Now it has mellowed. I'm still left with a bitter chocolate aftertaste, but not a strong one. And in the main body, it's not so full of char as it once was. It's more balanced, with the dark chocolate, baker's chocolate, powdery cocoa, and chocolate syrup notes coming forward, although not to an overly-sweet degree. There is a touch of something vinous. The taste and mouthfeel still make you go slower than you would with another beer, which I love.

M - 5.0 - Superb. Thick, heavy body approaching pudding feel. Creamy, velvety, viscous from lips to throat.

O - 4.5 - A fine, fine imperial stout. This is a serious beer. It will be interesting to see what 1, 2, 3 years will do to this.

Here's my original review from Sep '12. The official scores for this review reflect the newest tasting.

2012 vintage, drunk late Sep2012. Bottle to tulip, served cool.

A - 4.5 - Pours like motor oil, thick, viscous, and black, with one of the darkest heads I've seen. Like dense chocolate milk color. Gets a bit lighter as it sits. A thick and enduring head that you can put an enduring dent in.

S - 4.5 - A comforting graham cracker malty aroma intersecting with a delicate roasty char. A few times, just for a flash, I got a whiff of hops.

T - 4.5 - Perfect balance. There is a maturity to this combination of flavors. Yes, there's chocolate, but it doesn't go too far in any one chocolate direction such as chocolate syrup or brownies or cocoa or semisweet or milk chocolate or baking chocolate like many do, but rather occupies the nexus of them all while tastefully restraining all of the chocolate and sweetness against the other elements such as some char, woodiness, and coffee. None step forward to be dominant. As it gets closer to room temp, the char becomes easier to parse out.

That same refined, mature, chocolatey, charry, dry quality persists in the exhale after swallowing.

There's some kind of fruit flavor left on the lips afterwards, like maybe cherry, which wasn't apparent in the main tasting. Think of a dark chocolate covered cherry and pull back on the candy cherry intensity and sweetness and that's what you get on the lips.

For just a second sometimes as I exhale and in the aftertaste, the winey combination of fruit and chocolate veers briefly into hop territory and then disappears. It overlaps so nicely with those other flavors. The aftertaste is the best kind of tease, in that it threatens to cross the threshold into real bitterness but holds just shy. Threatens to be too chocolatey but holds just shy. Threatens to be too much char and holds just shy. It's so well balanced, and according to the brewery isn't even supposed to come together all the way until a few months after bottling. I'm drinking a few weeks after bottlin and it's fantastic.

The alcohol peeks out just on the edge of recognition as you first exhale, but in a nice way, adding its own flavor element.

I'd give it 4.75 in taste if I could. I suppose its somewhat maturely subdued and restrained balance could be exceeded by something really bold and adventurous that manages to not fly too close to the sun. So I have to leave some room.

M - 5 - Medium-heavy bodied, viscous, and ultra smooth. I think only Blaecorn Unidragon has pulled in more pudding-like than this. Either a moderate dryness or the very beginning of hop abrasion does its mild work on the tongue. Leaves a nice warm burn at the back of the throat for a little while. I'd give it a 4.75 in mouthfeel if I could, only because HotD Fred was so sexy in mouthfeel that it should stand alone at 5.

O - 4.5 - I'm wary of hype on these limited release beers everyone scrambles for, but here's one that delivers. This is my first foray into the big leagues of limited release stouts and I can say this is the best stout I've had, vying for best beer I've had. Everything comes together so nicely. It's a delight. Many others I've had and liked seem somewhat clumsy and coarse by comparison now. This is grown up stout, yet still so rich. I tend to fly through beers more quickly than I'd like, but this one insists on being savored.

I'd give this a 4.75 overall if I could, simply to leave room for all the great stuff I've heard about but haven't tried yet.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:16:05 | More by BrownNut