Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Cigar City Brewing

vfgccp

New York

3.78/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

July 2011 bottle, opened Aug 2012

A - Wow, the pour is liquid bowling ball black. Thick, creamy, milk chocolate brown head with fantastic retention and lace. Zero highlights on the solid black body.

S - Warm booze, balsamic, black molasses, toffee, savory, and anise.

T - Thick sweet molasses, burnt toast, dark roast coffee, cherry and plum fruits, toffee, dry dark chocolate, and cream.

M - Chewy mouthfeel. About as thick as they come.

O - Aggressive flavor profile; this bottle is definitely meant for sharing. It feels more over the top than in balance, which is cool if it's your thing but it's a little much for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 19:40:45 | More by vfgccp

HopHead84

California

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for opening this one, Torry. Consumed on 11/23/2009 in a snifter. Pours out black like motor oil with a thick, creamy, two finger toffee brown head. Retention is excellent and lacing is scattered. The chocolate component reminds me of a dark chocolate cake. Booze is noticeable and there's and a dash of

Zhukov's RIS opens with dark fruit (plum, grape, currant) blackstrap molasses, and a strong charred malt character. There's a dash of brown sugary sweetness and vanilla. There's a nice moderate level of black coffee, it's not dominant but evident nonetheless. The chocolate toffee.

The flavor opens with aggressive hops, alcohol, and burnt malt. Blackstrap molasses is evident, as well as a light toffee sweetness. The dark chocolate component is strong, and it reminds me a bit of a truffle. Dark fruit is subtle. The beer is pleasant thus far. Midpalate, the roast becomes overdone and the booze is too aggressive. I can't get over the strong char. The finish is dark chocolate, a strong burnt roast, and coffee. It's bitter, aggressive, acrid, and astringent.

Full bodied with an upper level of carbonation and a sticky, chewy, and syrupy mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 06:29:26 | More by HopHead84

mistakebythelake

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottle drank at Big Bad Stout Tasting out of a snifter.

Pours a Jet black with hints of red around the edges of beer. No head whatsoever remind me of coffee with no bubbles. Smeels of slight tobacco and roasted malts nothing else really going on. I did like the slitty smoky taste and roosted malts with a bit of a coffee finish. I did like the fact Zuhkov was very thick, rich and creamy. Definitely a sipper for me. I preferred this RIS then his offspring Hunaphu's.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 20:07:31 | More by mistakebythelake

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Appearance -- Pours black with no head. Thin coffee ring appears as the beer settles. Coats the glass like CRAZY. Did I get duped with 10w30?? Aside from it looking still, it's perfect.

Smell -- Black coffee, cherry bon-bon, bourbon, vanilla, molasses. Beautiful.

Taste -- So much going on: Chocolate cake, vanilla, and black cherry are most noticeable upon the sip, followed by espresso bean and black malt roastiness. Definitely sweet, but with enough black malt acrid bitterness and a modicum of minty hops to keep it from seeming cloying and one-dimensional. There is an incredible amount of bourbon and vanillin flavor for something that is not even partially barrel-aged - it's not, right? Lingering flavors are of chocolate-covered cherries and cafe macchiato.

Mouthfeel -- Thick, chewy, coating.about as close to still as you can get. Carbonation flies past creamy headlong into Angel's Share territory. Having had a few Zhukov/Hunahpu variations up to this point, it seems to be this beer's hallmark. Intentional? Regardless, halfway through my glass it felt like chocolate syrup.

Overall -- This was a delicious beer. The roast/sweet interplay reminded me of a rich desert paired with coffee. Decadent, lots of depth, but man, that mouthfeel is difficult to get over, though looking over a lot of the other reviews. However, after browsing through some of the reviews perhaps I'm the only one? By the last 3-4 oz of my pour it became a labor to get through it was so syrupy. Regardless, good stuff. Consider sharing this with 3-4 friends.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 01:35:39 | More by yeahnatenelson

ryanonline

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

very very dark, pitch black with the darkest tan you can get without it just being brown in the head. huge lacing.

chocolate, espresso and a touch of resinous pine coming from the hops.

ooh, this one is thick and deep. lots of roast and char with some coffee and chocolate but a very bitter piney finish. a touch too sweet though.

the mouthfeel is amazingly creamy and full bodied yet it still retains a certain smoothness, for an 11% alcohol beer, it is masked very well.

wonderful beer, could use some aging though.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 04:53:10 | More by ryanonline

andrewinski1

Maine

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bendurgin for sharing. Poured into a tulip. This is the slowest pouring, thickest oily looking beer I think I've seen. The head is about three quarters of an inch and very very dark brown; it almost blends into the body.

The aroma consists of chocolate and dark fruit. This is mostly sweet smelling with a touch of alcohol.

The taste is full of sweet chocolate malt and cherry like fruit.

This is very thick and the carbonation is soft. This is going to take a while to drink.

Well, I prefer more coffee and bitterness in my stouts. But fans of big, chewy, viscous fruity stouts will be very happy with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 04:11:35 | More by andrewinski1

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Gotta give the Marshal another try. Last bottle was 100% flat. 2011-2012 winter version.

A- Pitch black doom into a pint glass with an extremely dark head. Cap is silky like whipped cream and retains very well. Big patches of lace all down the glass.

S- Chocolate drizzled raisins lead the way for me. Also big molasses and roast malts. Seems fairly straightforward.

T- Massive flavor of chocolate and cherries like a really sticky, fudge browny. Big notes of molasses syrup, coffee beans, caramel, and roast cracked grains. Seriously like a dessert in liquid form. Lots of sweetness.

MF- One of the thickest and biggest beers I have ever imbibed. Lower end carbonation does great justice compared to a horrifying flat version. Some alcohol heat and bitterness.

This beer is a BEAST, very thick and like a sweet dessert. Just a bit too sweet for me but I cant hate too hard. Brownies in the liquid phase.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 02:40:53 | More by cbutova

illidurit

California

3.85/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy bret27. Pours an absurd black color with one of the darkest brown heads imaginable. Dark chocolate aroma, woody and hugely roasty. Flavor is roasted insanity, darkest chocolate and coffee grounds. Almost charred/ashy, a little dark fruitiness. Earthy woody hops, massively bitter. Astringent on the tongue. This one really assaults the palate. It's good, very good, but so robust it's hard to get through.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 23:01:00 | More by illidurit

Lerxst

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured into a tulip

A-Pours like motor oil. Pitch black. A vigorous pour produced just the smallest semblance of a head that disappears right away.

S-Strong dark chocolate notes leap out at me first then some charred malt, dark fruit, coffee and hints of licorice and booze.

T-Dark chocolate leads here too, very prominent. The roasty malt is also rather prominent. Strong coffee/espresso notes come through as well. Hints of dark fruit gently peek their way through as well.

M-Full bodied. Thick, viscous, coating. Just a hint of carbonation. I'm not one who likes a lot of carbonation, particularly in stouts, but this one could use just a slight bit more. Without the carbonation it kind of reminds me of the old Hershey's syrup in the can.

D-Its a sipper for sure, but it is good and enjoyable. But one is certainly enough.

I really love CCB and RIS's, but this one was a bit of a disappointment. I just expected more. It certainly isn't a bad beer at all, so maybe my expectations were set too high by Hunahpu. (OK, I know Hunahpu is a American Double and not an RIS, but I LOVED that beer, so my stout expectations for CCB were high)

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 00:59:51 | More by Lerxst

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Big thanks to readbaron for sending this bottle my way! Split and shared with ClarkPinnock [First installment of "A Beer Observed."]. Poured my allotment into a chalice.

The pour on this beer is one of the thickest I have ever seen. This slowly glugs out of the bottle. I can tell there is lower carbonation as there is no head to this at all. I didn't see a wisp of lace until the final few ounces from the bottle. Still, this is one evil-looking brew, and I dig it. The nose is potent with sharp twangs of vinous grapes, molasses, espresso, booze, chocolate. A plethora of aromatic tones.

The body, though low in carbonation, is still pleasant. So smooth and creamy. This is really thick stuff! I'd like a bit more bubble play, but this is alright. If this beer were any less "big," I'd have more of a complaint. The flavor profile mirrors the nose quite. Lots of dark chocolate, wine, mild booziness, licorice, and heavily roasted coffee beans. I lowered the drink-ability on this one, as the alcohol burn just gets to me after awhile, and this is more pronounced as this beer warms. Still, this was one heck of a weekend-starter. Great beer to sip by the fire, or as CP enjoyed it, with a pipe.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 20:17:54 | More by Onenote81

jimixr

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Poured completely black. A very thick and slow pour. Zero visibility.Absolutely no head or lacing.

S- A very nice aroma. Toasted malts with a bit of a charred character. A little bit of alcohol is present in the smell.

T- Dark fruit up front. Roasted malt and an almost charred taste. Finishes with a creamy almost chocolate taste. A lot of alcohol burn on the end.

M-Full bodied. Very thick and oily. It is almost completely without carbonation, but it doesn't bother me much.

O- A good representation of the style. I wish my bottle had a little more carbonation. It was almost to much to finish my glass. This is definitely one to share.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 07:44:30 | More by jimixr

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Consumed Nov. 19, 2011 at Inaugural Bottle Share, thanks tbadiuk! From notes.

A: As dark as the night is black. Not a hint of light. Dark tan head, light lacing.
S: The nose just hammers you with molasses, with underlying hints of liquorice.
T: Sticky sweet, with tons of molasses and burnt sugar. Did not develop and complexity is lacking, A sweet molasses bomb of a beer.
M: Sticky and the sweetness just lingers forever on the palate.
O: Comes across as an imperial sweet stout. If you like sweet stouts, you'll likely like this, but I found it overpoweringly molasses dominated. It is rare I have a RIS where I don't get any roasted notes...

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 03:47:52 | More by kjyost

billshmeinke

California

3.85/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Huge, sticky, black as can be, super duper sweet but with enough of a roasty and coffee finish to persuade you that there's some sort of "balance." Seriously though, so so sweet. Really mouth coating and gnarly viscous with hints of berries, cherries, licorice, chocolate, and smoke. If you like sweet and super viscous imperial stouts, try and find some of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 05:05:26 | More by billshmeinke

MikeGill

New York

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tasted on 2/18/10 at Big Z Beverage in Huntington NY during an in-store event.

Draught beer poured by the brewer into a clear plastic cup.

Pours a menacing black with zero head. Aromas of molasses and black licorice along with bitter chocolate shavings.

Rich and extracted. A shock to the taste buds. Bold favors of chocolate covered espresso beans and burned fruit. Big alcohol warmth. Woodsy with a roasty charred dryness that hits the mouth hard. Black coffee and dried herbs on the finish. A big beer that demands attention.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2010 18:01:41 | More by MikeGill

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes, 2-26-2011

A - dark black body with some purple light through the edges. No foam of any sort.

S - woody dry chocolate, bitter earthy notes.

T - smoky, dry, bittersweet dark chocolate.

M - robust and smooth, little to no carbonation

D - not bad. Tastes good, isn't too overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 16:06:43 | More by ColdPoncho

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an oily, tar-like impenetrable black with 1 finger of chestnut brown, fine-laced head that dissipates slowly. A nice thick layer of creamy lacing clings to the side of the glass and does not let go. Extremely impressive!

N: Espresso, rich toffee, molasses, roasted barley, bittersweet chocolate and hints of citrusy hops.

T: Rich toffee, chalky bittersweet chocolate, roasted barley and hints of Fruity Pebbles upfront. This is followed by molasses, toffee, roasted barley and some citrus notes. Finishes bitter with espresso, dark chocolate, peanut and more toffee.

M: Full bodied, chewy, creamy, chalky, sticky, syrupy and dry.

O: This beer is strange because it achieves a huge, sweet maltiness with toffee and roasted notes throughout and yet it has a rather prominent fruity hop profile that would normally just balance everything out. Yet it is extremely sweet and bitter at the same time. The appearance and mouthfeel are extremely impressive. This is one beautiful looking beer! Very deep, rich, sweet and complex yet I'm not overly excited about the fruity hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 00:01:20 | More by justintcoons

aasher

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I received this bottle from thagr81us in a past massive trade. Thanks once again Calton!

This bottle was the 2010 vintage. This one pours a blackest of black, motor oil sludge in consistency with absolutely no head or activity. It smells of rich and smooth milk and dark chocolates, featuring both sweet and bitter malt characters with a good amount of coffee. The sweetness is almost Baltic-esque. The flavors are heavy on chocolates, all types of chocolates. Initially I got a good amount of milk chocolate, followed by coffee. It is quickly followed by a dark chocolate bitterness and plenty of roasted malts. It's just really sweet, which takes away from the overall balance. It drinks exceptionally smooth, as one should expect. Overall it's a nice RIS but it is on the sweet side. I can see where Nielsborium got it's sugar from and I can see the base of Hunahpu as well. It's a solid beer, worthy of barrel aging and new additions, but alone it's nothing too special.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 09:31:06 | More by aasher

Bfarr

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thick syrupy black pour and tight sienna head with great retention and lacing. Dark chocolate and charcoal roasted aroma with an herbal note. Big chocolate taste up front gives way to coffee notes and finishing sweet and herbal. Coffee linger. Very thick viscosity with light bite and a lightly lingering dryness.

The look and feel of this beer is incredible. It actually coats the glass and turns it a different color that stays until it’s rinsed off. A fairly unique flavor is good in a small dose means it’s definitely a great beer for an 8 – 10oz pour. Any more than that and the herbal quality really takes over. This is typical of the malty CCB beers that I’ve tasted. I’d say it’s great to share or have a small taste of it but any more than that and it begins to be disappointing. Really a pretty enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 01:28:17 | More by Bfarr

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

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

koopa

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle received as an extra in a trade with a generous BA thanks!

Appearance: Nice murky black body with an attractive 1 finger brown head. Not much retention but some lace.

Smell: Roast malt, coffee, and as previously mentioned a marshmallow like quality.

Taste: Roast malt, coffee, nuts, espresso, and a touch of sweetness that is really faint. A bit too much astringent bitterness from all the coffee.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, creamy, and coating! I like it but it could be a bit much for some that don't really appreciate a full bodied stout!

Drinkabilty: Full bodied with an 11.50% abv holds this delicious brew back in this category.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 02:32:45 | More by koopa

bierguru

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A -
pours like oil thick and slugish its awesome pours no head but light brown lacing and is jet black

S -
hints of malt chocolate licorice and some roasted flaovrs

T -
chocoalate maybe vanilla roasted notes molassess

M -
a bit dry mildly sweet overall well balanced biterness sweetness

D -
simple and well balanced between sweetness and bitterness split the 750 and glad i did very rich

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 03:48:12 | More by bierguru

gwguest

Kansas

3.9/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750ml brown bottle with no visible batch or freshness dating into a Bruery tulip.

A vigerous pour yields a very scant milk chocolate brown foam on top of an opaque black body. Foam is gone in a flash. A quick swirl causes a thin motor oil-like stain on the side of the glass. I've never seen a beer leave quite such a residue behind. Interesting. It's not particularly appetizing, but interesting.

The aroma is a very harmonious blend of anise / licorice, molasses, dark dark chocolate and minimal roast. The are hints of a brown sugar sweetness in the nose which really perks up the beer and adds some fantastic complexity.

Flavors in the beer are quite intense and mirror the nose in many ways. There is a touch more coffee and toffee taste than I get in the aroma, but I think the toffee taste is what may be suggesting brown sugar in the aroma. The roast level is a smidgen higher, but not nearly as baking as other beers in this style.

The mouth feel is identical to what I imagine the glass would feel. Thick, coating with just a thin suggestion of carbonation. This is borderline flat, but I would venture to say that this is how the brewer intended. It has carbonation, but it is simply on the low end for the style. Personally, I would prefer a bit more of the scrubbing action, but no points off for where it is.

Drinkability, for an 11.5% beer, is a tick above. The slick mouth feel and intensity of flavors make it difficult to have very much, but the abv is undetectable. It's not cloyingly sweet and doesn't sit in the stomach like a rock. Nicely done.

Overall, Zhukov is a beer like no other that I have tried. It is far from my favorite, but it is definitely worth a try. I can see this being some BAs absolute favorite beer ever. It is very well-crafted, but it won't score a ton of points with everyone. Nice work from Cigar City.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 01:21:06 | More by gwguest

aubuc1

Florida

3.93/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle poured in to a snifter.

Pours pitch black with a thick tannish almost red head.

Smell is roasty, sweet and a smooth chocolate. Very balanced.

Taste is pretty bold. Coffeeish roasty, char with a dry finish.

Mouthfeel is very creamy. This beer is not real drinkable for me, but does not sacrifice the beer.

Another great, huge beer from ccb.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 01:07:33 | More by aubuc1

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a a two finger frothy dark mocha/coffee colored head with good retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap. Splotches of spotty lacing are left behind.

Roasted chocolate malt aroma with hints of espresso/coffee bean, sweet milk and dark chocolate, licorice, molasses, honey as well as some subtle earthy hops. Not overly roasty with a good balance of sweet chocolate. The aroma is amazing and very complex.

Chewy viscous mouthfeel with a very prominent roasty character and tons of sweet silky chocolate maltiness. Lots of deep roasted cofee/espresso bean flavor up front and dry earthy hops with some pine character. This is countered by a silky dark and milky chocolate presence mid palate and a lot of rosted malt, molasses and burnt toast flavor. More roasty espresso and coffe bean presence in the finish. I thought that this beer would be a bit sweeter but it is very dry, bitter and roasty and the hop profile is much more dominant than I would have liked. This beer is a bit rough when fresh but I feel the flavor will improve greatly with age. ABV is very well masked. It's hard to believe it's 11%.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2010 07:09:59 | More by corby112