Dragonmead Russian Imperial Stout - Dragonmead Microbrewery

meathookjones

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black with a dark tan head that leaves streams of lace around the glass. Roasty malt with a lightly bitter dark chocolate. Notes of dark fruits as well. Some light scents of sweetness and coffee as well. The flavor starts with some bitter sweet chocolate and deep roastiness. Some alcohol peaks through before being covered by sweetness. Bitter dry roasted malt finish. A bit on the thin side but smooth and easy going down. A tasty version on the smaller end of the RIS spectrum.

Serving type: growler

05-16-2006 19:16:32 | More by meathookjones

zonker17

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

02-20-2013 01:17:46 | More by zonker17

adamant1912

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

02-03-2013 19:02:25 | More by adamant1912

tectactoe

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Enjoyed on tap at Dragonmead's brewery. Black-hole black with literally no head, most likely (or at least partially) due to the pour. Just a slightly tan-ish ring that outlines the circumference of the glass.

Aroma is pretty "safe" and generic for a Russian Imperial Stout, although even benchmark RIS's smell pretty darn good. Roasted malts, burnt coffee beans, some slightly residual sweetness, maybe mild licorice, some bittersweet chocolates. As I said, pretty "standard" but still pretty good. No detectable heat (yet), but at 7.5% ABV, it's at the low end of the spectrum for alcohol content given the style.

The taste matches the nose almost perfectly, which is always good to see. Malt bomb; roast, coffee grounds, light anise and black licorice, dense dark chocolate. Certainly a bit more roasty than sweet which is typically the style I enjoy. Hop character is surprisingly low, maybe a slight touch of ash and leaf on the very back end, giving a mild bitter feel, however I believe most of the bitterness in this brew comes from the heavy roast.

Body is fairly robust, medium-thick, but I typically like my RIS's a bit thicker than this. It's erring on the side of slick and oily rather than thick and chewy, but it doesn't distract too much from the beer itself. Mild carbonation. Overall, this one might be "just okay" compared to those big-boy RIS's out there, but it's still pretty damn enjoyable. Definitely one of the best Dragonmead brews I've enjoyed.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 02:49:03 | More by tectactoe

chrisbokmuller

Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-10-2012 02:25:20 | More by chrisbokmuller

Rostie

Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.8%

01-19-2012 11:07:01 | More by Rostie

Goldfoot

Michigan

5/5  rDev +25.9%

12-16-2011 16:53:22 | More by Goldfoot

IlPostino

Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.8%

12-04-2011 16:03:06 | More by IlPostino

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.13/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 6/19/2010. On tap at the brewery. Pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of chocolate, chocolate syrup, sweet malt, and roasted malt. Flavor was somewhat of a let down -- very sweet and sugary, not as robust as the aroma would suggest. A touch of roasted malt, but mostly just sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 23:18:16 | More by LilBeerDoctor

nickadams2

New York

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Dragonmead.

A_Deep black with a thin mocha head. Little lacing.

S_Roast,chocolate,and smoke.

T_Very roasty. Has a smokey/charred flavor. Chocolate and a little burnt coffee as well.

M_Thick and full bodied.

D_Very drinkable especially for a impy.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2010 17:44:26 | More by nickadams2

webmanspidey

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

For a Russian Imperial Stout, this is pretty light in strength and overall complexity. It is however, very drinkable and smooth for the style. Not too heavy on malt or hops. Smell and taste are dominated by smokiness, light chocolate, and possibly coffee. One of the better beers I've had from Dragonmead, worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2009 04:16:11 | More by webmanspidey

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Dragonmead Brew Pub. On Cask.

Poured a deeper black color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, roast, and some dark fruits. Tastes of chocolate, roast, dark fruits, and lighter coffee. Chocolate in the forefront of both the aromas and tastes. Lacing left on the glass.

Serving type: cask

01-03-2009 02:41:37 | More by hopdog

BMoney575

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on 10-24-08
Bottled on 10-18-08

Pours an absolute pitch black, with a wispy tan head that settles to a micro-thin layer.

Smell is tons of coffee and anise, lots of smoky roasted malt, and a little bit of chocolate if you look for it. Outstanding.

Taste is surprisingly meaty, dominated by a smoky, malty quality. The finish is quite bitter, which adds to the intense coffee aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is great, maybe a tiny bit too thin, but with nice carbonation.

Drinkability is very good, the reasonable abv means you can session a great beer.

Overall, I've been disappointed with Dragonmead in the past, but this totally redeems them. Too bad they don't bottle more of their beers.

Serving type: growler

10-24-2008 22:44:36 | More by BMoney575

david131

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Black as they come with a small and patchy brown head. This looks menacing and mean. As appealing as they come.

S- A massive amount of chocolate, some anise, somkiness, coffee, and earthiness to boot. Pretty roasty with some sweetness in there too. A little restrained.

T- This is damn tasty. Its got a lot of excellent flavors such as coffee, chocolate, smokiness, anise, and some roastiness. Nothing is overpowering and everything seems to be mellow and smooth. It's got the flavors of an Imperial Stout, but it is not a monster. Very refreshing for once.

M- Very smooth. The carbonation level is perfect. Leaves a nice, slightly dry feel to the mouth.

D- A very easy drinking beer. I am really impressed. I wish they would bottle this.

Serving type: growler

10-24-2008 02:13:04 | More by david131

barleysangel

Ohio

2/5  rDev -49.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This beer was dark, but you could still see through. It had a greenish tinge to it, which was a little scary. I felt that it was too chocolately (yes that's what I said) and too smoky. It had a very heavy aftertaste. I would not have another one of these.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2008 22:42:06 | More by barleysangel

letsgopens

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the brewpub, this brew pours black with tiny lighter brown highlights. A relatively thin tan head leaves little lace.

Not particularly aromatic but there is some coffee and a decent amount of roasted malt. I would have liked to get a more robust aroma from a RIS.

The flavor is moderately acidic which often is not conducive to the type of stout I prefer (i.e. bitter/sweet/chocolate/coffee/roasted malt). This selection's flavor focuses more on dark fruit with just a hint of espresso to mellow the brew. A small amount of earthy cocoa is present as well.

Smooth and creamy mouthfeel that becomes a bit dry in the finish. Some warmth but not as robust and full bodied as I would have liked.

I can not, however, criticize this beer for its rendition of the style. After having several beers from Dragonmead, I have noticed a trend in their brewing style that focuses on well balanced, tidy, and often mellow brews. None of their beers are too malty, hoppy, heavy, light, etc. Everything is very consistent and deliberate. This can be a very good thing but somewhat boring at the same time. A very high quality beer none-the-less.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2007 16:57:03 | More by letsgopens

TheBierBand

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The first bier I tried at Dragonmead. It arrived to our table with a 1/4" froathy tan head peeking out over the top of the edge of the pint glass. The bier itself was a black as black can be.

The aroma was understated.... but you could still pick up dark chocolate and a roasty malt smell.

Taste... WOW!... FANTASTIC RIS! The deep dark chocolate comes through right up front with some hoppy bitterness to balance off the sweetness. Very complex roasted coffee flavors and some fruity taste as well.

Mouthfeel was great... carbonation was just right... not too fizzy. Very thick and chewy like a RIS should be.... the bier that drinks like a meal!

Drinkability was also GREAT! I wish I would have taken a growler of this fine bier home with me.

Serving type: cask

05-21-2007 12:48:39 | More by TheBierBand

mcallister

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black like midnight. Head is immaculate! Mocha colored, thick and creamy with great retention. Just a great looking stout.

Big roasted burnt chocolate aromas. Fresh ground coffee with a touch of french vanilla. A thimble of mollasses and a hint of floral hop as well.

This is a great RIS and absolutely perfect for cask conditioning. Mouth is big, rich, creamy, and silky smooth. Chock full of roasted smokey chocolate flavors leaning toward the tannic side of things (pure cocoa). Coffee, black currant, plum and a bit of raising fill out the mid palat. Nice bittering hop on the finish. Thick mollasses deliciousness. If they didn't have over 30 taps I would drink this on cask all night long.

Serving type: cask

05-01-2007 19:49:15 | More by mcallister

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewery. Dark colour with a good head. Light mouthfeel. Chocalety malt sweetness with a finish of sour astringency to it. Ovaltine beer. A tad of coffee and roast. Drinkable but below the high standards available elsewhere for this style.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2006 04:16:22 | More by northyorksammy

walleye

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

had is a while ago. sampler from the brewery. poured black with a tan head. aroma burnt molasses, dark chocolate. coffee and hints of alcohol. flavor, smokey and that made it hard to get anything else out of it but did get some malts a nice dryness. not to bad

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2006 00:06:11 | More by walleye

BigDaddyWil

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Received a growler of this from BA member nisjer05, as a Christmas gift! Thanks, Jeremy!!!

Poured into a snifter glass, at almost room temp.

Black as night in color, no light could pass. About a half inch creamy tan head, that dissapated quickly, leaving a super thin tan ring around the snifter glass. A slight oily texture.

Heavy aroma of roasted malt, followed by a good amount of chocolate, and just a hint of coffee.

Lots of roasted malt flavor, along with hints of nuts, mocha and ends with a smoky bitterness flavor.

This stout is a bit too thin for me, maybe it needs some aging. Not a full bodied stout.

Good drinkablity, I could drink this stout all night long, not filling at all.

A decent brew from Dragonmead, my first from there, many return visits are planned to sample more of the 30 some odd brews, that they have on tap.

Serving type: growler

12-27-2005 22:38:50 | More by BigDaddyWil

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appears an inky black with a dark tan head that is unmistakable of the style.
Smell is of chocolate cake, dark roasted malt, rich oak barrel aging.
Taste is of chocolate richness, dark roasted malt, and a deep roasted taste that is in need of aging to be world class.
Mouthfeel is roasty, bitter, and hitting the middle of the tongue before quickly dying out.
Drinkability...dry and in need of age.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2005 22:48:50 | More by weeare138

nomad

Kansas

3.48/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a sudsy mocha head and no retention. Smell is light chocolate and coffee covered in smoky black patent phenols and nutty accents. Low in impression and not the most captivating aromas. Flavor procedes with minimal complexity, just low-to-medium roasted coffee, nuts, and chalkiness. Little caramel or yeast presence. Mouthfeel is medium at best with a plain texture. The malt at the core drank quite flat, like industrial two-row.

Quite a plain jane imperial stout, really expected more and never received much, even with time and warmth little complexity showed up. Drinks like a run-of-the-mill session stout despite being relatively fresh on draught if indeed it is a weekly rotating tap as advertised.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2005 21:58:33 | More by nomad

bozebus17

Michigan

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

Poured pure black with a modest white head that struggled to last the entire glass.

It smelled like all malt with hints of toffee. The scent also seemed a bit woody.

This beer is like an explosion of flavor in your mouth. I was at with coffee, malt, and sweetness all at once. It finished with a smoky flavor that lasts after the beer is swallowed. The alcohol flavor also kicks in at the end, but tastes kind of sweet and is masked.

This beer is extremely full bodied with a creamy milky feel. The only thing I don't like about it is drinkability. Although it is a great beer I couldn't imagine having more than one pint in a sitting. Not for the faint of heart (or palate).

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2005 23:04:29 | More by bozebus17

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark, opaque black that no light is gonna get through (in this brewpub at least). Big tan/mocha head of foam that lasts until the drink is done leaving excellent lacing patterns all over the place. Aromas are big and bolshy with dark patent malts, coffee, caramel, chocolate, and just a bit of hot alcohol. Taste is great with a nice blend of nearly medicinal funky hops and chocolate, coffee and caramel as well as milky lactic notes. Middle is maltier still, roasty, and a bit smoky eve, finish is drier and hoppier. Mouthfeel is thick and gratifying, drinkability is excellent. A great imperial stout sampled at a great brewpub on a great day...

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2005 18:31:00 | More by francisweizen