Old Heathen Imperial Stout - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Lupe

New York

4.9/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Absolutely pitch black with a thin, yet dense, coffee colored creamy head. Head quickly recedes to a thin sheet and leaves some lace.

Big initial cocoa and espresso aroma. This leads the way for dark fruit and raisin. Alcohol is in the nose with a rum-like aroma. Some oak rounds thing out. Very nice.

Robust and has great complexity with flavors of espresso, bitter roasted malt, raisin, dark chocolate, tart plums and cherries. Mild leafy hops, add to the flavor, with the dark roasted malt providing the balancing bitterness. Other than sherry notes, the alcohol is very well hidden - more present in the aroma. Finishes clean with lingering fruit and roasted dryness.

Extremely smooth, creamy, a little thinner than expected. Medium in body. So drinkable. Even with the alcohol I could have a few of these in a sitting.

Top notch Imperial Stout. Rich, complex, very well balanced. No overly roasted bitterness or fusel alcohol flavors, and the hops add a nice complement. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2008 01:23:17 | More by Lupe

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

4.88/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Weyerbacher- Old Heathen Imperial Stout

Appearance- dark black with a thick brown head. Head held up nicely and laced the glass with a thcik spiderweb.
Smell- darkk roast coffee beans with a blend of cherywood and raisin.
Taste- burnt cherry wood blended with drak roast coffee, dark chocolate and fruit ( cherry, raisin, prune)
Mouthfeel- creamy smooth, with no alcohol detection. Warm and bursting with flavor.

Overall- 1 of the best, if not BEST, stouts I've ever had!! Loved it!!! You could not detect the 8% abv!!! Can't wait til it gets cold so I can drink this more often!!!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2006 22:35:12 | More by NJpadreFan

charlesw

New York

4.88/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

You know... I was drinking this the other day, thinking that I'd already reviewed it, and thinking to myself, "Wow! This sure changes quickly! Only 6 months old and this stuff is awesome!" Of course, ha, silly me! I'd never reviewed it before! Ha ha! I like this because of what it doesn't have... It doesn't that that bittersweet chocolate taste. It doesn't have that burned espresso taste. It's smooth and sweet and caramel. Maybe a touch smoked, but really, only a touch. Good stuff. Like a blend of barleywine and imperial porter. OK, awesome stuff. Drink it again? In a heartbeat. I love how they've made a beer this big in flavor and everything at only 8%. Very cool. Good job!

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2008 21:44:57 | More by charlesw

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - wow, i thought the Brooklyn Chocolate was black, this is black, with a finger and a half of dark tan head

S - wow, what an aroma, not just chocolate, but that ambient chocolate aroma like when you walk into a chocolate shop, a second whiff elicits espresso or roasted coffee bean odors very inviting

T - wow (wow, 3 wow's in a row), not as overpowering as i thought, light hints of taste that tantalize, rich coffee and chocolate flavors, very delicious

M - smooth and velvety, easy down easy to sip again, which...

D - ...makes this brew highly drinkable

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2006 04:57:15 | More by sinstaineddemon

Jake351

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured out to a black wall with reddish-brown tint. No light coming throught this one.

S: Burnt fruit, chocolate, and dark coffee.

T: Roasted malty goodness, with a coffee bite, and a slight chocolate aftertaste, pleasantly and briefly sweet. Some caramel notes evolve as it warms up with later sips. Nice!

M: Medium-full bodied, full without being cloying.

O: Overall a strong product, and great value for price. Can't wait to see what age would do to the characters in this one. Very good representative of its class.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 22:31:18 | More by Jake351

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured from 12oz bottle into nonic pint glass. Dark brown oily pour, yielding a single-finger head even with a very aggressive pour. Smells sweet up front, with roasted undertones. Taste is delicious; coating your whole mouth with sweetness, then the roast-ness comes in and finishes. Leaving some nice lacing as I drink as well. Mouthfeel is creamy and full. A great RIS, a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:42:47 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

JJKBeerLvr

Pennsylvania

4.79/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle into pint glass.

Appearance: Very dark with nice brown head.

Smell: Pleasant, and can smell both the hops and roasted malts.

Taste: Excellent taste. There is both a strong hop and malt flavor, but it is not too bitter, nor too sweet. The balance between them is great.

This is one of the best imperial stouts I've tasted. You will enjoy it if you like a bold stout. It is complex, and every time I drink it, I get something new. Definitely a beer to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 20:14:18 | More by JJKBeerLvr

QXSTER1

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Extremely rich and full bodied with a warming alcoholic punch. Finishes with expresso and chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2001 09:19:46 | More by QXSTER1

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in my pint glass at nearly room temperature.
What a fantastic beer!!!

Appearance: This beer pours a fantastic motor oil black with a slight red hue to it. Sit in the glass completely opaque and very proud. Tight and creamy two finger head (chocolaty brown) rises from within and sits nobly on top of this black brew. The head is creamy and delicious. The magnificent lacing lasts through the entire duration of the beer. The appearance of this beer is as close to perfect as you can get!

Smell: Bitter sweet chocolate with no question. WOW! The dark chocolate leads into dark fruits and gentle roasted malts. The aroma seems smooth and calming. It makes you sit back, relax, and salivate.

Taste: What a magnificent taste it is. Dark chocolate, dark roasted malts, definitely hints of molasses and subtle suggestions toward espresso (particularly in the aftertaste). There is also black licorice and little bit of cooked currants. Then more coco and a subtle gentle little bit of tart fruit like raspberries. There is NO hoppy bitterness at all! It has just enough just tart to balance out the sweet. The aftertaste is perfect, slightly sweet, slightly tart, barely dry, just hanging there BEGGING you to take another sip! MMMM UUUAAAGGHH!! I'm sure there is something sinful in a thing this delicious!

Mouthfeel: Smooth and velvety! Creamy-licious! For a Russian Imperial Stout it is not terribly heavy or extremely thick (but sooo smooth) and I think that adds to the perfect drinkability factor.

Drinkability: This beer tastes so good and feels great in your mouth the moment you swallow, the mouth just CRAVES for more! I always try to make a beer last through my entire review, but ... ooops ... its gone already and I am CRAVING another! It sits light in the stomach (for a RIS), and I could certainly put down a number of these. This beer is an amazing experience and I HIGHLY recommend it!

Note: remember to let your RISs warm up before drinking them. I drink usually between 60-65 degrees minimum. And that is to start. Do so and you will get more out of it (IMO).

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2006 06:20:31 | More by Phatz

dreadnatty08

District of Columbia

4.72/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a gorgeous opaque midnight black color with a creamy coffee dense head. Aromas are chocolaty, fruity, licorice, and alcoholic. A moderately heavy mouthfeel covers the tongue with a thick coating of bitter chocolate, coffee, roasty deliciousness. This is a pretty incredible beer; carbonation is low but dead on. Hops are subdued but provide a bit of citrus backbone while the patent malts pick up the bulk of the bitterness. This is one of the best RIS's I've tried next to Expedition and BCS, amazing.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2006 20:18:07 | More by dreadnatty08

OKCNittany

Oklahoma

4.72/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Thin brown head that didn't stick around too long, but left a decent amount of lacing on the glass. Black body.

S: Very pleasant aroma of coffee and something sweet (maybe a touch of vanilla?)

T: Wonderful flavors here - roasted coffee and malts, some chocolate, and plenty of hops too.

M: Full body. Light carbonation. Very smooth with an exceptional & lasting aftertaste.

D: The alcohol was hidden well. The taste lets you know you're drinking something substantial, but you won't want to stop.

While it may be shy of the top few in its category, it should serve as proof you don't need to approach 12% abv to make an outstanding RIS.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2008 23:50:59 | More by OKCNittany

Kranders

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Amazing beer. Pours ultra-black and has deep aromas of chocolate, coffee and everything you'd expect in a big bold stout. Amazingly complex in taste, full of the dark flavors and the chocolate and coffee come through nice and strong. Great smooth finish. Loved it.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 19:38:03 | More by Kranders

Vancer

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

What a hammer! Great, great RIS ! Impressive!

Poured an opaque black molasses, topped by a tanny head. Yum. Then, a bouquet of aromas; anise, raisons and malts.

But the taste, wow; a glass of sour mash bourbon brandy! Big sour green apple finish. One big RIS, I see now that this batch is loaded up at 10% - no wonder my face was flush at the end.

Mouth was tangy, sharp, and crisp. This one certainly move up to the top of RIS’s in my book. I will look forward to the next one, two or six-pack. A definite sipper for an evening of pure drinking pleasure.

BeerBeing is killing me with these great samples! Weyerbacher is one hellava brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2006 13:33:37 | More by Vancer

thebrood1987

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Very dark and I get roasted coffee dark malt plum and fruits. It start off very smooth with sweet dark roasted malty a bit of a fruity hop bite and then ending with a long roasty coffee bean taste although they use no coffee so this is all from the excellent use of malts...very impressive.

Definitely one of my favorite Weyerbacher beers I've ever had from them. Its very silky smooth and as the beer warms I get herbal tastes mixing in with the really rich and extremely tasty roastinesss. The body of the beer is a little thin for a russian imperial which is the only downfall but not enough to ever put a beer this tasty down.

The fruitiness plum flavor comes out more as it warms too. The tastes all come together in unison asa top notch quality russian imperial craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 05:10:49 | More by thebrood1987

smiga

New Jersey

4.69/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Let it warm! A slow stout.
Best Stout so far. Strong so appreciate slowly.
Concur with A bros' review.

Blackest. A Cappacino like head: firm, tall, lasting.
Smell - December wet leaves, long early winter walk.
Taste - Soothing and strong. Coffee, chocolate, bitter, soaring.
Feel - Dreamy kiss. Feathers. Tongue tickler.
Overall Arc - Maybe best stout tried this year.

Bottle avail at Whole Foods nj. Case discount.

(drive carefully, drink slowly!)

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 01:40:22 | More by smiga

padan7

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Brown head that didn't stick around too long,. Black body. Looks like an imperial stoudt should.

S: Very pleasant aroma of coffee and other goodies.

T: Roasted coffee and malts, some chocolate. I compare this to Rasputin.

M: Full body. But not as heavy as Rasputin. Very, very smooth . I actually prefer this to Rasputin.

D: The alcohol was hidden well. Goes down much easier than Rasputin. Just a fun time with a great beer. I still really enjoy Rasputin but this beer takes less effort.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2008 15:40:15 | More by padan7

challenja

Virginia

4.68/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served in a Dogfish Head pint glass, OK OK I snuck some out of the bottle.

A: A nice black crude oil with a nice looking mocha chocolate 1 finger laced head. One good looking beer!

S: Nice medium espresso, ripe red fruit, dark plum, Swedish milk chocolate, smoked malt and something I can't get. Sniff Sniff. That's a good thing.

T: Well rounded espresso beans, mocha rich malted chocolate balls, ripe red berries, raisin, plum, and smoked pork!

M: This is one smooth imperial stout. One of the smoothest I have tried. It has a cask mouth feel out of a bottle! Ridiculous! Good zesty carbonation that just melts in your mouth. I am really impressed.

O: I am buying this again, a seriously good Imperial Stout, that is smooth, rich, and complex, but not overpowering in terms of malt and coffee that most I.S have.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 21:51:28 | More by challenja

Ricochet

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Got this in a sampler pack, sat in my fridge for a few weeks, and after a night of drinking heavily with friends, I took this one out, gave a small bit to a friend, and had a few sips myself and stopped there. It seemed a shame to not enjoy this properly for my review of BA.

Because I had this in the bottle, except for the small pour I gave my friend, it's BLACK, but couldn't see if it let light through, but still a good rating. It smelled as any other imperial. Appetizing coffee, roasted malt, alcohol, drink it up.

Mouth was good again. Just like other imperials I've sampled, it makes me want to chew it. Good sign.

Taste was, unusual. Deep roasted malts, sweet fruity hop flavor and the finish was , well, tasted like a dark fudge brownie. That was amazing. Because I love brownies, for a BEER to taste like this so strongly, it made my day.

PLUS, for an imperial, this was reasonably priced and well, it was the flavor just like Brooklyn's double chocolate plus a note I haven't experienced before in a beer, it makes it very very buy-again.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2005 04:01:43 | More by Ricochet

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer pours a deep dark blackish brown, with a short brown head that fades quickly and doesn’t leave much lacing.

S: The aroma is of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, caramelized malt, a little bit of hops and a hint of dark fruits.

T: Heavy chocolate and espresso flavor dominates, there is some hops character there that comes through and a touch of fruity sweetness. I found it to be very well-balanced.

M: Very smooth and it’s more crisp than other Russian Imperial Stouts that I’ve had. It has a medium-to-full body and medium carbonation and leaves a little bit of stickiness in the finish.

D: This beer is extremely easy to drink. There’s not hint of the 8.00% ABV and it’s not as filling as other RIS’s. It was one of those beers that I had a hard time keeping in the glass long enough to review. Overall, I think this is an excellent beer. I usually like a bigger kick with this style of beer, but I think any more strength would throw off the balance, so I consider it addition by subtraction.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2006 03:49:13 | More by TheManiacalOne

Bubba83

California

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at 50 degrees, poured it into a Snifter. Thanks go to Kegatron for trading this gem to me.

Initial impressions by sight are good. A larger head than most have reported after a somewhat vigorous pour. Leaves maybe 2 finger widths of head that is light coffee colored. The liquid itself is pure blackness, like staring into an abyss. Not much lacing though and dissipates fairly quick.

Terrific aromas stand out immediately. Hints of smoke, chocolate, espresso, and a twinge of alcohol and sting.

Tastes a lot like it smells. First we get some mild sweet dark fruits followed quickly by caramel and then into the deep dark chocolate and coffee bitterness. There is some tartness here that adds just the right amount of character to work all these flavors in together. So complex I could attempt analyzing it for hours. Overall just exactly the flavors I've been searching for in an Imperial Stout.

Feels good, slightly oily but not overly heavy. Still has a decent amount of carbonation despite the oilyness.

Drinks well too, this beer has reminded me Impy Stouts don't need 10+% ABV to be masterpieces. There is no burn at all on the swallow and I was left wanting more. The perfect beer to sip while reading a book in a cold mansion next to a cozy fire. The best Imperial Stout I've had so far.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2008 11:33:45 | More by Bubba83

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A. Poured into a frozen Steelers mug, watching the game. What a great coincidence. Pours chocolate syrup with a dark khaki head.

S. Woody booze dark cherries.

T. Smooth malty and creamy. Sedating. Very well rounded. Toasted malt. Robust coffee in the distance. Sharp bitter hops. There are layers of grandness. 5

M. Coats the palate with a light creme. Enjoyable.

D. I am glad I have 2 more of these!

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2008 00:03:27 | More by Stinkypuss

Hokies

Rhode Island

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a jet black color with a nice tan head that sticks around for a while and a decent sticky lace on the glass. The beer is an opaque black color with some red hues highlighting the edges.

The aroma is filled with coffee and dark chocolate and a tremendous espresso note.

The taste is not as heavy as most RIS as the the dark chocolate does not make a presence till the end. It starts with the espresso taste but then their is also a light taste of some dark fruits, could be raisins or figs.

I am not a big fan of Russian Imperial Stouts but this one is tremendous. I like the creaminess to it and the more dominant taste of espresso. This is a dangerous brew as you can not taste the alcohol one bit.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2009 05:20:56 | More by Hokies

Katahdin

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Not a typical Weyerbacher beer. It pours very thick, very black, almostt like a heavy motor oil. Definitely has the body of an Imperiqal Stout but is more creamy in the taste than most Imperial Stouts. Texture on the tongue is smooth with almost an aftertaste of roasted oatmeal. Drinks just as smooth and belies it's big beer charcteristics. Complex maltiness adds to the experience as it goes down. A wonderful beer for a cold winter night in front of a fire.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 19:48:21 | More by Katahdin

unclejimbay

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Dark coffee in color, short tan head and short retention, no lace, but reduces to a nice thin rocky cap.
Smells of roasted dark malts, cocoa, a hint of coffee and American hops.
Tastes as it smells, balanced well with citrus hop character. Dominant cocoa and coffee flavors. Big on taste but well balanced.
Medium full body, low/medium carbo.

Very enjoyable impy stout IMHO, full malty body with nice hop support. This is a subtley sweet and chocolate dominant RIS, not too sweet. I have enjoyed this one more than once now, and it's currently a steal @ $1.50 per 12oz bottle @ Broudy's Jax Beach, FL 4/17/10.

I like the taste of this one so much it's almost sessionable if I was in a true RIS mood.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2010 01:08:39 | More by unclejimbay

GClarkage

California

4.63/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

06/09/05- Received via trade with Santoslhalper. Still have one left from Connecticutpoet/Steinlifter.

Presentation- 12oz undated bottle, poured into a standard pint glass. (Wish so much I had poured it into a Duvel glass or a snifter). I looked awesome in a pint, but would have looked so much better in a different style glass.

Appearance- Deep dark brown pour with a nice inch dirty chocolate colored head. Excellent lacing.

Smell- Tons of roasted coffee and malt with a nice whiff of alcohol. This smells like much more than 8%.

Taste- At first sip a taste of dirty sweatsocks reaveled itself (to me that means smoke flavor) I'm still getting into this style. But, as it mellowed, it took on the wonderful coffee and deep dark and a bit sweet roasted malt flavor. Wow, this truly rivals Stone IRS! The first smoky taste threw me off at first, but the last 3/4 of this brew was tremendous.

Mouthfeel- Creamy, warming and lower carbonation. If only I could try this on cask!

Drinkability- I still have one more, so I'll have to check on that smoke flavor again. Otherwise, it's great. Rivals some of the best IRS beers I have had.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2005 22:24:06 | More by GClarkage