Old Heathen Imperial Stout - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single finger tan head on a near jet black body. Very nice lacing. Vanilla and milk chocolate dominate the flavor with some dark fruit mostly raspberry and cherry. Roasted malt, vanilla, brown sugar as toffee form the smooth flavor. Medium to full body and moderate carbonation. A very nice flavorful stout but doesn't quite stand out in the genre.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2012 21:27:24 | More by kylehay2004

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia.

A - Dark brown-black, looks like coffee but with a small tan head which quickly dissipates.

S - Strong roasted malt aroma with hints of milk chocolate and coffee.

T - Bold roasted malt flavor mixed with subtle hints of cocoa and toffee. Sweet but not overly so. Delicious, and very well balanced.

M - Super smooth, thick, and rich. Low carbonation.

O - An excellent imperial stout. The alcohol, while slightly warming, is nearly undetectable. The smoothness of this brew really blew me away.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 20:03:00 | More by mooseo

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap poured into wine glass/goblet. Deep black color with slight foam and lacing. Coffee and chocolate flavor, nice balance and easy drink.

Really nice stout. well balanced and tastey. Id get a pint if I saw again...but wouldnt buy in the store since I just dont think this woud translate well in a bottle. Id really like a cask of this.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2011 16:07:56 | More by DrinkSlurm

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at ?

Not a distinctively overwhelming stout, but still pretty good. Poured a dark brown-black with a cap of chocolate-colored head. Malty aroma, dark chocolate, aged vanilla, and hints of dark fruits. Taste was roasty up front, cocoa, dark malts, raisins, a bit of a pithy sourness detectable...not sure if it was an off flavor or intentional, but it didn't really detract too much from the beer overall. Pretty smooth, but a little on the thin side for the style, being about medium-bodied, with the alcohol slightly noticeable. Decently drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2011 20:19:50 | More by Rifugium

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aromas of rich cooca and coffee dominate with a nice touch of bitter and roasted malts that take over the profile very nicely.

The tastes begin with smooth, roasted maltiness that wraps itself over the palate. There are light hints of vanilla mix in with the dark chocolate and rich roasted malts. As it warms you get a nice touch of sweet vanilla and brown sugar that really compliments the cocoa and lightly hopped finish quite nicely.

The flavors deliver lots of dark malt with a bittersweet chocolate character and a soft, roasted edge backed by a bold bitterness and some drying alcohol in the finish.

Overall, Weyerbacher continues to deliver with affordable quality beers. This "sessionable" Russian Imperial Stout is often overlooked by many, including myself, because it is readily available and doesn't have it's own magical release day, but any fan of the style should/will enjoy this.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 19:41:35 | More by claspada

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap in a 12oz. glass. It pours nicely black, with a good head, but it fades quickly. Alcohol hits the nose first quickly followed by lots of coffee. Chocolate, and roasty malts, as you would expect, quite subtle, which i liked, nice balance and slightly too thin mouthfeel, with nice bitterness. This was the last one of the night and it still stood up nicely overall.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 19:57:02 | More by ExtraStout

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

dark as night inky black pour with a nice little tan head of about two inches that fades down into a nice layer of about an inch or so that hangs around for the remainder of the session.

nice aroma, rich cooca and coffee dominate with a nice touch of bitter and roasted malts that take over the profile very nicely. smooth, effortless flavor then wraps itself over the palate. light hints of vanilla mix in with the dark chocolate and rich roasted malts. small touch of alcohol but this fades quickly as it warms and leaves you with a nice touch of sweet vanilla and brown sugar that really compliments the cocoa and lightly hopped finish quite nicely

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 02:17:27 | More by mikesgroove

JDFish

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the tap to my glass, looked very dark and a typical dark foam about a finger thick. Some IRS have a disgusting sweet rotten molasses flavor. Others are more roasty. This one was the latter. Roasted malts and coffee notes. The take home message on this beer is that it is the most drinkable IRS I've ever had, I really appreciate that. Great balance, a little less complex than Old Rasputin, but its taste and drinkability was very close. This is a good thing. I really enjoyed this as I could've easily had a second pint..not something I can say for all IRS. Great Brew!!

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2011 16:13:22 | More by JDFish

UDbeernut

New York

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at la Cave du Vin, poured into a tuliup glass

a: dark black color, silky 3/4" tan head, with good retention. Reduces to light lacing cap

s: cocoa, light bitter chocolate, coffee.

t: nice roasted malt and chocolate, more sweet than bitter. Slight alchohol is noticable as is warms. The alchohol its self is warming and would be perfect on a cold winter day.

m&d: smooth creamy mouthfeel, complex RIS, drinkable for its style bu sip and enjoy!!!

Cheers!!!

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2009 16:08:08 | More by UDbeernut

SLeffler27

New York

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This snifter glass fills with a rich, black, velvet beer under a thin but dense head closely resembling the color of coffee ice cream. A lacing first coats the glass, then becomes a fine webbing. As the glass empties, one can notice legs upon swirling.

Strong, dark chocolate with black coffee, oak and molasses is carried airborne in fumes of alcohol reminiscent of brandy as is warms.

This stout opens with lush chocolate as it follows the nose adding bitterness and an amazing finish. The complexity of these flavors intensifies as it warms.

This one has a full, creamy body, lots of warming alcohol, both of which are welcoming.

Weyerbacher has produced a welcome addition to a good book or to be shared with a companion while sitting by a fire. I intend to try this with Rocky Road ice cream.

BTW, Tap & Mallet in Rochester, NY (where I tried this gem)is a great place for good beer, and the food is top notch too.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2009 02:20:38 | More by SLeffler27

sprucetip

Alaska

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes. On tap at Novare Res in Portland, Me, during their stoutfest.

Black with hint of highlights. 1 finger brown head goes away eventually.

Chocolate, molasses, sweet malty, roasted grain. Balanced, not overwhelming. Has legs.

roasty, chocolate, light molasses, solid malty base, smooth. Clean finish. Nice.

Pleasantly mild carbonation and fiz. Alc heat comes on with thick coating texture. Medium/full body.

Very easy drinker at 8%. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2009 04:15:35 | More by sprucetip

CrellMoset

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Brickstore Pub, Decatur, GA. Served in a fitted pint glass.

Appearance: A deep hazy brown if not completely opaque brew with one-finger of foamy cocoa head with good retention. A few nice flourishes of lacing, almost like solar flares rising up out of the sheen of foam, though they fade fairly quickly.

Aroma: Milky chocolate with hints of raisins and a few light fruity esters. A few fresh, green hop notes, nondescript and earthy, break through at various times. The whole thing's rather faint, as well.

Taste: Dark bitter chocolate with plenty of char. A healthy dose of toasty malt notes add a little bit of complexity, and a dose of cherry-like sweetness - similar to what I remember from the bottled version - finish things off. A fairly light RIS, all things considered.

Mouthfeel: Well carbonated, largely even, and medium to thick bodied.

Drinkability: A solid and drinkable if not outstanding beer, with a reasonable abv% for the style that's well hidden and a nice assortment of interesting flavors. Not too very different from the bottled version - it's enjoyable in either serving format, but I wouldn't seen it out in either, as well.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2008 04:58:52 | More by CrellMoset

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Arrived in a shaker glass a rich deep brown color with about an inch of dark tan foam. No lacing to speak of. Smells of dark chocolate, roasted malt, and mild hints of coffee and a touch of smoke. Tastes of bittersweet cocoa, mild roasted coffee, molasses and vanilla. Medium in both body and carbonation. An overall decent Imp. stout.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2007 15:39:23 | More by ClockworkOrange

dherling

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out nearly black, crowned by a foamy tan head with lots of lacing. The nose offers basic chocolate and coffee, rounded out by spice and alcohol. The taste was even more straightforward; coffee again, chocolate again, and spice again. The alcohol was disguised nicely here though. Has a creamy mouthfeel and a long slick finish.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2006 23:10:19 | More by dherling

Ahhdball

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Motor oil black and appeared to pour with the same consistency. A very small beige ring fell slightly along the outer rim of the crude. Smelled roasted coffee and baking chocolate. The taste was about the same with a few hints of molasses to finish. Slick and chewy just like the style should be. Alcohol came on fair and didn't leave anything behind save for a bit of warmth. A decent Russian Imperial but not among my favorites, Don't get me wrong, this is a great beer, not to miss by anyone, just not one of my favorites.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2004 04:20:03 | More by Ahhdball

Dithyramb

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in an imperial pint glass at Sean Bolan's. Listed on the chalk board as 9% ABV.

Opaque jet black with no carbonation evident. 1/4" of thick dark brown head that dissipated into a thin ring.

Smells like slightly bitter espresso with some sweet chocolate on top.

Starts with sweet malts followed by the bitter roasted flavors. There are some more complex esters in the background, but I was lost in the alcohol warmth provided. Smooth drinking with a heavy mouthfeel. Finishes clean and dry. Although I would love to have more than a few, the high ABV will quickly catch up to you.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2004 14:48:20 | More by Dithyramb

pezoids

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This is pretty thin for and Imperial Stout. Poured out a midnight black with a thin tan head. Bitter roasted grains and alcohol in the aroma. Again, the body is thin and bitter with roasted grains and some chocolate. Strong alcohol is in the forefront. There’s some roasted coffee, caramel and cocoa in there. Not bad but lacking for an Imperial Stout. Maybe this is an Imperial Stout Light.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2003 02:14:24 | More by pezoids

steelreign

New York

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Black as the pits of hell. Creamed coffee head, with roasted malt and toffee, espresso notes all over the place! Amazing depth and complexity on the palate. Roasted malt, dark fruity esters, alcohol and mocha are evident. Hops balance this somewhat nicely considering the depth of the roasted presence. Nice carbonation level makes going down easy. Warming all the way down with a semi dry, crisp finish. This is a big winner!

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2003 13:25:35 | More by steelreign

Jarod

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

When poured into the glass it was dark brown to black in color. But when held to the light some gets through and you see some dark red peaking through. The head was creamy and slightly thick that was tan/beige in color. It lasted a good way to the bottom, but did not really produce a lace, which surprised me. The aroma was of roasted coffee, chocolate, malt, raisins and slight hops. The taste was a little sweet in the beginning. It had hints of malt, coffee, chocolate covered raisins and at the end some hops peaked through. The looks and taste of the beer were good, just not a thick as I would have liked for this type of beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2002 09:19:41 | More by Jarod

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A-dark brown black with a nice tan head and some lacing

S-coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, earthy

T-dark roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, earthy hops, molasses

F-medium body with light to moderate carbonation, smooth and creamy

O-a nice RIS with good flavor and body

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 02:08:00 | More by MDDMD

MistahBeah

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Jet black. No light coming through this one. Coffee colored head was minimal even with a vigorous poue. Little retention. Slight lacing.

Aroma: Roasty. Coffee and barley. A trace of alcohol. Maybe some dark fruits. Possibly raisins or plums.

Taste: Very good. Slightly bitter coffee upfront. Smooths out with dried dark fruits. A little toffee, some chocolate. Lots of levels here. Each sip brings out something new. Alcohol is hidden well at first - more evident as it warms. I've had a lot of RIS's and this one ranks up there with the best of them.

Mouthfeel: Velvety smooth. Sticks around a bit but has a very pleasant aftertaste. A little watery when cold. Dangerously so. As it warms it gains a lot more texture.

Overall: Great. Would gladly pick this up again. I've had better but not too many. If you're a fan of the style or just starting out you could do a lot worse

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:23:55 | More by MistahBeah

horshamguy

Pennsylvania

4.56/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: This is what you think of when a beer is described as "black". Real black, not dark something, not mostly opaque. This is black black. Head is thick, but short lived. I'd call it beige.

Smell: Coffee/espresso notes, some sweet, dark fruit (plums??, raisins??).

Taste: Wow, this is a great one. Complex with coffee, chocolate and fruit goodness. Each sip offers something worth noticing. Alcohol not as noticible as I thought it would be. Watch out, its a strong one at 8.0%.

Mouthfeel: Not as thick and viscous as its appearance would suggest. Almost some tartness in there.

Overall: This is serious stuff. Not for fratboys taking their first steps away from Coors Light. I'll confess my bias in truly loving Weyerbacher's beers, but I don't think that's a bad/wrong thing. They're awesome and Old Heathen is another in their line of excellent beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 19:10:03 | More by horshamguy

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.16/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Black beer with a light brown head, formed after the reverse waterfall cascade.

S - Roasted aromas, black coffee, burnt grain, bitter chocolate. A tangy fruity side note, sort of acidic. Hints of dark sweetness, dark maybe burnt sugars.

T - Incredibly flavorful, this beer is assertive, and robust. Plenty of sweet coffee, roasted grain, chocolate and other dark flavors. The presence of tart and tangy fruit flavors compliments the strong stout character. The fruit notes are dark and sweet, well ripened. A touch of smooth alcohol warming the mouth.

M - Very smooth, creamy. Silky, perfectly carbonated, rich feel. Mildyl dry aftertaste for an imperial stout.

O - A great complexity and perfect execution. This stout has a lot to offer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:53:59 | More by BeerForMuscle

SaisonRichBiere

Michigan

4.44/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to ThePorterSorter for this one

Poured into a 16 oz mug from a bottle.

Appearance- Standard for the style. A thick, dense espresso brown with a big tan frothy head, that slowly fades to a thin veil. I love how these stouts fill up the glass with a nice head.

Smell- Roasty coffee notes with a milk chocolate covered raisin sweetness. Roasted malts, not much hop presence in the nose at all.

Taste- Light cinnamon coffee flavors start, followed by faint milk sugar sweetness. Dark single-origin chocolate and coffee yields to a creamy, raisin and biscuit chocolate bar finish. Nice flavors all working together, I really didn't expect this much flavor. Alcohol is well hidden behind the flavors.

Mouthfeel- Smooth and slick, and not too thick.

Overall- A great beer. I am not too sure how long this one has been in the bottle, but everything was working very well together in this one. Considering how subtly sweet it is, I wonder if there's some lactose in this one. Creamy, roasty, a bit fruity, great biscuity malts. A great representation of the style. I would love to get this one again, and a draft offering would be great.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:20:52 | More by SaisonRichBiere

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.29/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Bottled on/Best by: 15/21N/02712/03:40 - need help interpreting. Poured into a chalice.

Overall - Bad first impressions (tastes) can ruin a relationship, don't let that happen with this beer. A decent beer. One that I would be willing to drink again. You should give it a try, albeit this beer is on the low end of my "willing to drink again" scale.

A - Black, opaque, slightly viscous. A thin rocky brown head that quickly disipates. Minimal lacing.

S - Dark roasted malt, some dark fruit, a little alcohol.

T - First taste was burnt bitter, but it smoothed out from there. Coffee and roasted malt. Alcohol and bitterness in the finish.

MF - Smooth, but generally non-descript.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:42:18 | More by Sludgeman