Island Reserve: Russian Imperial Stout - Cisco Brewers Inc.

atone315

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +26.1%

02-19-2013 01:49:09 | More by atone315

socon67

New York

3.66/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Had at the Cisco event aboard the Ligthship Nantucket at Hudson River Pier

A - Black pour with a high cola colored foam. Lacing is not too pronounced; half moons of sticky lace on the glass.

S - Scents of cocoa and roasted malt. Has a lingering boozy smell and some smoky qualities as it warmed.

T - A chocolate malt bomb. Perhpas a tad too sweet. There is a slight warming burn in the finish.

M - Pretty much was a one and done for me. The high ABV and sweetness made this sipper. This is a beer people can satisfy a sweet tooth, and then feel sick afterwards.

O - A pretty good dessert beer, but maybe the malt was a bit too sweet and too heavy. Overall fun but really a nondescript RIS.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 12:30:56 | More by socon67

eawolff99

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -3.6%

05-10-2013 16:21:48 | More by eawolff99

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.71/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Pitch black with nearly zero head. Barely any lacing too.

S-Big and bold. Booze emanates. Nose isn't exceptionally aromatic. Coffee/chocolate of course. Also get a decent amount of dried dark fruit (nearly Belgian-esque)

T-Again, the flavor is not as overwhelming as it should be. The booze stands out just as much as any of the flavors. Its not exceptionally roasty. I get way more dried dark fruit than roast. It reminds me of a Belgian Imperial Stout. Chocolatey and plummy but not supremely roasty.

M-Big and boozy but the body is somehow thin.

O/D-They either messed this up or they wanted to carve out their own niche here. I was shocked to find out this was nearly 14%. Its thin and lacks flavor yet its uniqueness is oddly addictive. Definitely the most curious pint I had tonight.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2013 03:12:44 | More by VelvetExtract

SLeffler27

New York

3.98/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black, very black, in a Dogfish Head snifter. A ring of fine dark foam forms a hazy layer above this viscous and syrupy Stout.

Strong roasted coffee and roasted chocolate dominate simply in this well-done aroma profile.

The flavor is almost exclusively malt with slight malt bitterness and trailing candy sugar. Semi-sweet chocolate combines with light wood notes in the middle, while modest sweetness fills out a short finish. Warmth develops these characteristics exceptionally well, while nonetheless mellowing and focusing the chocolate syrup flavors.

A dense, syrupy body with warming, yet controlled, alcohol for 13.5% abv.

This is a good sipper, perhaps best after dinner or with moist chocolate cake. While a bit too sweet for the style, it is still highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 14:48:54 | More by SLeffler27

funhog

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%

04-09-2013 21:52:53 | More by funhog

Kooz

New York

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured dark and opaque with a dark brown head. Smelled of molasses, which lingered throughout and was pleasant. Very nice taste. Chocolatey with a hint of coffee in it at the tail end. Mouthfeel was good--this stout had a good body to it, and despite the high abv, there was nothing boozy about it. Overall, i enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it, but one is plenty for a night.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2013 01:51:29 | More by Kooz

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +18.7%

03-18-2013 22:20:52 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

oldedog

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +26.1%

02-16-2013 02:57:53 | More by oldedog

doucmehu

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%

02-07-2013 01:01:03 | More by doucmehu

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.04/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

I've been sitting on this bottle for more than six months, easy. Had to crack this bad boy open after taking down the Christmas lights. This is the day before temps get UP to 15 degrees in the chi-town area.

Poured into my Lunar Brewing co. Neil Armstrong snifter.

Oil slick black with a medium brown head of maybe one finger. There's a residual ring of foam that thins out more and more with each sip.

Roasted bread crust, coffee beans, with a viney and warm alcoholic warmth. Perhaps, not the aroma I anticipated, but still pretty good.

As this beer warms, the palate gets thinner, and the abv. content becomes more and more domineering. I still get strong roasted malt flavors, still lots of coffee and dark cocoa. There's still a slightly sour, viney finish, along with the alcohol. Palate is a watery oil mix.

This RIS isn't "bad" per-se, but this something i would not reccommend to someone, or buy again. Glad I tried it though.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 00:07:35 | More by scruffwhor

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.54/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle shared my wife after it sat in the cellar for 6 months or so. Poured jet black with a huge khaki colored head of excellent retention; tons of sticky lace clinging to the glass. Aroma is roasty; bitter chocolate and some surprisingly hoppy notes, floral and a bit piney, emerge over a lingering whiff of fusel alcohol.

The flavor is moderately sweet, moderately roasted, but aggressively bitter and hoppy, again with pine and floral notes that come to dominate the taste. Booze is present but not obnoxious. This tastes almost like a super-charged India Black Ale with a big body. Caught off guard by this unexpected twist, especially as the bottle’s been sitting for a while.

Medium full bodied, with moderate carbonation and a decent amount of smoothness. I guess I liked this ok; certainly more the BA community seemed to, but it wasn’t something I’d need to have again. The booziness was a little unpleasant and the hoppiness was just a bit too much in a stout, at least for my tastes. Interesting though, and not terrible by any means.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:13:57 | More by tobelerone

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +18.7%

12-01-2012 02:48:21 | More by PEIhop

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%

11-22-2012 01:37:18 | More by KTCamm

steve8robin

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +26.1%

11-11-2012 01:28:11 | More by steve8robin

AngusOg

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -3.6%

11-09-2012 13:54:02 | More by AngusOg

abraxel

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed blind as part of Blind BIF 7, courtesy of ShogoKawada.

A - How much more black could this be? None. None more black. The head is awesome. It's sort of a cinnamon creme color, very thick, and leaves wonderful lacing.

S - Rather hoppy, surprisingly. It reminds me of smelling a bag of hop pellets, though not nearly as intense. Also a touch of roast. I'm thinking this'll be a interesting blind experience.

T - A whole lot of things going on here. Licorice, molasses, coffee, and sweet fruits, with those same hops as in the aroma ever-present (not a ton of bitterness, though).

M - Full and thick and smooth. Lowish carbonation. Almost no hint of alcohol.

Overall, I like this quite a bit. It's rather hoppy, but otherwise seems like a pretty normal imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 14:56:31 | More by abraxel

seplo

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +18.7%

10-29-2012 20:28:31 | More by seplo

TheCrowsNest

California

3/5  rDev -11%

10-08-2012 01:43:49 | More by TheCrowsNest

TheBeerologist

Rhode Island

2.48/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

750 mL into a CBS snifter

Dark brown translucent pour with a thin tan head. No lacing,

At first I smell strong alcohol presence with a subtle backing of roasted malt and molasses.

Tastes like it smells - hot, and not much flavor behind the alcohol

For a RIS the mouthfeel is fairly thin, though well carbonated. Kinda watery.

Overall nothing I will pickup again or recommend - many other RIS's available at the price point ($11) that are much more worth it.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 00:29:45 | More by TheBeerologist

CalebHiliadis

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%

09-26-2012 19:18:57 | More by CalebHiliadis

mctizzz

New York

4.5/5  rDev +33.5%

09-11-2012 17:44:14 | More by mctizzz

polishkaz

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -11%

08-25-2012 02:34:26 | More by polishkaz

thegerm87

Connecticut

2.75/5  rDev -18.4%

08-21-2012 00:21:03 | More by thegerm87

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%

08-18-2012 14:45:33 | More by DrunkinYogi