Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Cigar City Brewing

oline73

Maryland

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

Poured from a bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours black as night with a brown head and awesome retention. Great looking beer.

Smell: Sweet and roasty with some dark fruit notes as well as some faint vanilla.

Taste: Quite sweet. Hints of dark chocolate and dark fruit along with the roast. Very smooth with a mildly hoppy finish.

Mouthfeel: Thick and a bit syrupy. The carbonation is mild and smooth and the finish is slick.

Overall: A bit sweet but very good. I thought everything blended together quite well. I would definitely have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 14:48:40 | More by oline73

billab914

Virginia

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

Bottle shared by Rhettroactive. Poured from a 750ml bottle into a snifter. It poured pitch black in color and very thick looking. It had a dark chocolate colored head clinging to the edges of the glass and scattered across the top of the beer. Great looking beer.

The aroma shows a lot of dark chocolate to it. I get some molasses and caramel sweetness out of it along with a little roasty bitterness. What I start to really notice though is a tart, somewhat fruity presence that has a bit of a raspberry like flavor to it. It gives it kind of a strange twist, but not enough to take away from all the other really good flavors.

The taste also shows a lot of dark, bitter-sweet chocolate to it throughout. The finish is where I get a stronger roasty, coffee like bitterness coming out. Again though I get a little bit of a fruity, tart, sweetness to it that just seems out of place.

The mouthfeel is thick and silky smooth with carbonation being moderate for the style. Overall it was a pretty good beer. I really liked the dark chocolate and roasty flavors but the fruity, sweet, tart, raspberry like flavors that I got just seemed out of place in it to me. Good beer but not great.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 18:59:33 | More by billab914

maximum12

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to moose3285 for throwing this into a friggin' incredible box of Cigar City brews that arrived not long ago. Mike, you are on my list of people to speak up for when judgment day rolls around.

Pours black. Thick black, like the lakes around here, which are so ready to freeze at the first solid cold snap. The head is sunburnt tan, really wild reddish tint to it. Purty. The smell is divine, heavy on the chocolate & malts, hold the hops. Bonus points for the both the cool bottle as well as the historical figure...gives my old History Minor a little goose.

Marshal Zhukov would have been thrilled to learn he's been reincarnated as this brew. Wow. This bastard has depth like the Mariana Trench. Roasted, firethrower-tarred malts are all over the place, but there's a warm coffee element, balanced out by a smattering of chocolate applause, & a sweet sling of hoppy nip at the end. All of which melds into a single chorus of happy.

The balance on this monster is remarkable. None of the tastes or apparent ingredients outweights any of the others, & all seem to insist on complementing one another rather than playing Soviet & Capitalist. Rich, creamy, warming. Really, words fail me.

This beer is borderline perfect. I am delighted to unexpectedly have another one in the basement (thanks mully) which I will hold onto for a while. Although I cannot see how aging this would make it any better.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2009 02:55:56 | More by maximum12

DavoleBomb

Ohio

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

2010 vintage. Poured into a snifter.

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

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

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

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

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

Serving type: bottle

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

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml Bottle - Thanks to lubiere for this

Appearance - Black/brown colour with a large size fizzy/frothy brown coloured head. I can't see much carbonation due the darkness of the beer and there is some good lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for around 5 minutes.

Smell - Chocolate, coffee, malts, smoke, nuts

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation and it isn't as syrupy feeling as I expected. I can taste lots of chocolate, coffee, molasses, and some nuts. There is also a nice amount of smoke mixed with malts. It ends with a bitter sweet aftertaste.

Overall – One of the better RIS's Ive had. Although the taste is big and bold, it's still very drinkable and well balanced. I'd love to have a few bottles of this tucked away.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 19:57:39 | More by spinrsx

ehammond1

California

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

Bottle (2011)

Acquired via trade
Thanks sendsilk!

Dark as night black pour. Brown and khaki colored head with lots of lacing down the glass.

Roasted malts, coffee, licorice, some alcohol, and lots and lots of chocolate in the nose. Chocolate lovers would go crazy for this!

A chocolatey stout for sure! Lots of chocolate, roasted malt, stinging licorice, and some coffee round out this big stout. Incredibly sweet though, and that would be my only complaint. I wish the chocolate would come in its more bitter form, but sweet chocolate lovers would gladly geek out over this! (Can you believe I was lucky enough to pair this with Green Flash Double Stout chocolate brownies? Yum yummm!) Too sweet for my tastes, yet still delicious!

Rich, thick, and full mouthfeel. Decadent.

A delicious chocolate stout I can't wait to have again, though it's too sweet to become one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 03:50:33 | More by ehammond1

srandycarter

California

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

A - Black beyond black. Head is the darkest mocha I have ever seen. Slow to leave and lots of lace left.

S - Fresh deep malt. Soy, burnt coffee and chocolate notes.

T - Soy sauce, sesame seed, booze, sweet thick malt.

M - Heavy body, good carb and balance.

D - Very tasty. Would drink even after it is a good idea.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 03:48:10 | More by srandycarter

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in trade from brewtechnik, thanks for the opportunity!
Pours a thick black color with a huge dark chocolate mousse of a head that has exceptional retention and lacing. Smells of chocolate, caramel, licorice, dark fruits, vinous, brown sugar, spicy earthy hops. Well it smells wonderful, so far so good. The flavor is big and thick. Lots of Caramel chocolate and brown sugar up front. Then some licorice and fruits move in, some sweet some tart. A bit of earth and ash come in next before a long lingering bitter dark chocolate with just a touch of oxidation. Thick thick body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet creamy silky sweet mouthfeel. Damn that a big thick beer! I'll bet that's sitting somewhere around 1.050 right now. Aside from being a bit on the sweet side this is one flavorful brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 01:38:37 | More by johnnnniee

Overlord

California

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

Big thanks to Jw347 who I owe after he really stunned me with a couple incredible extras.

Pours black with some brown edging. Big gigantic brown foam head. A fantastic looking beer.

Smells faintly of hops and dark fruit, and strongly of roasted earth, malt, and coffee. Whoa. Pretty roasty.

Taste is massively roasted. I mean, charred, scorched wood/earth/malt/coffee roasted. I won't lie: it is palate wearying after a while. The light surprising hint of dark fruit and citrus, and some bitter chocolate, liven things up, but this beer is bone dry and kilned like a scorched desert. Man. It's like acrid ashy malt with some livening notes to keep it drinkable.

Wish I could have split the bottle with someone. Good, but a bit much.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 08:49:53 | More by Overlord

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep deep dark black color with a nice cap of creamy mocha head, settles into a long lasting collar. Scent is filled with fantastic dark malts, bitter baking chocolate, fudge, dark roasted and freshly brewed coffee, dark pitted fruits, faint notes of vanilla and coconut. Taste follows suit, deeply layered flavor with each note standing out at particular points in the drinking experience, but none being too powerful to cover anything else up. Full bodied, thick, and coating, entire glass was left with brown tint after drinking. An excellent beer that I may have enjoyed slightly more than the aged versions - blasphemous? maybe...

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 14:37:25 | More by rfgetz

cjgator3

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle

A- Poured into a snifter. This one is a pretty thick pour. Pours a pitch black color with a tan head that leaves a good amount of lacing.

S- The aroma is dark roasted malts and chocolate notes. 

T- The taste is big and roasty with ton of roasted malt flavors with some unsweetened chocolate, espresso, and some bitterness from the hops in the warming finish. Very nice! All the flavors blend very well together.

M- The mouthfeel is full bodied with a perfect amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, this is yet another fantastic beer from Cigar City. I can't wait to try this again with some more age on it! 

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 03:57:42 | More by cjgator3

nickd717

California

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serving type: bottle

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

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

morimech

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep, dense black color in a very viscous fluid. Just a thin head forms and quickly settles. Moderate amount of spotty lcaing is left on the glass.

Roasted malt aroma with hints of bitter chocolate, black licorice, coffee, and some clean alcohol.

Taste wise this is one of the best RIS's I have had. Not too sweet (Dark Lord) and not to bitter (Darkness, Storm King), but just a ton of black roasted malt goodness. Notes of bitter chocolate, French roast coffee, licorice, dark molassas, and just a hint of smokiness. The alcohol is evident and helps cleanse the palate.

Lacks suitable carbonation. Just a little bit more carbonation to help the smells and tastes pop, this would be one of the world's great beers. Very thick and heavy body.

Just one minor trouble spot in the design of this otherwise exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 18:33:08 | More by morimech

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

atsprings

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to rtratzlaff for the hookup from the employee stash at Cigar City. 12oz bottle into a DFH Signature glass pours a deep motor oil like opaque black with a thin dark tan head that diminishes to a ring. Aroma is loads of roasted malts and dark chocolate with some molasses and espresso. The taste is a very sharp kick of heavily roasted malts with bitter bakers cocoa and some espresso and molasses, citrus hops come through a bit as the beer warms. The beer is a bit on the heavy side with its 11.5% abv certainly showing, but this is a very enjoyable sipper. This is a very enjoyable Imperial Stout, one I would certainly love to have again.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 18:54:39 | More by atsprings

clayrock81

Virginia

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

Poured a pitch black cola body with a tan head and a roasted chocolate smell as well as coffee, some toasted/burnt malt as well. A thick, slightly smooth body with loads of coffee malt taste along with hints of toffee and bitter chocolate. Dryness eminates from the coffee malts as well as ABV peeking through, in a good way, and is a great beer to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 14:32:10 | More by clayrock81

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

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

A-pours a jet black liquid, thick and viscous. The head is dark mocha in color. It is tight and creamy, a few bubbles on top spread out. The head is so thick, the retention is very good and the lace covers the glass and doesn't fall at all.

S-the nose is fairly big, it has a lot of sweetness in the back with some lighter roasted qualities in the front. Roasted malts, lots of burnt coffee and some dark bitter chocolate. smokey malts, notes of soy sauce and ash, malty sweetness in the back.

T-fallows the nose, roasted malt, burnt coffee, dark chocolate. Soy sauce takes over, sweetness in the back, dark fruity goodness, plums and raisins.

M-this is quite thick and creamy, full bodied, pretty darn big. Very smooth on the palate, a little heavy, nicely carbonated, holds throughout. Somewhat dry in the very back from some of the bitter chocolate and hops

D-huge RIS, great flavors and complexity, everything really works well. Lots of chocolate and very rich brew. Enough roasted maltiness to hold up with a good balance of sweetness. Alcohol is extremely well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2010 02:20:18 | More by cpetrone84

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

2010 bottle courtesy of korguy123. Thanks!
Poured in to Duvel tulip.

A - Poured ink black. One of the blackest beers I have ever seen. Not too much head formed but there was a small amount of espresso coloured head.

S - Cocoa, molasses, coffee, some licorice and hints of dark fruit.

T - Cocoa, roasted malts, molasses, coffee, licorice and faint notes of dark fruit. Fairly sweet. Very complex.

M - Medium body, somewhat viscous at times but somewhat lighter at other times. The carbonation was very light; almost somewhere between flat and light carbonation. A little more carbonation would have really made a difference here.

O - An excellent RIS. Aside from the slight carbonation issue, not much to complain about here.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 19:29:34 | More by TheSevenDuffs

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

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A – This brew is darker than the days of Stalin, with a Bolshevik-brown head which is quickly severed, leaving splattered rusty crimson stains on the glass wall.

S – The aroma is so big that not even the Iron Curtain could curtail it. Impressions of aromatic non-Warsaw Pact cocoa, Western coffee, capitalist licorice, Communist Cuban Rum and Ukrainian rawhide emanate even more free than the Soviet people in the days of Glasnost! As it airs out the alcohol sting totally dissipates. Which would be a terrible thing in USSR.

T – The taste is huge; pleasurably acrid and burnt flavors punctuate this brutal brew. Coffee flavor, suggestions of smoke, charred wood and charcoal are initially available with a hearty dose of burnt cocoa on finish. As it warms and airs out, it reveals tremendous new character; cherry, brown sugar, cola, cinnamon and more of an impression of espresso than one of coffee. This is an amazing example of the RIS; keeping with its tradition, it is certainly fit for consumption by even the most bloodthirsty totalitarian maniacs.

M – It is blood-thick. Plenty viscous for the brutality of the roast.

D – This brew is absolutely nuts, the raw rugged real deal.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 05:23:23 | More by ktrillionaire

sweemzander

Illinois

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

750mL bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks again to Matt for sharing!

(A)- Pours pitch black, with one of the darkest brown colors in a head I have ever seen.

(S)- Aroma-wise, fairly straightforward for the style with some rich bits of raisin and molasses and a good underlying roasted profile.

(T)- A touch different from the smell in that, it has the classic roastedness and rich bits, but it almost tastes like it has an underlying honey-like sweetness throughout the flavor profile of the beer; interesting.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Perhaps a touch sweeter than I was expecting, but it blends well and counterbalances what might have been quite a strong roasted profile. It definitely cut out some of the residual bitterness too.

(O)- Not sure how old this particular bottle was, but I did enjoy the slightly different nuances this beer put out. Not overly complex for the style, but it fits the style well.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 17:02:53 | More by sweemzander

rye726

Colorado

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

Big thanks to Sebletitje for the chance to try this one.

Pours a viscous, oily black with a dark mocha head. Settles to a silky cover with nice lace.

Nose has fudge, coffee, molasses, dark fruits, floral hops and roasty malts.

Flavors of chocolate, espresso, dark malts, figs, plums, bitter hops and molasses.

Creamy body is delicately carbonated. Lasting finish. Well balanced stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 01:38:32 | More by rye726

mcallister

Ohio

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

Amazing looking beer. Deep oily black with one of the best colored heads I've witnessed. Dark mocha colored and oozing rolling bubbles like molten lava.

Layers of black fruits and dark chocolate. Burnt caramel and some light leathery notes and earth. Blueberry, currant, tobacco, and more, great nose.

This is a fantastic beer, smooth, round, creamy mouthfeel. Tastes like a mocha latte. Cream, burnt sugar, espresso and chocolate in the front and middle, and black fruits and earth through the finish. Delectable beer huge malts, perfect balance and amazing mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 20:32:12 | More by mcallister

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