Jolly Roger Imperial Stout - Otto's Pub and Brewery

mscott1975

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been on BA for a few years now and after many 'hads' this is my first review.

Picked up today at the brewery. I was told this beer was bottled just a few days ago.

From a bomber into a snifter. I let this beer warm up quite a bit before pouring it. A rather aggressive pour yields a beer that is almost completely black with some brown highlights around the edges. A thin khaki head that recedes pretty quickly producing very little lacing, however this seems to be a common trait wit 10% abv RIS's. Not the greatest looking RIS I've ever seen but an attractive beer nonetheless.

The nose is quite strong. I get quite a bit of smoke, black licorice , burntness and some booze. Not exactly what I'm used to with RIS's. I give them credit for trying something a little different with this one.

The taste follows the nose. Smoke & licorice with some bitter, alcohol bite at the end. The smoke is especially present on my palate. While I'm not usually a fan of smoked beers, this isn't overwhelming. Some RIS's are too sweet for me but this one never goes too far in that direction. I found myself wanting to take another sip pretty quickly early on in the bomber.

The mouthfeel is smooth and not too heavy, but not thin either. The carbonation seems to be spot on for the style. It's actually pretty easy to drink given how strong it is.

I have 2 more bottles I'll sit on for awhile. I think this beer is put together very well. I don't mind the smokey flavor, but I also don't prefer it. I'll see what some age does to it. This beer reminded me a little of Stone Smoked Porter.
Enjoy

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:22:00 | More by mscott1975

dtivp

West Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark pitch black with a thin light tan cap, no lacing.

Aroma of dark roasted malt, bold roast coffee and hints of vanilla.

Taste followed the nose with burnt malt, bold black coffee hints of dark chocolate and alcohol.

Mouth Feel was medium leaning full body, smooth and oily slick with a very nice alcohol warming.

Overall this was a very good imperial stout, a nice beer to sip on a cold winter night.

Serving type: cask

01-29-2012 17:47:11 | More by dtivp

DanielBrett

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz Bottle Poured into a Pint glass

A: Pitch Black, absolutely no light penetration. After settling I was left with a nice mocha colored two-finger head with good retention. Nice lacing, about half way through the glass and there is still some foam clinging to the very top of the glass.

S: Initially the nose is hit with a sweet, chocolate smell, followed by a medium aroma of coffee, and subtle hints of smoke and hops.

T: Upfront was a sweet roasted malt / coffee taste, then became bittersweet mid way, followed by a lightly smokey pleasant finish.

M: Very Creamy and thick body. Alcohol is masked well. Having not known the ABV initially I would have guessed it was around 8% not 10%. Leaves a sticky, dry feeling at end.

O: I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, my favorite from Otto's yet.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:56:37 | More by DanielBrett

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Viscous black liquid with a small mocha colored head leaving patchy lace.

Aroma has coffee upfront with bittersweet chocolate. Rich roasted character with hints of hickory smoke. Resiny pine hop aromas.

Flavor opens up with mocha and roasted woodiness and significant sweetness. Resinous, oily hop bitterness and mild sticky sweetness.

Feel is oily, chewy, warming and sticky.

Great Imperial Stout from Otto's

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 00:51:01 | More by TheMultiYeast

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured form a 22 oz. bottle into snifter.

Appearance - A nice deep black with a light brown head upon pouring that dissipated fast to a nice wispy head; clung to glass while swirled.

Smell - Strong chocolate aroma with a bit of coffee after.

Taste - A strong cocoa presence with some sweeter vanilla and some sweet raisin flavors.

Mouthfeel - A moderate body, with a very smooth texture, although maybe a bit thinner then expected for abv.

Overall - A very good brew and one I would recommend. Not quite up to snuff to the bourbon aged on tap, but a very solid brew non the less.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 02:54:03 | More by Darkmagus82

nhindian

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a large snifter.

A - Pours a pitch, flat black which completely obscures all light. It gradually builds a formidable, 2-fingered, dark mocha head with pretty good retention, lasting several minutes. Lacing is decent as well, with sticky foam randomly sticking to several spots around the glass.

S - Right away, the nose brings a very sweet smell with rich chocolates that are balanced by a somewhat bitter smokiness. It also has a slight tang of soy in it as well to round everything out. It has all the makings of a big, bold, dark stout.

T - The taste starts with a heavy dose of malts and roast that gives off a smoky , ashy quality. This acridness gives way to a chocolate sweetness mixed with a dash of soy. Finish is full of smoke and sweetness.

M - Mouthfeel is thick and full-bodied with decent carbonation. A long finish with lots of different balancing notes that keeps it from feeling too heavy or syrupy on the palate.

D/O - Drinkability is pretty high. Although the flavors are bold and in-your-face, it is balanced and smooth-drinking. It kind of reminds me of a 'Dark Lord lite' due to the flavor profile but without the heaviness and cloying sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 03:12:03 | More by nhindian

robwestcott

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

big thanks to erikkoppin for this one.

poured cold from the bottle a deep dark oily black to a surly darkness 12oz snifter with a full finger, fluffy, dark mocha head leaving a blanket of lace to the rim after each sip.

aroma of black coffee and dark chocolate.

creamy, bitter coffee up front, semi sweet chocolate and a bit of smoke in the wayback. hot.

medium bodied, slick almost oily, heat, medium bitter.

very nice stout, abv hidden, just right sweet.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 01:02:26 | More by robwestcott

russwbeck

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pitch black pour with a very nicely sized brown head. Hardly any lacing, retention is good.

S: Full of coffee, molasses, roasted malts. Really good smell, deep and balanced.

T: The taste is sweet. Molasses, light roasted malts then a big hit of coffee. Cocoa throughout the taste, with a slight smokey hint. Nicely balanced, no singular big flavor.

MF: Heavy body, carbonated well. Dry finish, hardly any hint of the booze.

O: Love this beer. Otto's is a solid brewery, and this is a solid beer. Can't wait to see how this ages, maybe they'll drop some into bourbon barrels?

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 00:48:24 | More by russwbeck

jifigz

Pennsylvania

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

A bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pitch black in color with a nice head of tan that lingers for a substantial amount of time leaving nice lacing.

S: Raspberry, coffee, and burnt leaves dominated the aroma.

T: The raspberry and coffee are very evident in the flavor. Smoke and a burnt flavor is also there with the booze rounding out the flavor.

M: A pretty thick and viscous brew. I like it. It fits the style extremely well.

O: A very solid beer from a tiny brewery. This is one of the best Imperial stouts I have ever had. Good stuff and a great winter beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 00:27:48 | More by jifigz

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 rate.

Enjoyed at the brewpup on nitro. The nitro is an interesting idea for this beer, it results in a really delightfully soft, bubbly mouthfeel, but cuts down too much on the carbonation, which loses a point for it in my book. The flavors are pretty big but mellowed out, roasty, chocolate, vanilla, some anise and spices. Very good.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-27-2011 01:44:25 | More by JAXSON

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

thanks to tenderbranson69 for this birthday beer, cellared for 2 yrs -enjoyed at Stout Tasting part deux. Enjoyed chilled in a taster.

A deep black color with thin light brown cap, lace stickage is good. The aroma is of strong cocoa with a slight coffee odor which has a mild smoke elment and hint of dark brown sugar. The feel is strong and roasted with slight caramel sweetness and semi dry finish w/ moderate carbonation throughout.

Jolly Roger is very good to my taste w/ cocoa notes from the chocolate malt presenting a balanced and roasted flavor w/ slightly smokey accent which could be black patent malt - The hops provide some spice in the taste with gentle brown sugar flavors adding to the mellow coffee notes. The beer is mildly sweet with a semi-dry overall finish pretty satisfying from fridge temp until slighly warmer. A very drinkable imperial stout. I appreciated this beer for my birthday and this was the right occasion to have it-solid beer and one I would not hesitate to pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 15:00:59 | More by Slatetank

joepais

Maine

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Tiklmelmo for sending this brew my way. I split it with my Bro in law who just retired from the Navy. The bottle poured into snifters produced a nice short lived two finger tan head, that slipped of to a nice lace. The body of the brew was dark as night.

The aromas' was nice and toasty. Yes, toasty. I got some nice roasted malts aromas'(chocolate, coffee) but also a slight smoke to it. The flavor was really good for a RIS some nice coffee notes with some chocolate thrown in. The funny thing was a got a slight hint of bourbon on this one as well but, didn't see that it was barrel aged. The mouthfeel was good with slight carbonation.

A great way to finish of my BBQ we sipped at the glasses for some time and were left wanting for more. A must try unique RIS in my book.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 16:39:03 | More by joepais

morimech

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark black color with a thin mocha colored head that settles to a thin cap. Some spotty lacing is left on the glass. Wonderful aroma of dark, roasted malt, dark fruit, chocolate, smoke, and alcohol. I thought this beer might be a little hot but the flavor did not reflect my impression of the aroma. Very roasted flavor with hints of smoke. The roasted qualities are so strong, the more subtle flavor elements are lost. Moderate bitterness which seems to come from the roast. The alcohol which seemed so apparent in the aroma is well covered up in the taste. Thick and chewy body that is just a tad overcarbonated. Otherwise it has a solid mouthfeel. Not overly sweet, bitter, or boozy. A solid Russian Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 15:34:41 | More by morimech

number1bum

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The pour is a very dark brown, nearly black, but not quite opaque. A vigorous pour produces one finger of very dark tan head, which settles pretty quickly but keeps a full lace. Not much stick on the sides but the lacing is nice.

Smell is very bold and enticing, with big roasted malt and dark chocolate aromas, plus some coffee and smoke, and a bit of dark fruit too.

Taste also has a good amount of roasted malt and some bold coffee flavor as well. Hhas a smokiness to it like the nose did. It's maybe a tad overly roasted to the point of being slightly charred, however, and although there is some chocolate and molasses sweetness the deep roast flavor really dominates them. Some dark fruit pokes through in the finish, like maybe black currant, with lingering roastiness left on the palate as well.

Mouthfeel is medium-full and pretty creamy, although the big roastiness gives it a bit of a biting astringency. Otherwise it is relatively smooth.

Even though the roasted malt is a bit overdone, there is still some really good flavor here; I just wish it were a bit more balanced, in which case it would go from being quite good to more elite company. A really nice local imperial stout nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2010 01:25:10 | More by number1bum

krisandajt

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Another tasty brew courtesy of mymrnngjckt, a truly world class BA. Cheers Kevin!

Appearance: An easy pour into my DFH Off-Centered Ale glass, the beer is a deep, dark black. Briefly sitting atop this fine looking brew is a thin layer of rich, foamy, coffee colored head. Within moments, however, the head fades away to nothing but a thin ring of bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass.

Smell: A mild dose of coffee with some bitter chocolate mixed in. A little mild for an Imperial Stout IMO, but tempting nonetheless.

Taste: Mostly a bitter chocolate with a bit of hop bite. There's even a slight candied fruit kind of flavor to it. No one flavor really dominates, it all kinda blends together. This beer is an interesting mix of balance and complexity. It's a tasty stout.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy with a nice medium- to full-body. Pretty spot on for an RIS.

Drinkability: No doubt about it, this is a pretty big beer, so while it is pretty tasty I don't think it's an all-night drinking kinda beer. Still, I'm enjoying what I've got and I can definitely see myself enjoying this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 02:03:41 | More by krisandajt

BeerBelcher

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Quite solid. Black, boozy, silky, chocolate-y, and smokey.

A big thanks to JaBier for bringing this one back from his travels.

Pours black with a small head. Aroma is dark roast, chocolate, and coffee. Flavor is same but with a significant amount of smokiness which surprised me. The smokiness is discernible, but by no means overwhelming and is quite complimentary to some other elements in the flavor. Mouthfeel is thick, slick, and persistent.

A big beer, but a good one.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 21:34:38 | More by BeerBelcher

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

From a bomber, procured at the source.

Pours into a shaker pint straight black, getting only some crimson highlights around the very edges. Finger of mocha head.

Smell is rich & on the sharp side: rich like raisins, dark chocolate, cocoa powder; sharp with a bourbon-like alcohol presence. Or rum-like, with those sugars. Subtle vanilla.

Taste is molasses up front, an earthy kind of sugar sweetness, then backed up by dark chocolatey malts, cooked dark fruit, & booze. This is just a little on the creamy side, has a lot more alcohol bite & some acidity to it. Not very bitter at all -- no notable hop presence, & more surprisingly no real roasty flavor. That really helps the mouthfeel: foamy without being creamy, but ends relatively clean with no cling or a huge impact on the palate. Later on I pick up a slight rauch/bacon-y flavor.

Definitely a heavy hitter -- the alcohol seems a little too prominent, both in the taste & on sobriety. Oddly enough, the mouthfeel is a big plus -- very flavorful, but recedes enough afterward that each sip is a renewal & not just layering on more of the same.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 20:32:58 | More by OneDropSoup

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at the brewpub in State College for around $4. Poured from a 22 ounce bomber bottle into my Adnams Imperial pint glass. The stout appears an opaque deep black color with about two fingers of creamy dark ecru colored foam. Nose and flavors consist of rich roasted malts some of which were nicely smoked, blackberries and raspberries, molasses, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, cocoa, mocha. The complexity cannot be beat considering the price. Still a bit of alcohol heat after over a year in the bottle. The stout is approaching full bodied with ample carbonation. A really nice Imperial stout worth tracking down.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2009 05:27:08 | More by ClockworkOrange

nkersten

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Dark brown/black with a thin, quickly dissipating mocha head.
S - Smell is great... Light roasted malts, cherries, a little bit of booze.
T- Taste is dark chocolate, some burnt sugar, dried cherries and a slight hop bitterness. Surprisingly balanced for a big stout. Not to sweet, not too bitter.
M- This is exactly what an imperial stout should be like. Thick but not coating with minimal carbonation. A tiny bit of alcohol burn adds to the enjoyment.
D- I could drink this one all night. One of the better imperial stouts I have had, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 03:52:15 | More by nkersten

illidurit

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy bulletrain76. Pours pitch black with the slightest of brown highlighting the edges. Light tan cap of dense foam. Lots of roastiness and dark chocolate, but the solid smoked character sets this one apart from your generic RIS. Flavor is ashy burnt malts, roasted coffee, the darkest possible chocolate, and a sweetish smokiness that complements the mild dark fruitiness. Nice complexity. Full chewy mouthfeel, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 19:13:42 | More by illidurit

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of joe1510. Thanks Joe!

My first sampling from Otto's...

A pitch black, 1 finger head of tan foam with a ton of lacing, a great start to my session with this brew.

The smell is sweet and roasty and fruity with good coffee and a light hop bitterness and a strongish nose of oak/bourbon. Hmm...didn't see anything on the label to say this was barrel aged but it sure smells like it is to me.

The taste is roasty and full of chocolate sweetness and bitterness, roasted coffee, light amount of dark fruit, more bitterness from the coffee, more sweetness and ends on a dry note. Wow. The flavour seems to constantly change, barraging you with really sweet notes then changing over to the bitter. No way I'm getting bored with what is going on here. ;^)

On the light side of medium bodied and the carbonation is lightly done. Head retention turned out to be so so but not out of the norm for the style.

Drinkability? The alcohol is definitely there so I'm not going to get fooled by another dangerously drinkable beer but... the taste keeps me literally on the edge of my seat. It's drinkable but not that drinkable, if that makes any sense. Anywho, this session was *way* enjoyable and another big thanks goes out to Joe!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 20:45:09 | More by Bitterbill

maximum12

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This fine bottle arrived via shipped box from the fine beerisheaven, a Master Trader if there ever was one. And an extra, to boot.

Pours black as can't-see-your-hand-waved-in-your-face black. Little evident carbonation, only a wispy ring & some hurricane patterns in the oily surface. The odor...oh my god. Expedition Stout with a touch of smoke, mimics one of my favorite brews. My mouth started watering immediately. That's a perfect score if I ever did see one.

Jolly Roger is creamy in the mouth, & apparently is seeking to create a new "summery RIS" category. Almost light in body, novel, & refreshing, I could sip this one in the heat of a Minnesota summer.

Otherwise this one has more layers that an onion-boy. The well-dressed malts are in the front row, with a smoky presence in the middle, & some dark fruits & the barest hint of coffee have snuck into the cheap seats without paying.

Damn. This is an excellent beer. Complex but not a mess, sweet without being heavy or cloying, unique without causing a riot. A finely crafted beer; thanks for sharing this one Brian!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 02:16:25 | More by maximum12

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled this at an epic tasting hosted by EinWeizenbitte. Thanks a ton Todd!

~4oz. sample poured into a small tulip.

Appearance: Pours out thick and brownish black in color with a dark brown, creamy head sitting on top. Red shades flash at the edges. Great head retention and very nice lacing.

Smell: Perfumy hops, dark fruits, roasted malt, smoke, some dark chocolate, and a few more indiscernible sweet components.

Taste: Molasses, roasted malt, dark chocolate, and sweet smokiness. Maybe some coffee as well (my notes are a little hard to read). Finishes a bit dry, but that dryness snowballs in the aftertaste. Coffee, dark fruit, ash, and smoke can also be found in the aftertaste. Nice progression of flavors.

Mouthfeel: Pretty thick and creamy with a low carbonation that IMO suits it well. Leaves a sticky residue on the lips. Once again, finishes dry.

Drinkability: The aftertaste can be a bit harsh, but otherwise this is a very good RIS. Wish it had a few more unique attributes to help it really stand out as I'm struggling to remember much about it two days afterward. Hopefully I'll get to try it again someday.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 02:47:16 | More by ThreeWiseMen

Zorro

California

3.8/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Light proof black colored beer with a small brown colored head.

Fruity smelling with a strong fig aroma. Spicy gingerbread scent with a hint of anise. Chocolate and cherry scent, but no real coffee detected. Alcohol fumes carry a distinct aroma of Cherry Brandy.

Starts out sweet and bitter with a smoky aftertaste. Something like a smoked fig caramel sauce flavor. Doesn't change much taste wise Bittersweet with fruit and smoke with a big patent malt flavor.

Mouthfeel is thick.

Good flavor but a bit of a one trick pony. Bittersweet but complexity doesn't develop much.

Obtained in trade with Kegatron.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2009 03:43:08 | More by Zorro

brdc

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks clockworkorange for this one. Large capped bottle poured into a snifter.

Pitch black, dark tan head, decent retention.
Aroma is more chocolate than anything else, but roasted malts, coffee, some fruits make their way into the mix.
Nearly full bodied, easy to drink, it is well balanced with a slight predominance of sweet tastes, always balanced by a bitterness that comes more from charred malts than anything else. Coffee, milk, minimal fruitiness make an appearance.
A very nice RIS, on the lower end of the ABV spectrum, highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2009 15:42:47 | More by brdc