Raspberry Imperial Stout - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Jason

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

Appearance: Sticky, chunky, rocky light brown head … it is all over the place. A shade away from pitch black, there is no light coming through this brew.

Smell: Freshly macerated raspberries with an undertone of ice coffee.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Creamy with a lost crispness, lots of body with a moderate carbonation. A perfectly level raspberry flavour throughout, it complements the roasted characters that seem to be subdues by the fruity flavours. A bit of char in the finish as the fruit fades, vague alcohol draws a deceiving alcoholic character. Faint chocolate tones in the end pair well with the lingering fruit.

Notes: Tasty to say the least, this is one the best fruit beers ever. You have to pair this with chocolate, it is the only way.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2004 03:03:59 | More by Jason

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-07-2013 02:54:20 | More by t0rin0

Sipchue

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%

12-31-2012 00:41:16 | More by Sipchue

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Delirium snifter on 9/14/12

Thanks to PDXHops

Dark brown - nearly black in the glass. A hot chocolate colored head hits about one thumb's worth but skims out shortly. A thin layer remains with a little lace.

Sweet raspberry aromas are dense but are integrated fully with thick swaths of chocolate and roasted dark grains. Raspberry chocolate cordial. Simple aroma; smells ok. Better with warmth.

At this point, the flavor is primarily dark roast with some coffee and hints of bitter chocolate. The raspberry is relegated to the peripheries. Mild hoppy finish.

As far as what I've grown accustomed to for Imperial Stouts (but who cares since this is a fruit beer, right?), this is medium/medium-light. Notable is a granular feel that is most appreciable on the finish. Carbonation kicks off on a high note and calms to a manageable level. I like the gritty feel.

As I never tried this fresh, I have no direct comparison, but this is pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 03:43:40 | More by Ryan011235

cliff1066

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.3%

12-26-2012 00:58:51 | More by cliff1066

603BeerMe

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

11-06-2012 17:06:30 | More by 603BeerMe

GeoffreyM

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

10-14-2012 20:28:37 | More by GeoffreyM

ithinkimasofa

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

02-13-2012 07:30:35 | More by ithinkimasofa

jfcaa193

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.3%

02-02-2012 03:11:38 | More by jfcaa193

kmwilson76

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%

12-27-2011 14:36:11 | More by kmwilson76

rab53

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.3%

12-10-2011 04:01:09 | More by rab53

JohneHoodlum

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

12-06-2011 22:12:32 | More by JohneHoodlum

deapokid

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

11-23-2011 05:19:23 | More by deapokid

bacher468

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%

11-19-2011 14:07:49 | More by bacher468

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.3%

11-18-2011 16:30:07 | More by ColForbinBC

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%

11-17-2011 22:38:04 | More by jmdrpi

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Not sure of the vintage, but a big thanks to whomever supplied this one to Stout Day 2011.

A - Poured a very dark brown body with some nice ruby highlights...the head was a lighter brown and showed some staying power...it feel to a wispy cap that left some decent lacing

S - The perfect combination of raspberries and dark chocolate...the age has muted the freshness of the fruit, but the tartness and real smell is still there...the chocolate has aged also, becoming darker and stronger

T - Again, the raspberries and dark chocolate are the perfect match for each other in this beer...the raspberries present their fruitiness at the beginning and they finish with a slight tartness...the dark chocolate becomes big in the middle and adds nice body to the beer...the tart and dark roast play off of each other with the dark roast calming the tartness...you're pretty much left with a bittersweet flavor on the palate

M - Full bodied...smooth, roasty, chocolate and raspberries, bittersweet

O - Too bad this one is retired...I thoroughly enjoyed this one and was left wanting more...I don't know the age, but it definitely aged well...maybe Weyerbacher will come out with this in a cork and caged 750?!?! One can only hope so!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 14:04:00 | More by thain709

randomdanger

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +26.6%

11-15-2011 14:53:28 | More by randomdanger

PEBKAC

New York

3.38/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had no idea that this was retired. Thought I'd just drink a stout.

/shrug

Pulled this one out of hibernation last week. Purchased from New Beer Distro about a year & a half ago.

Poured into a fatty goblet. Coffee-like black & brown body. A faint, tan ring of head sizzles & disappears.

It's all about jammy raspberries in the nose. In the background is cocoa powder & a subtle, nutty roast(& a bit of rubber). Just a smidgen of heat. Seems a bit simple so far, but at least the oxidation is well hidden.

Roasty, charred malt upfront. Faint berries give way to a citrus/rindy bitterness. Finish is cocoa powder, ashy burnt toast, & the beginnings of oxidation. Very light on actual fruit flavor even compared to memories of when it was fresh.

Feel is milky & soft, with subtle carbonation & not much noticeable alcohol. Starts off a little plush but ends up being quite thin once it registers.

A nice fruit stout without any candy sweetness. Pretty solid. Maybe it'll come back in 22oz bottles with a catchier name & a hefty price tag. Then people will eat it up.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 06:40:00 | More by PEBKAC

jwinship83

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

big thanks to shaggy 9356 for trading me this bottle about one year ago. i had kind of written this off as something i wouldnt be able to try. drank from my samuel adams perfect pint glass.

A- a hearty pour yields an opaque dark brown body with a small but tight khaki colored head on top. the head lasts longer than expected and leaves behind small spots of lacing.

S- the smell reminds me initially of a dark chocolate raspberry candy. lots of bittersweet chocolate mixed with fresh raspberry puree. dark roasted malts sneak in also. not the most complex aroma, but one that i really like.

T- the taste starts off with more of the dark roasted malts that i could smell. after that comes a plethora of chocolate. mostly dark, but theres some milk chocolate in here also. the raspberry comes next. its not lightly done, but it doesnt seem excessive either. dark roasted coffee moves in at the end.

M- the body is a tad thinner than i would have liked. the alcohol is nowhere to be found. the carbonation seems just right.

O- im not sure if its that this is an amazing beer, or that time has been nice to it, but i really enjoyed this more than i thought i would. i wish it was made again. id buy this very often. check it out if given the chance, this one was truely a treat.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 02:37:29 | More by jwinship83

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Managed to pick up a bottle of this a few years ago before the shelf had been cleared of these. This beer was already retired by the time I had it I think. I cracked open the bottle one night and poured it into a pint glass. The color was a deep black and looked pretty thick. The head wasn't enormous or anything. The smell was a bit fruity with some tart raspberry aroma coming out with the roasted malts mixing in a pretty good manner. The taste was like a chocolate cake with a raspberry drizzle over top of it, mixed with some deeper roasted notes and alcohol. This was a prety good beer. I think that the mouthfeel could have been a little thicker but other than that it was a tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 03:59:38 | More by Knapp85

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was delighted last year to find a sixtel of this which was kicked faster than any other brew I have ever put on my 4 tap system. I was even more surprised ~6 months later to find a few bottles in a shop. I am down to only a pair of bottles after cracking this one open tonight. No dating that I can locate but I am guessing this is from 2007 based on a conversation had with a Weyerbacher rep.

Poured into a shaped pint glass, this brew appears black in color with some ruby clarity around the edges that also displays some lighter brownness. A finger of dark tan head forms and slowly fades to a thin layering atop the brew. Swirls revive the cap and place some leggings of lace about the glass.

The aroma of this brew is bright with raspberry right upfront. It is sweet and enjoyable with a very natural smelling raspberry scent. Mixed with the fruity scent are some citrus hop indications through the middle along with a tingle of slightly solvent alcohol. In the back of the nose comes the first indications that this brew might smell like a stout. It has a smooth chocolate character that is very appealing and blends well with the fruity scent.

The taste of this brew includes the raspberry flavor right upfront with a modest amount of perceived sweetness that immediately blends into a combination of dark grain bitterness and alcohol. The roasted grain imparts quite a bit of chocolate character that lasts inside the mouth with a bit of musty grain flavor. Some citrus hop indications are present but blend quite well with the raspberry flavor.

Every once in a while I get an slightly estery flavor of alcohol that blends right with the flavors of this brew. It is medium bodied and modestly carbonated however it has a bit of a watery feel. The warmth in the back of the throat is consistent with a 8% brew. I am glad I took the time to sit down and enjoy one of these again however I am sad to see one less bottle to enjoy at a later time or to share with friends. In a way I am pissed at how well this is holding up, it honestly could hold out for a few more years.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 01:10:17 | More by stakem

flexabull

California

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of phnphilly, thanks again!

Not sure the age, but the label is different than the one in the photo.

Pours a deep black color with a pretty nice tan head.

Aromas are of raspberries and chocolate. Smells nice, but it's mostly all about the raspberries.

Taste is nice and fairly complex. Dark roasted malts, bitter chocolate and hints of tart raspberries. I like how the fruit flavors and aren't as strong in the flavor, and how they are more of a backdrop to the stout.

Mouthfeel is good. Full and smooth.

Drinkability is nice. The fruit element is well done, and not overpowering like it can be in other beers in this style.

I tend to not be a fan of fruit beers unless they are sour, but I enjoyed this one, solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 21:32:02 | More by flexabull

Pencible

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2008 vintage. This poured a nearly pitch black with almost no head. It smelled like rich dark chocolate with sweet raspberries and fresh roasted coffee. It tasted the exact same as the scent (which isn't as common as you'd think), with a great blend of dark chocolate and coffee and raspberry. It was slightly thick with a bit of carbonation, and had a bittersweet aftertaste. Overall this was a decadent beer with great clean scent and taste. The body is a bit light, but it hid the alcohol well, so this was very easy to drink. I wish I could find this fresh to compare; what a shame it's been retired. It's lovely after two years in the cellar. (Not sure if it's still improving or heading down hill at this point.)

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 19:01:38 | More by Pencible

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a small head. Smell is of fresh raspberries and roasted malts. Taste is also of raspberries, with roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. Feels creamy in the mouth and has decent drinkability. Overall this is a good quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 14:06:54 | More by tone77