Imperial Sweet Stout - Cognac Barrel Aged - Cigar City Brewing

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: dark black with almost no highlights except those which are 90% black and 10% dark brown. No light escapes this, much like Hunahpu's, but it does have a brown head that waivers and leaves after a while, leaving a ring and some small lacing.

S: big cognac smell along with huge roasted malt flavors from smoke to coffee to chocolate.

T: much the same as the smell, but with more smoke. Usually I don't like smoke or very heavily roasted malts at all, but this one was just fine to pair with the cognac barrel flavor.

M: medium-thick body with medium carbonation - everything I wanted from this beer.

O: very good, but the taste didn't come together exactly as I would have liked with the smokey flavor. Very good, but not incredibly drinkable, so I'm glad I had a small pour. Still happy to have another of these nestled away, though I have my doubts that it will age gracefully.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 01:16:59 | More by Holland

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to whoever brought this to the Dec. '12 Philly suburbs bottle share!

Thick black pour like spent engine oil that coated the glass with film, and a small dense cap of mocha head that receded to a wispy layer. Aroma of dark roasty malts, chocolate sweetness, cognac-soaked wood. The taste was similar, dark malts, more sweet than roasty, though a good dose of both, chewy cocoa beans, woody notes, and a strong flavor of cognac, yet lacking an intense alcohol heat. Pretty full in body, lower carbonation, silky, strong, but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 05:16:25 | More by Rifugium

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Wowcoolman for sharing this one at drewone's tasting.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer but leave an oily trail on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, wood, dark fruit, and cognac. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick and a woody finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but I think it smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 23:53:16 | More by UCLABrewN84

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer pours an inky jet black with a thin tan head. Smell is awesomely chocolatey, a bit like boozy chocolate cake. I was worried it might be too sweet after the smell, but the flavor here is well balanced, awesome and not too intense. It's all chocolate and oak and amazing. Mouthfeel is full bodied and thick, but still has nice carbonation. This is a great beer and one of my favorites from CCB, these guys are crushing it lately.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:55:53 | More by starrdogg

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks to egrace84 for the bottle share! Thanks elliot!

reviewed from notes taken 11/30/2012.

poured into boltcutter tulip glass.

Appearance: dark black bodied beer with 1 finger of dark brown head. Spotty lacing coats the glass. The beer has really nice legs too.

Smell: Oak, vanilla, chocolates, and a hint of mellow cognac.

Taste: OOO.... This is nice! Its a huge smokey and sweet beer! The smoke is both earthy and bacony smoke. Almost tastes like liquid smoke. Black Licorice, molasses, and a tobacco aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: full bodied beer with low carbonation. Super silky beer thats soo darn smooth!

Overall: This is what CCB brewery does best! Awesome beer and I want to revisit it in the future! Great beer CCB!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 06:59:33 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

davey101

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 09/19/2012. 750 ml bottle into a DFH signature glass. Served around cellar temperature. Thanks Matt!

A - Pours a dark black body. Insanely dark mocha creamy head thats bordering on red. A swirl creates a thin layer of yellow/brown film that stains the glass ala Marshal Zhukov. Thick lacing forms but it seems so dense that it falls down the sides quickly. Beautiful looking beer.

S - Roasted malts, grapes, cherries, leather, and milk chocolate. Very well integrated. Has a warming alcohol impression on the end.

T - Starts off with bitter roasted malts followed by sweet and acrid grape liquer. Finally smooth milk chocolate, oak, and vanilla. Fudgy and chewy with dark fruits, cognac, and oak barrels all playing a role. Very warming and smooth on the end. The aftertaste is a bit awkward with some lingering acidity.

M - Creamy with great carbonation. Somewhat sticky and syrupy but the beer does finish cleanly albeit slowly.

O - A unique beer. Can't say that the lactose is present, but this is an extremely well made. Not as good as Leon IMO, but Cigar City is doing some pretty impressive barrel releases lately.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:19:31 | More by davey101

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.88/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Big ole 750ml bottle courtesy of robinsmv. Thanks, Matt!

Black black black pour, darkest of tan head of foam that I may have ever seen. Tilting my tulip glass, I see a ton of lacing.

Roasted malt, dark and milk chocolate, malty sweetness in the smell. Slight hints of cognac, one of my favourite liquors. I think I'm down for this.

Good grief Charlie Brown, the first sip is simply amazing? I'd gladly let Lucy pull the football away at the last second and fall on me arse if I can get up and have another sip of this splendid brew!

Sweet malt, big milk chocolate sweetness, light dark chocolate bitterness meshed in with roasted malt, delicious cognac flavours throughout but not dominating/detracting from the "elegance" of what makes this Milk Stout a true Milk Stout. Oh, did I not mention the lactose I'm getting in the taste? My bad.

So delicious sip after sip. The 11% abv is hidden too damn well; gotta watch it, Bill, lest the "evil" alcohol droppeth upon your door step and kicketh you into the next century.

Full bodied, light but right amount of carbonation, the mouthfeel is smooth as silk.

Bottom line: There's a song out there in music land by MC Hammer that says it best....You Can't Touch This. I think this is the beer of 2012 for me!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 16:21:05 | More by Bitterbill

oline73

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I had this at the November Baltimore BA tasting. Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer is almost black with a thick layer of dark, tan head. The head sticks around quite well.

Smell: This beer is very sweet and full of roast. I'm getting some heat from the alcohol and lots of dark fruit. I'm really liking the roast along with the cognac. Quite smooth.

Taste: This beer is extremely smooth, all of the flavors blend together very well. Dark chocolate and dark fruit sweetness. Warm alcohol and cognac. The finish is sweet, warm and roasty yet smooth. Easy to drink.

Mouthfeel: The body is a bit syrupy with very smooth carbonation. The beer coats our mouth. The finish is just a bit dry.

Overall: This beer is very well done. Extremely smooth and all the flavor blend together perfectly. I'd have more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 21:02:18 | More by oline73

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

4.95/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

WOW!!

This is my favorite Cigar City beer yet!

Deep obsidian on a vigorous pour. Off tan head.

Malted milk balls, cognac, chocolate, stewed prunes, creme brulee, molasses and plum. Fantastic!

Taste carries over from the smell and a nice roasted quality comes to the fore on the aftertaste.

Gorgeous mouthfeel. Thick and rich.

Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 20:09:03 | More by Rochefort10nh

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Notes from 750mL shared at Tired Hands All Hallows Dinner on 11/6

Pours a dark, ominous black shade with about a finger's width head up top. Smell is rich...flush with dark fruit, a tint of vanilla, and plenty of the cognac barrel. The taste follows the nose closely. True to the name, it is surely sweet, but not even remotely in a cloying manner. The mouthfeel is world class. This is every bit the heavy, velvety, thick, lush mouthfeel that I yearn for in a beer like this. Overall, this was amazing. While they're not the same style, I liked this even more than Leon.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 15:09:44 | More by Retail1LO

Duff27

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Deep deep mocha colored head on a near black body.

Borderline overload with the cocoa/alcohol one-two punch.

Barrel aging is there bu isnt over done at all, near perect level. I'm getting a chalky/"ashy" smokiness on the tail end, love it.

Very smooth, could be its greatest attribute. Low carbonation, thick mouthfeel.

Great beer. Cognac near flawlessly integrated. I keep forgetting this is a milk stout because I'm not noticing the lactose, only minor complaint. Seek and share with me. Thanks egrace84.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 01:45:06 | More by Duff27

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Jet black bodied beer with a big tan head that settles slowly; sticky lacing remains on the glass. Aroma has massive cognac and the boozy heat that comes with it; underlying sweet and bitter chocolate, molasses, anise notes. Complex and decadent.

This is one cognac-bomb to be sure. While there is ample sweetness, both milk and semisweet chocolate flavors, rich fudginess, and lesser notes of the aforementioned molasses, anise, and roasted malt, the chest-warming cognac flavor is very prominent. Oak, vanilla, and raisins just poke out here and there.

Medium-full bodied, moderate carbonation, smooth, sticky, creamy, and appropriately chewy feel. Nice beer! This is the one for the cognac lover, if they can find it. Cigar City does a lot of interesting stuff but for my money it's their stouts that really shine the brightest.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 15:39:06 | More by tobelerone

djmichaelk

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Chilled 750ml bottle into a snifter. We let it warm slightly before opening.

A - Pours an absolute black, with a rocky three fingers of mocha-colored head. Great retention and decent lacing, clinging to the edges of the glass like a Halloween spiderweb.

S - Huge dark chocolate cake notes, vanilla, some earthiness and a slight hoppiness, and maybe a bit of fennel in the background. The barrel is definitely there in a big way, but it doesn't seem boozy. It smells awesome.

T - The flavor is more of the nose. It's a bit like one of those liquor-filled dark chocolate candies, melted in your glass. The chocolate is rich without being overpowering, there's some bitterness from the hops lurking in there somewhere, and the barrel rounds everything out. The cognac works wonderfully with the fudgy sweetness of the beer, without really much in the way of heat.

M - CCB always nails the mouthfeel on their beers, and this one is another great example. Exceptionally full with medium carbonation that fits the bill perfectly. Slightly drying in the finish.

O - After BA Church and Leon, I was almost thinking that this couldn't quite live up to the standard that those two set, but it really does. I'm trying really hard not to overrate this beer, but it's difficult to find faults with it. The barrel treatment is different, but the overall impression is similar to some of the Eclipse variations out there, rich and fudgy. Great dessert beer to finish off the night. Me? I'm off to find a few more bottles.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 19:31:27 | More by djmichaelk

AltBock

Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Imperial Sweet Stout

On tap at the Cigar City Tasting Room on 8 Oct 2012. It was the release date for this beer. They served it to me in a snifter.

It's yet another pitch black beer. The mighty sun couldn't shine through this beer. On top was a small 1/4 of an inch dark mocha head of foam. This head of foam quickly dissipated into a tiny string of rings along the side of the beer and a few streaks of lace.

The aroma was sweet, but not rot your teeth sugar sweet. Up front was brown sugar and molasses. Directly behind the sweetness was the dark fruits like raisins, plums, and cherry. Rounding out the aroma was roasted malt, a pinch of coffee, a drop of vanilla, a little oak, and a splash of Cognac. I liked how the aroma controlled the oak and Cognac. It didn't let them get out of control.

The taste was thick and roasted, but not sweet like the aroma. Up front was the roasted elements, the roasted malt and roasted coffee beans. Behind the roasted tastes was a brief taste of sweetness. I got some brown sugar, a dash of vanilla, a drop of molasses, and a few dark fruits like raisins, cherries, and plums. This beer then finishes up with a nice medium not overpowered taste of oak and cognac. When the taste warmed up, the cognac and oak became more pronounced. Even though it became stronger, it never became a cognac aged in a sweet imperial stout barrel.

The mouthfeel was full bodied with a nice aftertaste of oak, malt, coffee, roasted  hops, dark fruits, and cognac. I could taste the cognac, but it was a controlled taste. Not overpowered!

I don't care that much for sweet stouts, but this one was different. The barrel aging was a very nice touch. I would love to drink this beer again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2012 18:17:34 | More by AltBock

ndepriest

Georgia

4.63/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter.

The beer looks a bit flat. Very little head. It almost comes out like syrup. The smell is incredible. Chocolate, vanilla, roasted marshmallows, and sweet cognac. The taste is similar, but the cognac is a bit more in the background. Just huge roasted flavors. The mouthfeel is very smooth, but thick and syrupy.

Wonderful beer that it would be great to see them brew again. If you have a bottle, this is definitely one to share.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 01:24:42 | More by ndepriest

Nicolay3535

Florida

4.98/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Pours very dark with medium to light head, its pretty

S- WOW we are talking quality cognac here, chocolate truffles, marscapone cheese, slight coffee notes and sweet malt, one of the best noses in the business.

T- Just like the nose it delivers all that cognac lacto, flavor with a sweet overtone, but not too sweet, perfect brew to enjoy with a good cigar. Probably one of the greatest stouts I've had yet.

M- Cigar City has this down, body for days, it oozes quality.

O- Such an amazing stout, and like stated above one of the best out there. I just hope it becomes a regular in their catalogue.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 15:28:56 | More by Nicolay3535

randyherring

Florida

4.78/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Excellent Cognac flavors, velvety smooth. The bouquet is strong, you can definitely smell the alcohol content. Excellent taste for anybody who loves a good stout without the chocolate overtones.

I picked up a bottle at the CCB tasting room in Tampa. I am very happy with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 01:11:50 | More by randyherring

codysjb

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cigar City Imperial Sweet Stout ale aged in Cognac barrels
Drove 9 hours to buy 6 bottles. Poured into my Duvel Tulip.
A: Poured a decent head but dissipated quick. Black as night, motor oil black.
S: Caramel, Cognac, whisky. Wow.
T: Chocolate coats the mouth and some minor cognac notes round out. Overall very sweet but wow pretty amazing.
M: Sweet chocolate and caramel becomes a nice cognac taste with whisky notes and more caramel notes.
O: Wow!!! Ya this was worth the drive. It can stand up to most stouts and while it isn’t BCBCS, its pretty damn close.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 03:19:56 | More by codysjb

Lare453

Florida

4.98/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml into a dfh signature glass

a extremely dark. black. cocoa brown head that dissipates at a medium pace. beautiful lacing. looks fantastic

s heavy cognac, bitter sweet chocolate, coffee, caramel, sweet dark fruits, vanilla,

t WOW!!! this is one of the greatest stouts ive ever had. it is super rich. heavy chocolate and sweet vanilla at the start, themiddle is sweet cognac and coffee middle. the ending is unbelievable, dark fruit, sweet chocolate, caramel, toffee. the aftertaste is cognac, oak and sweet chocolate.

m thick, rich, smooth, great carbonation.

o wow. this is delicious, complex, and one of the best things ive ever had. im very impressed with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 01:05:11 | More by Lare453