The Czar - Avery Brewing Company

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cracked open a 2011 vintage bomber and poured into a snifter.

Appearance: Pours a completely opaque black with a tan head that has all but disappeared. When swirled, the head regenerates nicely but fizzles away again in minutes.

Aroma: Molasses and black licorice. Definitely a hint of alcohol in there.

Taste: Almost abrasive on your tongue at first. Then roasted caramel comes next, along with a brighter flavor(the hops I think) that goes to the top of your palate. The molasses is thankfully not as apparent in the flavor. There is a nice black coffee aftertaste along with some dates/figs or other dried fruit taste. Leaves a bit of lingering hop bitterness on your tongue that is surprising given the age of the bottle. After each sip different flavors come out seemingly one by one, each fading before the next surfaces. The flavor continues to develop nicely as it warms. Really don't taste that 10.75% abv at all but can feel it in my throat a bit, giving a nice warming sensation.

Mouthfeel: This beer has a medium to heavy body and below average drinkability. It's surprisingly effervescent given that there was almost no head(gave it an aggressive pour but to no avail). Tiny bubbles attack your tongue adding to the bitterness from the hops. After a few swirls in the snifter, the carbonation has died down a bit, revealing that the hops can do the same amount of damage without the bubbles to aid them. The bitterness that's left on your tongue is great.

Final Thoughts: This is my first experience with The Czar(or any Russian Imperial Stout for that matter) and it was a pretty good one. I knew what to expect going into this and it basically met my expectations. While I won't be seeking this one out again, it's easy to see why this style is so revered.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 00:57:14 | More by JamesMN

InspectorBob

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-21-2013 20:26:23 | More by InspectorBob

jmccraney

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

05-21-2013 04:36:01 | More by jmccraney

ipas-for-life

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-20-2013 20:43:18 | More by ipas-for-life

nick_asian

Nevada

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-19-2013 06:47:38 | More by nick_asian

arlingtonjoe

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2010 vintage - opened 5-13-2013

a: pours black with a 2 finger dark tan head. nice burgundy color when held to the light

s: raisins, plum, breadiness, licorice, hint of vanilla and earth

t: roasted malt, char, bakers chocolate, molasses, licorice, and still has some hallertau hop present in the dry finish.

m: light carbonation with medium body and resinous finish.

o: liked it from first time I tried it in 2010 and glad I cellared some. licorice has developed nicely and was one of the reasons I first purchased it. gonna have to break in to a fresh one soon to compare.

cheers

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 04:04:13 | More by arlingtonjoe

carlosega

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-17-2013 19:30:01 | More by carlosega

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

05-17-2013 03:11:41 | More by ElizabethEleanor

mtbdonn

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-16-2013 21:16:59 | More by mtbdonn

Zbeetleman

California

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-15-2013 05:28:32 | More by Zbeetleman

Beer21

Florida

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-13-2013 23:23:17 | More by Beer21

MinorThreat

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-11-2013 21:24:44 | More by MinorThreat

twenty5

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-10-2013 14:44:47 | More by twenty5

ncstateplaya

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-10-2013 14:02:59 | More by ncstateplaya

bootdown21

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-10-2013 13:51:37 | More by bootdown21

bigorange

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-10-2013 01:33:27 | More by bigorange

blknikon

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-08-2013 19:43:13 | More by blknikon

Jordantb313

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-05-2013 02:45:10 | More by Jordantb313

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served on tap at Bier Station into a 6 oz tulip style glass.

Appearance - Pours with a healthy tan, toasted marshmallow head sitting atop a body of dark walnut to black. Holding up to light yields pretty much zero translucence. Solid lacing as the ample one-finger head clings to the side of the glass as I drink it down.

Smell - Roasted malt and dark, dried fruits are the dominant aroma. Doesn't quite kick me in the nose like I would expect of an 11% Russian imperial.

Taste - Definitely drinkable, Heavy with molasses, burnt sugar giving way to more of a bittersweet chocolate flavor. Notes of coffee bean bitterness as well. I can't help but wonder if the tamer aroma plays into the way the flavor is rich and decadent without being overpowering.

Mouthfeel - Exceedingly pleasant and smooth. Taste lingers, but without a cloying bitterness that I sometimes get from the style. It reminds me of the smoothness of a stout on nitro, but this one definitely is not on nitro.

Overall a wonderful representation of the style in my opinion. I could drink this by itself, with dessert, or poured over ice cream, quite honestly. The taste is definitely where it shines.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2013 04:29:27 | More by LambicPentameter

DerekMorgan

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-03-2013 03:58:23 | More by DerekMorgan

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

05-02-2013 10:28:52 | More by rfbenavi80

trodam

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-20-2013 20:03:24 | More by trodam

browniewithnuts

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

04-20-2013 03:08:33 | More by browniewithnuts

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

***Batch No. 11***

Thanks to mklever42 for this one.

Poured from a 1 pint 6oz. bottle, bottled Nov. 2012.

Appearance: A very dark brown pour with a light brown head that fills up the glass nicely and lazily sits there while forming a seal around the glass. Chunks of lacing are left behind and as it slowly recedes, makes for a mountainous head.

Smell: Roasted/burnt coffee, nut;, sweet, milky chocolate.

Taste: Strong bittersweet chocolate, raisins, sweetened bitter coffee, very rich.

Mouthfeel: Bit of bitterness that is covered by a mostly thick creaminess.

Overall: A good stout, maybe a bit unbalanced and slightly too sweet (and this is me talking) but overall a nice pick.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 11:28:15 | More by papat444

prlykens

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-16-2013 03:37:20 | More by prlykens