Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Cigar City Brewing

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Completely jet black with a gorgeous deep tan head on top. Poster child of a RIS. Roasted and somewhat burnt coffee aroma. Deep, deep roasted flavor. Has a distinct burnt graininess to it. Ever so slight tinge of alcohol come thru the roasted flavor. Very nice espresso notes going on. Long lingering licorice flavor. The roasted/licorice flavor goes on and on. Extremely full mouthfeel. Liquid pudding in a glass. Finish tends to be somewhat dry/astringent but thats really only comes from the huge grainy like quality. Simply an awesome beer. Well balanced and enjoyable. A meal in a glass for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2009 01:29:38 | More by lackenhauser

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Taken from notes on 4.20.11

25.4oz bottle poured into a Tulip glass.

A - Dark-deep brown in color, almost black with a slight head that is dark brown and only forms on the eges.

S - Slight coffee and lots of toffee.

T - Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and toffee.

D - Little carbonation, but thick and mouth coating.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 08:38:47 | More by HuskyinPDX

Sean9689

Illinois

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to dvelcich for bringing this and the Humidor version.

A - Pours back, mocha-colored head, very thick and viscous.

S - Sweet dark fruits, slight char, burnt sugars, nice level of roast, chocolate. Pretty sweet, sweeter then expect, really. The chocolate and burnt sugars really stand out and create the high level of sweetness.

T - Similar to the nose. Very sweet, chocolate, burnt sugars, char, roast, dark fruits. The alcohol is barley noticeable, which is impressive for such a fresh version and 11.5%. Impressive.

M - Full, rich and viscous, creamy oak finish.

O - A really good RIS. Perhaps a bit too sweet to enjoy in large amounts, but still, very good and enjoyable. Would def have again, if offered. I would like to try a bottle with some age on it to see if the sweetness dies down at all. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 16:47:36 | More by Sean9689

scottfrie

California

3.35/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into brandy snifter. Thanks to the generous BA who traded me this one.

A: Pours pitch black with an extremely unimpressive collection of bubbles that I guess is supposed to be considered a head. A couple of tiny soapy specs of lace were left down the glass.
S: Notes of chocolate, molasses, and a hint of toffee. Not a very smelly beer.
T: Rich notes of bitter dark chocolate, sweet fudge brownies, dark roasted malts, and a hint of caramel. I get a touch of coffee in the finish, and the aftertaste contains notes of molasses and faint earthy hops.
M: Thick body, slick and chewy mouthfeel, but almost no carbonation. This beer seriously needs some bubbles. Alcohol is hidden very well.
O: I was a bit let down by this one. The flavor is good but not very complex, and while the body is thick the carbonation is borderline watery. Hopefully this is just bottle variation, as fuller carbonation would be a drastic increase.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:01:25 | More by scottfrie

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

Chaney

District of Columbia

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

2011 Vintage, but I still have 2010 in the cellar.

I'm splitting this with my wife tonight, but she's playing "Dance, Dance Revolution" and working on a Flying Dog "Kujo" right now, so I'm not sure how that's going to go.

I've been wanting to try this one forever!

Served in a snifter.

A: No other way to say it: This one is pitch black! Additionally, there was not light showing through and the head was ridiculously dark as well.

S: I got lots of Imperial Stout-esqe notes on the nose: Soy sauce, LOTS of dark chocolate, figs, and cigar ash. This was fairly bright overall in terms of RISs.

T: Wow! This was an amazing blend of figs, cocoa, and ash. On the palate, I got more dark fruit than anything else. On the finish, I actually got some very bright plum notes. Pretty amazing actually.

M: Creamy and delectable, with a sweet profile that was very calculated and perfect in every way. The lacing was sticky and the carbonation was low, yet perfect in this setting.

O: I guess this is the base beer for "Hunahpu's." It exceeded my expectations in much the same way that "Hunapuh's" did.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 00:07:30 | More by Chaney

CrellMoset

Virginia

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

Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout, obtained from Whole Foods, Sarasota, FL, over Thanksgiving break. Poured in to a 14 oz. brandy snifter.

Appearance: Pours a thick, oily, inky black, pretty dark viscous, at least, viscous enough to considerably slow the eruption of what ultimately turns out to be about a finger and a half of deep brown cocoa head. The colors on all this are absolutely gorgeous, but I do have to say that the head retention leaves a little to be desired, probably due to alcohol retardation - it fades to a delicate but dense-looking collar and wispy but uniform surface dusting within about 45 seconds, though it is replenished somewhat by a steady but slight stream of fine carbonation. The lacing obviously suffers a similar fate - it's runny, glittery, and clings only in dribs and drabs.

Aroma: Dutch chocolate cake, bitter and dry, topped with licorice, espresso sprinkles, and slathered in a delicious raisin and cherry glaze. Cocoa is far heavier here than in the taste, or perhaps that's merely relative to the sheer volume of earthy, toasty, dry roast that's present in the mouth. Regardless - with agitation - this is this beer's best quality.

Taste: A slight tartness is the first thing I'll note, if only because it seems the least "stout"-like of the notes this one presents. I'll presume it's not infection, largely because it is slight, but it's worth noting. The next general observation is that this is a very, very "dark" beer - it's heavily roasted, toasted, charred in places. The remainder of the notes themselves are somewhat textbook but very nice: you have your heavily toasted, earthy, French roast coffee; dark, bitter cocoa; slightly spicy anise; a slew of dark fruits (raisins mainly, which meld slightly with what faint alcohol spice and warmth is present to lend that rum raisin note); charred toast; heavily darkened toffee and molasses with most of its residual sweetness gone. Hop bitterness is faint, nearly an afterthought, or perhaps just buried well amongst all the toasted astringencies. As I hinted above, one of the most impressive things about the taste is the near complete lack of any alcohol presence, something that may be buried well amidst all the charred astringencies.

The tartness is coming through as more "cherry-like" as things warm, both jiving (mentally) with the cherry note I got in the aroma above, as well as jiving (flavor-ly) with the other dark fruits present here. Tasting more like a bitter dutch chocolate cherry cake with every minute.

Mouthfeel: That thick oily viscous appearance of the beer didn't lie when it suggested that this beer was gonna be thick and sticky, but it's not nearly as cloying as you imagine it might be - mostly because of the relative attenuation of the sugars - but also because of that tart note mentioned above, which does a bit of a job with "cleaning up" the palette, if you will. Certainly, this is also likely assisted by a fair amount of lift courtesy of some fine, dense carbonation. It thickens up as things warm, but it also gets more even, creamier, and smoother.

Drinkability: For an 11.5% abv beer, I'm nearly tempted to put this at a 4.5. I'm amazed by the lack of alcohol presence in this brew - even though you feel it once it hits, this one sneaks up on you as good as it does in any brew. Regardless of the reason, this brew is otherwise solid - flavorful, full, and somewhat balanced (though if you don't like char and heavy, heavy roast, steer clear). I also hear it's not even the best of the Cigar City RIS offerings. As it's the first I've had, however (not only my first CC RIS, my first CC! Glad to see they're getting big distribution in FL now), I'll have to go with both a "recommended" and a "I can't wait to visit my grandmother again."

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2009 04:17:30 | More by CrellMoset

aerozeppl

New York

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

A: Black I mean really black. Like a total absence of light black. The head on this beer was super dark and had a reddish tinge. Tons of lacing.

S: Chocolate. Roast. Coffee. Just a really nice and rich big dark beer nose. I have only had a few beers from these guys but they do have a signature smell if that makes sense.

T: Chocolate. Tasted like a very rich chocolate cake. Super decadent. Massive roast taste.

M: Super dry. Nice carbonation. Full bodied.

D:: Awesome beer. Really nice. The bottle was on the pricey side but at least it was good.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 16:17:52 | More by aerozeppl

homebrew311

Illinois

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

Received in trade with Beerisheaven- thanks!
Poured into Duvel glass.

A: pours a black and viscous as possible... darkest stout I've seen, along with Hunahpu's of course. Has a thin layer of dark brown head. Leaves a dark coating on the side of the glass.

S: huge notes of dark fruits and chocolate, lots of molasses, some earthy hops in the mix. Huge aroma with a lot going on.

T: The front has a nice roasty character with notes of bitter chocolate and fresh ground coffee, this gives way to a bit of sweetness and a touch of hops. The finish is sweet with some vinous notes along with chocolate again. The abv is very well hidden, and the bold flavors are in perfect balance.

MF: thick, viscous, chewy, a tad syrupy, low carbonation

D: well like Hunahpu's, this is a one of a kind stout. Not quite as much unique character as Hunahpu's, but you can see it is clearly a well made big beer. It smells like it could be overwhelmingly sweet, but once it hits the palate, the roasty notes take precedence. Great Brew!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 01:09:38 | More by homebrew311

merc7186

New York

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

Bomber into snifter.

A: Dark Opqaue Hue, Passes No Light, Brown Head, Some Lacing

S: Dark Mildly Smokey Malts, Bourbon

T: Bourbon, Espresso, Chocolate, Mildly Roasted Malts

M: Decent Carbonation, Full Bodied, Mildly Smokey, Mild boozy

Overall, a really solid but full bodied bourbon RIS, a must if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 22:01:50 | More by merc7186

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL 2011 bottle.

Pours viscous and dark black with chocolate edges. Dark mocha head, fades to a collar, with some legs. Roast malt and coffee nose, minimal sweetness or chocolate, mildly hoppy. Flavor is sweeter than nose, with caramel, coffee, chocolate, toffee, and pine. Thicker side of medium body with low carbonation; coats the palate and lingers well through finish with minimal heat. Other than the nose, this is an impressive RIS.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 21:51:52 | More by yourefragile

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

Florida9

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Thick, viscous, and flat. No head. No lacing. The liquid itself is a glossy black.

S: Sweet raisin and roasted malts.

T: A sweet and rich blend of chocolate, raisins, molasses, and dark malts. A bit acidic.

M: Thick, flat, and syrupy, yet still manages to finish with an odd thinness.

D: The lack of carbonation greatly distracted from this beer and I simply could not enjoy it. I would hesitate to even call it a sipper as it offered little to invite you back for another sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 02:45:05 | More by Florida9

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: This was black bodied. It poured with a huge, frothy, clumpy, and sticky head that was the darkest brown I've ever seen.

s: On the mild side, but certainly appealing. Roasty to the point of being charred malts that all but completely cover up traces of cocoa and dark fruit. Warm, but not enough to suggest 11.5% abv.

t: Extremely abrasive, but extraordinarily satisfying. Charred dark chocolate flavors linger long into the bitter finish. Not much else going on, but this isn't at all lacking in any way.

m: A little on the watery side which surprised me, but that is a mild complaint.

d: Not subtle at all, but it was damn delicious. I've really enjoyed the CC I've been lucky enough to try so far.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2010 11:45:00 | More by DIM

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

Brenden

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks go out to beerhan for giving me a shot at this one.

Well, I don't know if I'm forgetting something in all the reviews I've done thus far, but if not this is the first time I've ever a beer that actually pours like motor oil. I've heard that the biggest, most hardcore stouts do, but this is my first ever motor oil pour, a super viscous black oil in the glass that literally leaves a coating on it. A small brown head forms on this black monstrosity, leaving some legs around the top of the glass. Here's an experiment to try with friends, by the way: have half a glass of this with some friends drinking a "manly" BMC. Have said friend keep half a glass of their beer full, drink your Zhukov, and fill your glass half full with water. The remnants of the beer coating the glass mixed with half a glass of water will likely be darker than your friend's beer. Seriously, try this. I did.
A big aroma comes out; lots of roasted malts contributing strong espresso,toast, and a touch of burned wood (not quite charcoal, and not overly harsh charred wood). Cocoa and heavy malts counter harshness and help to avoid the astringency that can be found in heavily roasty beers while offering lots of robust flavor. Underneath are notes of dark cherry and vanilla with something like sherry (not cooking sherry, the good drinking stuff).
The taste follows suit precisely. All the huge roasted malt with smoked wood, espresso, a touch of chocolate, vanilla and cherry. It's not sweet, but the light flavors underneath accentuate and really serve to point to the big malts and roasted nature of this bad boy.
The body is massive, thick and viscous as it ought to be with a nice smoothness to it. Rich malts make this huge and massively robust, and, much like the former Soviet operatives with whom I keep occasional company, this one is straightforward and brash, making no apologies. Chewy stuff.
The simple fact is that this thing is a beast. This doesn't want your money. It just wants to kick your ass for the simple pleasure of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 18:01:37 | More by Brenden

Phelps

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed during an epic tasting with tlay10 and poured into a snifter.

Pours a creamy, inky black, very viscous. The head arrives incredibly late, a miniscule layer of fizz that's thick and composed of tiny bubbles the color of cinnamon. It fizzles out quickly without a trace, leaving no lace, but there are some impressive dark orange legs hugging the glass as I swirl.

In the nose: cinnamon, molasses, acrid black malts. Some hefty espresso emerges as it warms. Not much sweetness, but there are some dark plums, smoke, perhaps some vanilla.

The flavor is replete with coffee, sweet plum sauce and brandy. It gets sweeter as it warms. Nice and complex, with different flavors emerging at each stage of the swallow. Tobacco, dark chocolate and pretzels in at the finish. Is there some cedar in here? Regardless, it's nicely woody and well-hopped. Perfectly balanced finish -- not too sweet, not overly dry.

Light, tickly carbonation in the mouth. It's incredibly creamy and smooth; just a pleasure to swish about. The amazing thing is there's hardly any noticeable alcohol. Whoever put an 11 percent ABV on the bottle must be out of his damn mind.

For an off the shelf beer, Zhukov's is absolutely incredible. The flavors and mouthfeel are amazingly well-integrated, and it feels like drinking velvet. It exceeded our expectations.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 07:11:33 | More by Phelps

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

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

jsanford

Georgia

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a CC Snifter. 2010 Vintage, so it'll likely be a bit flat.

Pours a dark, inky black with obviously low carbonation, thick and syrupy with a very thin mocha ring and swirl of haze. Big, delicious aromas of dark malt, molasses, chocolate, raisins, and some booze. Just smells big and nasty! Taste follows the nose closely, lots of dark malt, chocolate, raisins, and just a touch of soy sauce. Incredibly dark and "roasty", typical of a big RIS. Mouthfeel is big and viscous with low carbonation. The lack of carbonation doesn't really bother me so much with this particular beer, but a touch more wouldn't be a bad thing. Overall a really nice RIS, but nothing I haven't seen before.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 00:23:26 | More by jsanford

HalfFull

California

3.05/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a wine glass from a 750 ml. bottle. The pour is rich and black yet offers not even a hint of carbonation. Looks like a glass of cabernet to me. Not even a hiss upon opening should have been a sign, yet pouring half off into a 330 ml. bottle for recapping did show a hint of carbonation and the nose shows no sign of oxygen issues fortunately.

Nose of dark chocolate, some coffee and brown sugar and a hint of wafting alcohol.

Flavor is sweet and viscous, suffering to a degree from the lack of carbonation. Sweetened dark chocolate, bit of cocoa powder and roasted coffee on the finish. Feel is decent for being so flat but seems as though it would be rather light if well carbonated.

Rather slick and improves a bit in flavor with warming. Still the carbonation issue, surely not unique to my bottle, beats this beer down significantly.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 05:19:46 | More by HalfFull

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

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter on 10/2/11

It appears to be dated July 13th, 2011

Many thanks to PDXHops for the chance to try this

This has to be the darkest beer I've ever seen poured. It's such a thick, sludgy drizzle and almost jet black even before getting comfortable in the glass. I had to aggravate the pour after a few moments of nary a wisp of foam; by the time I was done there was about an inch and a half of hot chocolate colored foam in it's smooth "might as well be nitro" glory. The head drops to a much thinner layer. It looked like a lot of lace would catch but alas, that isn't the case. Some webbed lace does hold on the second pour.

The aroma is just as loud as the appearance, though I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing in this case. Seems like there is just too much concentration of intense aromas. Viciously burnt and scorched chocolate lead off and is had in droves. Some overly tangy roasted notes are worked in, too. I love burnt, charred and roasted qualities in beer, but this is just a bit over the top. Nips of butter toffee and burnt coffee dregs occasionally make known their presence. Has a bit of acidity that calls to mind something akin to tomato paste; oh, you've come to visit me again, tomato paste aromatics. Meh. At least there's no indication of the 11% abv.

Come sippin' time the flavors are all sorts of heavy-handed. Lots of burnt chocolate sit atop notes of coffee dregs and burnt molasses. Earthy and a tad nutty at times (though admittedly, both are hardly the focal point here). Tangy dark fruit tones, most notable is prune. Hints of raisins. While this certainly has a faint amount of sugary sweetness, it isn't disgustingly sweet. That said, it's something of a burnt mess regardless; it just doesn't fully tip the scale to burnt, sweet mess. Not that it's all that far off, though. The sugars start to take a more prominent stance as the beer warms up.

The mouthfeel is every bit as thick and heavy as everything else about this beer. This is a massively heavy beer. Interestingly enough, it isn't overly viscous or slick with alcohol. Once again, I'm impressed with how hot this beer isn't. Carbonation is working overtime to move this beer and succeeds without being too vigorous for the style; indeed, there is a rolling feel to the carbonation which adds a puffiness (not that this beer needs anything to bolster it's overall feel). Heck, by the end of the glass this has an almost creamy feel. Finishes roasty and tangy with a hint of cocoa but the finish is comparatively clean, considering.

I find this beer to be a toss up of some good things and bad things without ever swinging terribly far in either direction. For whatever reason, the 11% abv doesn't strike me as such; it's not hot and, to be honest, it isn't even warming. Even still, this beer is a bit much, even for me. I finished a good 3/4ths of the bottle but wanted to cut my caloric losses at that point.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 04:29:59 | More by Ryan011235

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

Jeffo

Netherlands

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

I think this beer was my first ever Want. Imperial Stouts and the victorious general at Stalingrad, the architect of Operation Uranus, just go hand in hand. A big thanks to 50belair for the hoook up!

From a 750ml into a snifter. Let's totally geek it up. Consumed while watching my documentary on the Battle of Stalingrad. Too bad my Soviet military cap is back in Canada.

Vintage: 2010

APPEARANCE: Pours thick and pitch black out of the bottle. Initially pours quite flat, but a wonderful, slow motion cascading effect produces a small, dark, dark mocha colored, thicker looking head with a few bubbles on the top. Head had little retention and quickly fades to a faint wisp and bubbly ring. Jet black body, dense looking, with zero carbonation evident. A splotchy wisp swirls after every sip, leaving some dots of lacing that slowly fall down the sides of the glass. Looks thick and vicious.

SMELL: Roasted malts, molasses, dark pure chocolate and burnt espresso beans fill the nose. Hints of wood there too, and some faint notes of toffee in the background. Complex for sure, but not quite bold enough to be a whopper.

TASTE: Roasted characters, with lots of molasses and dark chocolate notes up front. Some toffee sweetness through the middle, into a more bitter coffee, espresso and chocolate finish. Bolder and lingering aftertaste is plenty roasted and bitter, with some nice sweet toffee and molasses notes. Quite well balanced and very enjoyable. Bold beer with lots of bitter-sweet flavors. Great stuff.

PALATE: Thick, oily body with understated carbonation. Enough carbonation to keep it really vicious and satisfying though. Heavy and full on the palate, goes down fine with a bit of heat on the swallow and finishes relatively mouth-coating, though far from cloying. Pretty menacing. Ends up a little flat by the end of the glass, so a little more carbonation would be necessary to keep it up for the long haul.

OVERALL: A big, bold, and demanding beer. The Marshal can certainly battle it out with the other big stouts, and perhaps claim victory in the end. Though a touch more carbonation would help bring it over the hump, this big stout is really drinkable and I really enjoyed every sip of it. I'm glad I have a few more for down the road. The Marshal and I will battle it out again. Thanks a lot for hooking me up with my first ever Want 50belair.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 21:49:37 | More by Jeffo