Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Cigar City Brewing

Shaw

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I bought this bottle at the brewery. I'm drinking one now and will try and pick up another one to age.

It's super-black with a deep brown head.

The smell is of roasted malt with hints of molasses and alcohol.

This is a rich RIS, but it's not cloying. Flavors mix to make a typical complex taste.

The body is wonderfully slick.

Overall this is a fine RIS and another good beer from Cigar City. It's a seasonal release, so get one while you can.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2009 19:00:56 | More by Shaw

TKEbeerman

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured into a pint glass, this brew proves to be one of the darkest RIS I've had to date. Even when held up to the light, there isn't a hint of anything except the blackest black hole black you can imagine. The head is a dark chocolate, mocha color, not as thick as I'd like it, but still impressive.

S: Dark roasted malt with hints of espresso bean and dark chocolate.

T: The taste is a direct reflection of it's aroma, More super dark roasted malt and as much espresso as you can get with out writing espresso on the bottle. As the beer goes down, dark chocolate notes lick the back your your pallet. The beer finishes with a mild bitterness compared to most RIS'.

M: Smooth, really smooth. Medium bodied, but lacking a tad bit on carbination.

D: As far as RIS' go, this is one of the more drinkable brews I've had. The ABV is very well hidden. I feel like I can tackle another 2 pints and make it through the night.

Overall, to those who really want to try this brew, but can't get a hold of it, I would compare it to a cross between Espresso Yeti and a Stone IRS. Hopefully as cigar city distributes more nation wide, Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout will find a comfortable spot near or around the top rated beers on this site.

***Update***
Just cracked a fresh 2011 bottle. Any carbonation issue noticed in the 2010 version have definitely been addressed this year. CCB stepped up this brew. Marshal Z pours with a billowing black head, and a creamy mouthfeel that I would give a 4.5. Flavor notes of chocolate are also stepped up. Man this is a tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2009 02:09:52 | More by TKEbeerman

madbrewer9

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dark brown/black opaque, color of old engine oil.
Thin med brown head, very fine, small bubbles.
Nice persistant lace on the inside of a snifter.

Aroma is alchohol with some hop. Slight notes of dark fruit.

Taste is upfront hop bitterness with chocolate coming through also.
Bittnerness lingers a little too long into the finish.

Body is med full to full. Some creaminess, but overshadowed by bitterness/astringency.

Good beer for end of night. Well constructed, but a little much on hop bitterness. Would not drink whole 22oz bottle in one sitting.
This will improve with aging as the flavors meld.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 04:20:06 | More by madbrewer9

bmanning

Virginia

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

Purchased the 750mL bottle at the brewery on 10/15/2009 - freshly bottled.
Pours an oily black with thin brown head and good lacing.
Aromas of bakers chocolate, fudge, coffee, molasses and a hint of cherry and dark fruits.
Taste is heavy on the chocolate with a nice balance with bitter roastiness and toffee aftertaste.
Very oily and thick mouthfeel - not quite to the level of Dark Lord, but close.
Although split 3-ways, I could have polished off a bottle by myself it was so good.
This is a fantastic RIS when it is fresh and will only improve with age.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2009 15:28:44 | More by bmanning

Jw347

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a viscous black hue. Small mocha colored head it defintely has good retention and lace.

S: Aromas of roasty malts, chocolate, and coffee come thru. The smell of the piney hops hide behind it all.

T: Love the color and aroma on this one. The roasted malt has a nice balanced mix with the chocolate and coffee that come thru. The piney/citrus bitterness comes thru on the back end. Overall pretty darn drinkable.

M: Not to heavy but it is full bodied, nice and rich, smooth, and its fair share of carbonation.

D: I really did dig this one, it will only get better with time im sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2009 14:45:31 | More by Jw347

tpd975

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Joey and Wayne for opening a bottle to share.

A: Pours a nice dark black hue. Nice mocha head that exhibits good retention and lace.

S: Bold aromas of roasted malt, bitter chocolate, and coffee. Hints of citrus hops hide beneath.

T: Nice rich aroma. Bold roasted malt, bakers chocolate, and earthy slightly acidic coffee. Subtle notes of dark fruit, and a hint of molasses to provide balance. Fairly roasted and earthy.

M: On the lighter side of full bodied, rich, smooth, with great carbonation.

D: Good. I think this is one that will get even better with age.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 21:01:36 | More by tpd975

BigMcLargeHuge

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

These notes are based on an immature sample batch before it was aged on roasted cedar and bottle conditioned to near perfection. But at this stage it wasn't perfect. I'll append these notes when a sample of the properly conditioned release is available. It pours murky dark brown and is on the lower end of the carbonation scale (if such a thing exists). The aroma has roasty notes and just a hint of chocolate. It really lacks some depth. The taste is much the same with semi sweet medium to highly roasted malts, faint caramel and just a touch of chocolate. There appears to be little depth or complexity in the flavor as was the case in the aroma and shows the need for proper aging and conditioning. It was tasty like this but just barely more than one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2008 16:50:56 | More by BigMcLargeHuge

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

32oz swing-top growler thanks to biniek13. Filled 11/12 (approaching a month old). Poured into Hunahpu glass. This is my first time having MZ from a growler, however I've had it from the bottle a couple times (1st time reviewing).

A- Pours a very dark jet black like motor oil with a thick creamy half-finger dark mocha brown head (one of the darkest heads I've seen) that has decent retention but recedes to a perfectly flat top. Despite being almost a month old in the growler, this beer surprisingly still has retained a decent amount of carbonation of consistently rising bubbles. Some alcohol legs.

S- Dark chocolate, some creamy milk chocolate, dark fruits, some figs, raisins, and a hint of roasted malts. Fairly aromatic and nicely complex for a RIS.

T- Dark chocolate, figs, some raisins especially on the finish, a hint of bitterness from the chocolate. Nice complexity, awesome balance, and a great representation of the style.

M- Great thick body that isn't too syrupy, very smooth, extremely easy to drink (definitely hits you sooner then you know it).

O- Marshal Zhukov is a great representation of a RIS and one of many great beers from CCB. Definitely one of my favorites and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of the style.

Serving type: growler

12-09-2012 23:54:14 | More by jaasen64

QuentinCall

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"I just wasn't prepared for it to bitchslap me with every sip."

This beer lumbers out of the growler: viscous, jet-brown and seemingly denser than physically possible. A foamy head the color of wet sand and milky espresso blooms and slowly settles to a sizable and velveteen layer. It's fascinatingly dark, honestly, darker than Expedition, darker than KBS. I feel like congratulations and chain e-mails and newscasts are in order to acknowledge that Cigar City has made the Black Materia of beers.
The roast profile of this beer is fairly astonishing and forthrightly stands as the dominant aspect of the nose -- a capacious and multi-faceted coffee foundation (somehow concurrently bright, earthy, robust and sodden) roundly supported by raw chocolate notes, a substantial dose of oak and traces of syrupy stone fruits.
This is an aggressive beer. The roast is translated and follows logically to the taste. Again, coffee dominates at every turn but it is, mostly, fitted neatly to lovely moments of bittersweet ganache, bourbon, and molasses. And while I think its delicious as well as a potential touchstone for its style, its also a little overwhelming for me. Simply, super heavy + intensely upfront roastiness = the slowest of sippers.
The mouthfeel here is the key asset and what ultimately clinches this for me. It is plush, wet, not overly carbonated (which I can easily imagine dooming this one) and not as sticky as the nose could very well lead you to believe. Thankfully, it lasts for a while and not much longer.
This is a massive and blatantly militant beer that could readily be construed as magnificently executed or somewhat overwhelming and unbalanced. However, what I feel is the most important thing to keep in mind: be amongst friends, you probably shouldn't drink this one by yourself.

Serving type: growler

11-02-2012 00:16:30 | More by QuentinCall

macrosmatic

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at CCB tasting room. Poured into a snifter.

A: Extremely dark brown, opaque, with a one finger medium brown head that quickly fades to foam. No visible carbonation, although there may be some hidden in here somewhere.

S: Dark cacao sweetness, roasted malts, deep dark spicy hints in the background.

T: Dark chocolate and a bit of coffee malts, tobacco & leather. There's sweetness here but finishes with an almost tannin dryness.

M: Smooth mouthfeel, nice heavy body. There is a noticeable alcohol presence but well-hidden given the ABV.

O: Very nice base stout. Solid and well put together. Doesn't compare to the various and sundry treatments that are intermittently available, but very good.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2012 16:49:53 | More by macrosmatic

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

metter98

New York

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a thin mocha head covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of burnt malt in the nose along with hints of chocolate.
T: The taste is very malty with flavors of chocolate and has a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels very full-bodied and smooth on the palate with a low amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is one that needs to be sipped, but the taste is interesting enough to make you want to slowly savor.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 04:50:38 | More by metter98

mltobin

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Isaac Newtown`s.

Appearance is a rich black color with a thin head. Its` nose has brown sugar, coffee, molasses and roast. The taste is chocolate, black licorice, more coffee and all around sweetness. Mouthfeel is smooth and velvet like, quite nice. All in all, a very good RIS from the folks down south at Cigar City.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2011 01:39:55 | More by mltobin

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap in a small snifter.

Appears jet black, with the darkest head i've ever seen, dark chocolate brown. Great lacing. Huge roasty aroma.

Taste is amazing, powerful flavors of espresso, dark cocoa, and molasses. But its not overwhelming. Thick and viscous.

Overall, the best I've had from Cigar City, and definitely a top tier Imperial Stout.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 03:26:53 | More by jmdrpi

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at khyber in philly

Pours a thick, viscous blacked out color with a layering of dark browned head. Retains for a bit, some wispy tanned film lies on top, leaving a couple spots of lacing behind.

Very roasty and warm in the nose. Plethora of dark fruits with some candied, sweet notes. A suggestion of cola. Licorice, plum, and dates. Cocoa with caramel and roasted malts. Decent flair of alcohol too.

Roasty and sweet up front. More dark fruit than I was expecting with candied dates and anise notes with a hint of plum. Dark chocolate and cocoa swirled with caramel and heavy, roasted malts. Warm booze and residual sweetness in the finish.

Very thick, viscous, almost oily feel on the tongue, decent carbonation. A really nice imperial stout, although it made me yearn for Hunahpu's.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2011 00:07:39 | More by xnicknj

hmf05

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured pretty black and left a small head that quickly dissipated. The aroma was coffee, chocolate, plums, cherries, black currant, and a hint of rubbing alcohol. The taste was just like the smell. Sweet dark fruits, coffee, and chocolate dominated. Pretty smooth going down but there is a hint of alcohol. Overall, a great RIS. The alcohol taste is noticeable and probably the only thing wrong with this beer, but at 11.5% what do you expect?

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2011 18:17:50 | More by hmf05

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had it on tap at the brewery. Review from notes.

A: thick, syrup-like look with thin lacing after the small head disappears. Not much to say about highlights - maybe a very dark brown.

S: smells of coffee, chocolate, dark roasted malts and grains, some sweetness, and a faint alcohol smell as it warmed past 50.

T: mostly the same as smell, with slightly burnt sugar added.

M: deliciously smooth, with some carbonation to balance it, but it's thick. What do you expect?

O: great beer, only wish it was less expensive and more available. It was $12 or $15 at the brewery, and I have not seen it elsewhere.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 18:51:46 | More by Holland

adam42381

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes at World of Beer - Fort Myers on 9/17/11.

Poured on draft into a snifter.

Appearance: Dark as night, completely opaque motor oil black with a 1 finger creamy dark mocha head. Perfect lacing. I don't think a stout could look any better.

Smell: Coffee, chocolate, sweet malt and a touch of toffee.

Taste: Sweet malt, chocolate and molasses up front followed by coffee in the middle before ending with toasted malt and bitter hops. Aftertaste is bitter with a touch of burnt toast.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, thick and creamy. Very smooth.

Drinkability: Excellent drinkability. The alcohol will keep me from drinking multiples, but you could easily down more than one.

Overall: Excellent beer overall. I love it from the bottle, but the draft was just phenomenal. If you ever see it on draft, make sure you try it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 15:43:01 | More by adam42381

PorterLambic

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Arrives pitch black with a small, dense head the color of cocoa powder. Head dissipates to a thin film covering.
Smell is full of semisweet chocolate, malt, dark fruits, oak and wet cardboard. Very well balanced.
Taste is roasted malts, rum, dark chocolate, dark fruit. Lighter notes of oak and coffee. Very complex and well balanced.
Rich, very full-bodied. Extremely light effervescence. Thick almost to the point of being cloying but not quite getting there, thankfully. Smooth, this brew slides down your throat like liquid velvet. Unexpectedly, there was no warming from this 11% abv beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2011 01:09:47 | More by PorterLambic

Gehrig

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap at The Imperial.

Thick molasses pour, producing a muddy onyx-colored body topped by one and one-half fingers of dark mocha froth; excellent duration and rings of lacing leave me very impressed.

Marshal Zhukov emits good, solid aromas of chocolate, roasted coffee, molasses, and some hazelnut. Wonderful taste, loaded with coffee, dark chocolate, a hint of berry in thew finish, and toffee. Bitter to start, the finish is surprisingly smooth to sweet. Creamy texture, somewhat light as well (not Guinness like, but a little airier than I anticipated) make this thoroughly enjoyable.

Splendid RIS, a very fine representative of the style and a great introduction to Cigar City's wares. I am glad I got a draft of Marshal Zhukov, for soon after I ordered mine, the keg spat empty and The Imperial added a different brew. This might have added to the muddiness, which I loved, though likely not much.

One of the better RIS I have had in some time. Recommended with gusto.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2011 13:44:29 | More by Gehrig

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

brystmar

Texas

4.23/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

200th review! Shared two pours on draft with my brother on his 30th bday.

A: black as night with a finger of dark brown head. Strong, sticky lace beckons your return to Mother Russia.

S: semi-sweet baker's chocolate, strong roasted malts, sweet malt, hints of both lactose and booze.

T: chocolatey with mild sweetness; roasted malt backbone holds its ground, contributing to a dry boozy finish. Not as complex as I was hoping, but solid for what it is.

M: holy molasses, Batman! Most viscous beer I'd had before this beast was Dark Lord 2010, and even that cannot compare to the hearty milkshake that is Zhukov. Seriously, this could be labeled as a boozy chocolate float and nobody would think twice.

D: easy drinking on the alcohol front; mild boozy warmth as it descends. However, a beer this heavy takes a toll on your stomach as it stuffs your body with chocolatey goodness. One 12oz pour filled me up to the brim.

Great beer, epic heartiness! Yet another impressive brew from Cigar City.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 23:01:40 | More by brystmar

pdeepak

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Was lucky enough to get a glass of this at the Ginger Man in NYC when I was in the city for one night. Served in a snifter, this is probably the darkest stout I have seen to date.

Had a small dark mocha colored head that faded very quickly, but did leave lacing on the side of the glass. I detected a hint of smoke on a predominantly coffee nose, but I couldnt wait to taste this beer.

Worth every bit of attention that this beer receives, the taste and mouthfeel is where this beer shines. A little thick, almost treacly feel that really allows you to pick up on all the tastes that this beer has to offer. Will be searching it out in the future!

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2011 03:44:14 | More by pdeepak

claspada

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Draft @ GingerMan NYC. Pours a dark dark dark brown (pretty much black) with a crazy thick inch of dark brown foam/head which leaves a boat ton of sticky brown lacing.

Aromas of extreme dark chocolate, roasted malts and dark bitter chocolate. As it warms I get some sweet dark molasses and a little smoke in the background. Some hefty espresso emerges and begins to dominate it continues to warm.

The taste is initially astringent dark roasty malts and dark bitter chocolate. Roasted charred malts are also rather prominent. Strong coffee/espresso notes come through as well. Some sweeter milk chocolate emerges as it warms but the roasted, bitter, astringent malts are a bit too dominant and a taste I am slowly beginning to dislike in my beers.

Mouthfeel is sticky and full bodied for sure. Chewy in an understatement here. Extremely thick, syrupy, viscous and mouth-coating. Much more carbonation than I experienced in last year's bottled version which had some carbonation issues I recall reading somewhere.

Overall this is a good tasting beer but the heavy chewiness in the body and roasted bitter, charred malt flavors are just too dominant for my tastes. I would prefer some more balanced milk chocolate flavors but I guess that is more the American Stout category as opposed to the RIS category here. Better than I remember, but my small sample at the bar was enough as I would struggle to finish the 750ml that this is typically bottled in. Maybe I am just over the Russian Imperial Stout category or my tastes have just shifted away from enjoying these huge chewy beast beers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2011 14:07:33 | More by claspada

cosmicevan

New York

4.47/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Good Time's pub with a steak sandwhich. Brew arrived in a tulip-ish glass (same as the DFH signature without a logo). Brew was gorgeous with the normal deep dark ominous black and a tall finger and a half deep tan (almost brown) head. Brew smelled of chocolate and roasted malts. Tasted even better than I remembered and left a nice little buzz. Aside from the nose, nice hints of vanilla and cream. Smooth and creamy, but rather rich and thick.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2011 20:58:45 | More by cosmicevan