Leon Russian Imperial Stout
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company

Leon Russian Imperial StoutLeon Russian Imperial Stout
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From:
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #425
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,030
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 9.25%
Reviews:
53
Ratings:
237
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 23, 2022
Added:
Aug 26, 2012
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  34
Leon is a big beer. So big, it has twice as much malt as any other beer we brew.. On top of the copious amounts of two row barley, Munich, Victory, Chocolate, Black Patent, and Caramel 80 malt in this beer each 15 barrel brew has 50 pounds of freshly in-house handmade marshmallow fluff as well as 16 pounds of bittersweet bakers chocolate, and 30 pounds of crumbled graham crackers. Leon clocks in at just over 80 IBUs and 11.6% ABV. Does it taste like a Smore’s? That’s for you to decide, but either way this is one fun beer to make, not to mention drink.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Darkmagus82:
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Served on tap in a snifter

Appearance – The beer is served a pitch black color with a one finger of tan colored head. The head fades relatively quickly leaving a big level of streaky lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell –The aroma is overall roasted, sweet and malty. A good level of a roasted smell mixed with a bit of a graham cracker smell create the bulk of the smell. Along with these aromas are some quite sweet aromas. The sweeter smells are of a chocolate and vanilla nature, mixed with some marshmallow like smells of more vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. All in all the mix of aromas is quite inviting, creating a rather sweet and chocolate “s’more like” smell.

Taste – The taste begins rather sweet and roasted with a good level of caramel, chocolate and vanilla sweetness and a nice roasted malt flavor that meld well with the sweet to create a chocolate bar like flavor for the brew. This sweeter chocolate flavor persists throughout the taste with other flavors of some of the marshmallow sweetness, with a more powdered sugar like taste, joining the tongue soon after the initial tastes. Some caramel and a bit more chocolate as well as some more graham cracker like flavors joining the tongue more toward the end, one is left with a rather sweet, chocolaty and smooth sugary taste to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is average to slightly on the lower side for what would be expected of a brew of 11.6 % abv with a carbonation level that is on the average to slightly above average side. A bit of a thicker body and a little less carbonation may have suited the rich and sweet imperial stout qualities of the brew a bit better, but overall it was still rather nice and it really hides the alcohol content well as only the slightest trace of it is encountered in the taste..

Overall – A quite tasty brew overall. Big and robust, but with a amazingly hidden alcohol level. Pretty much a drinkable decadent dessert in a glass.
Nov 27, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of hman43
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

3.74/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Look: It pours dark brown with a tan head. Head retention is medium.

Smell: It has up front aromas of graham crackers and marshmallows. There are also some chocolate notes and roast. There are hints of dark fruit as well.

Taste: It has some roast flavors with alcohol. There are low levels or marshmallow and graham cracker. There are also chocolate background notes.

Taste: It has a medium full body with a bit of a bite to the finish with the bitterness.

Overall, the flavors were a little more muted than I would like, but a decent beer.
Nov 23, 2022
Photo of Peach63
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York

4.17/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Ebony with a 1" tan head, which dissipates. No lacing.

Aroma of chocolate, coffee, roast malt, cinnamon.

Taste is dark cocoa, coffee, roast malt, cinnamon.

Full body, light carbonation. Oily finish.

Lack of a head is a bit of a bummer. Still an outstanding stout.
Sep 03, 2022
 
Rated: 3.73 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Feb 04, 2021
Photo of cjeep
Reviewed by cjeep from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
not the best around but a worthy contender. try it & decide for yourself.
L: drinking from the can. it's a looker. But who's Leon?
S: not sure I've had a beer made with graham crackers... no crackers in the nose for me. some chocolate.
T: graham crackers in the taste, i must say. cinnamon too. lacking the stone fruit that i enjoy, but ok, it's playing it's own game. chocolate. very little bitterness. abv is well hidden
F: smooth and rich. nice.
O: very good, not great. Worthy!
Dec 07, 2020
 
Rated: 4.09 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Feb 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.12 by Unclevince from West Virginia

Sep 21, 2019
Photo of DrDemento456
Reviewed by DrDemento456 from Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
To me the gram cracker came off rather dry biscuit like but flavors of mostly cocoa chocolate and marshmallow make this quite a treat. Even warmed up the abv is well hidden. Tasty imperial stout.
Sep 13, 2019
Photo of jglenn73
Rated by jglenn73 from New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This looks, tastes, and drinks like a much lighter stout. So much depth and flavor which hides all that alcohol really well!
Sep 02, 2019
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.26/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pouring a cellar temp 16 oz can poured into my snifter. The beer pours a rich dark cola brown color with a fluffy tan head that foams up 4 cm even with a gentle pour. The foam drops kind of quickly to a sturdy edge layer and wispy surface that stretches across my glass. There is some dense lattice on the sides of my glass.
The aroma is dark chocolate and some brown sugar and a bit of coffee mixing. I think I also get a bit of marshmallow, but more like a roasted one from a campfire, than fresh out of the bag. No hop character and the ABV is pretty hidden on the nose.
First sip reveals a fairly thick body with sticky texture and fine, gentle carbonation. Beer coats my palate after each mouthful.
The flavor is similar to the nose with rich dark chocolate and some sweet marshmallow note, again a little bit of char. Some coffee notes roll in the middle and then the finish is sweet chocolate covered raisin. I dont get hops anywhere on this beer. The ABV is dangerously well hidden for 11.6% on the can.
This is a nice Imperial Stout, and I am glad to have had a chance to try it. I would buy this one again.
Aug 31, 2019
 
Rated: 4.14 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Jun 08, 2019
 
Rated: 4.46 by rdoggg from Pennsylvania

Jun 01, 2019
Photo of dbl_delta
Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania

4.12/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Undated can into pint glass. Pours a nice opaque dark brown with a minimal light tan head. Initial impression is chocolate, marshmallow, coffee, maybe some bready malts. Alcohol is quite well hidden. Mouthfeel is smooth and fairly thick. Finish is sweet chocolate and a lingering coffee bitterness. Good but not world class.
May 15, 2019
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
$ 4.00 (Including tax)/16 oz can ($ 0.250/oz) from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. Reviewed 4/20/19.
Undated can. In reefer at point of sale. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Dark brown/black, opaque.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.5 cm, aggressive center pour), dark tan, medium density, average retention, diminishing to a frothy, scalloped, four to eleven mm ring with drag marks, a thin partial cap, and many irregular islands of froth remaining on the glass as the head contracts.
Lacing – None. Not surprising for 11.6% ABV (Marked on can).
First pour – Dark brown, clear.
Aroma – 4 - Roasted malt, dark chocolate, graham crackers.
Flavor – 4 – Dark chocolate and caramel, some roasted malt. No alcohol taste or aroma (11.6% ABV), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide. Ends with mild gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Full, creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 4.25 – Excellent and highly quaffable RIS – the whole is indeed greater than the sum of the parts.
Apr 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by bluehende from Delaware

Mar 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by TheWolf from Delaware

Mar 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by meatyard from Florida

Nov 06, 2018
Photo of mvanaskie13
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A pounder of RIS? Yes... poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is solid black, head is tan with fine bubbles, head presents 1/2 inch thick on the initial pour, a bit less on subsequent pours from the 16oz can.

Smell is light roast, chocolate, toasted bread and graham crackers.

Taste is similar to aroma - light roast, big chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker notes are there, almost like burnt marshmallow; flavor is unique - though the typical RIS flavors are limited or muted the additions do shine through. Ethanol like flavors are limited, even at 12%.

Mouthfeel is moderate with a good amount of sweetness, carbonation is limited but a bit but i think that works for the style and additions. Ethanol burn starts to emerge with warmth.

Overall a different, big RIS - but the flavor additions are noticeable and work with the limited roastiness.
Oct 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Oct 06, 2018
Photo of HoppingMadMonk
Reviewed by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

3.97/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Solid black color. Above average body, creamy thick feel with low to just above low carbonation
Aroma is malt, roasted malt, espresso, dark chocolate and black coffee. Some vanilla and Graham cracker show up in the aroma
Taste is similar but the marshmallow Graham cracker show up more in the taste than the aroma all though it's not overpowering. This is sweet but far from sickening sugary sweet with just a very mild coffee bitter finish.
Overall the base beer is excellent and the add ons were still a good addition to this beer flavor wise. I would definitely seek this out again
Aug 23, 2018
Leon Russian Imperial Stout from Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 237 ratings