Your Black Heart Russian Imperial Stout - O'Dempsey's

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle. Recent release, so very fresh. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours black with a one finger light brown head that leaves some nice spots of lacing and holds a good creamy cap.

Aroma is initially some coffee and chocolate notes, but then moves to some dark fruits, bread and heavily roasted malts with a noticeable hop presence. Good to very good strength.

Flavor is coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, roasted if not burnt malts, some hops but not as much as the aroma. Moderate sweetness and a little alcohol on the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium-plus bodied, sticky and somewhat creamy but at times has sharp carbonation. A little thin for the style though.

A good Imperial Stout, very drinkable with the relatively low ABV. Not as big, rich or robust as others in the style, however. Still, I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind sitting on a bottle for 6-12 months to see what it would do with some age.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 01:46:02 | More by elgiacomo

Bill235

Ohio

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-17-2013 01:21:18 | More by Bill235

neckbracesub

Indiana

3/5  rDev -24.1%

04-28-2013 13:03:14 | More by neckbracesub

csparace

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Picked this up back home as I sampled all the local flavors. Currently working as my night cap and is working perfectly for that task!

Smell (4.25) – The biggest thing present here is chocolates and roasted grains. Hints of fruits and coffee notes. The smell makes me think its going to be sweet and even a little milky. Once it's poured the coffee notes come out a bit more. If you really really look for it you can potentially smell alcohol – or something else that smells similar.

Appearance (4.00) – Pours a pith black tar with a two finger nutty brown head. No light penetrates. Huge active bubbles in the head which comes down quickly. Once the head comes down you can see slight amounts of carbonation coming to the top.

Taste (4.25) – Initial impression is that of roasted grains and coffee with a hit of hops. The coffee fades while the roast continues. The hops come out more a few seconds later. A slight smoke feel is present throughout. The roasted flavors are huge in this beer but not overwhelming at all.

Mouthfeel (3.75) – This stout has a moderate thickness. Lips are decently sticky. Its definitely a slow drinker but not to the extent that you're chewing it.

Overall (4.00) The main idea of this beer seems to be in the bitterness that the roasted body delivers. It's pretty satisfying as a stout and delivers a complexity that includes chocolates and coffee.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 05:26:32 | More by csparace

akttr

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

04-21-2013 03:28:02 | More by akttr

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Incredibly dark in fact down right black. The head is a dark beige pushing brown.

Aroma: Heavy dark roasted coffee, dark chocolate with some milk sugars. Light char, dark roasted hops with a floral note. A few dark fruits in the back.

Taste: Very malty in the front that has so many chocolate malts. Silky smooth mouthfeel, hops are roasted very dark. Milk sugars, and some char.

Notes: Very tasty all over and would pick this one up again. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:17:06 | More by horshack7

bcm75

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

04-12-2013 00:59:37 | More by bcm75

ltdantheman

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

04-10-2013 14:10:43 | More by ltdantheman

Zach136

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-08-2013 01:50:16 | More by Zach136

Falcone

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-07-2013 19:31:10 | More by Falcone

mychalg9

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-06-2013 04:15:13 | More by mychalg9

yaksurf

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-03-2013 20:04:31 | More by yaksurf

bacasnax

Florida

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-01-2013 23:57:24 | More by bacasnax

PatDow

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-01-2013 01:03:21 | More by PatDow

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

03-30-2013 05:30:34 | More by chanokokoro

acsprouse

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-25-2013 00:39:21 | More by acsprouse

ascags

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-24-2013 02:49:58 | More by ascags

jefftuck47

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-23-2013 04:22:25 | More by jefftuck47

hardrock

Arkansas

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-10-2013 23:28:12 | More by hardrock

dvmin98

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

02-27-2013 01:59:44 | More by dvmin98

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.3%

02-22-2013 14:08:53 | More by PEIhop

AmitC

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A very thick pouring brew, dark brown to almost black in color. Pitch black inside the glass. A good shining brown colored less than a half finger thick head that stays really well. An excellent lacing on the sides. Opaque.

Aroma is of dark roasted malts and some hops. A bit of coffee aroma, not really ground. Strength is mild to only moderate. A good burnt up nose. No alcohol. Difficult to pick up mainly due to fading aroma.

Flavor is that of burnt up and charred malts. A good and balancing hop profile. Finish is dry to slightly bitter. Some chocolate and coffee in the taste.

Mouth feel is full bodied. Low carbonation. No astringency of any kind. Drinks really nice and easy. A good alcohol warmth.

Nothing really wrong with the brew but no wow factor either.

Style Rate: 4
Personal Rate: 4.25

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 02:56:40 | More by AmitC

tdm168

North Carolina

4.24/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - pitch black with a thin lacing of dark brown head that has good retention

S - chocolate, roasted malts, faint coffee, sweet sugary notes

T - roasted malts, coffee, some faint chocolate, mildly bitter finish

M - full bodied, well carbonated

This is a rich beer. It may not have the depth and intricacies of some of the great RIS out there, but this definitely has some character. It's dark and malty, rich and drinkable. This isn't the best RIS out there but it ain't bad either. It's worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:08:56 | More by tdm168

shamrock1343

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.3%

02-12-2013 23:07:01 | More by shamrock1343

CitizenGrain

5/5  rDev +26.6%

02-06-2013 01:53:36 | More by CitizenGrain