Imperial Stout (Brewmaster Reserve) - Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub

Chaney

District of Columbia

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

Taking a chance on this.

Served in an Olde Hickory shaped-glass.

A: Poured black as the ace of spaces, with a head that was only a shade or two lighter than the liquid below it.

S: Fun. Some bourbon along with a great dose of dark cacao.

T: Nice coconuty bourbon along with some butter and dark, bitter chocolate. Everything one would want in an Imperial BBA Stout is pretty much here.

M: Pretty thick but not snot-like, with some sweet, almost sour notes on the afterbite. Splotchy lacing.

O: Very, very enjoyable entry... Much better than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 00:52:20 | More by Chaney

Justin_Neff

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours dark black, but not quite thick, slow, and sticky enough to be described as motor oil. Appears a little thin on the pour. Light tan colored head - 1 finger, thin, disappears quickly into a small ring. Leaves a little lacing.

S: Smell seems a bit artificial. Definitely some sweet chocolate flavors. Roasted malt. Vanilla. Some hints of java.

T: Chocolate malts dominate the taste. Hints of what seems like a vanilla latte. Mocha taste is present. Overall, something seems a tiny bit off. Hints of oxidation maybe?

M: Pretty disappointed with how thin this one tastes. I would go so far as to say this has a medium-full body, which I should never say when drinking an "Imperial Stout" IMHO.

O: From the pour all the way through the taste I felt like it was just "ok". The feel was thin and the taste seemed artificial. Lots of different flavors - they just seemed a little forced and all over the place. It wasn't terrible, but I certainly wouldn't buy it if I saw it on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 00:05:29 | More by Justin_Neff

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Motor oil black with a pretty good brownish head and pretty good lacing.

Aroma and flavor reflected a lot of brown sugar, molasses, roasted and burnt malts, dark fruits, with tingles of coffee and chocolate. Some notable hops too, bitterness and aroma were balanced pretty well.

Body was thick and a little bit syrupy, sweet on the finish.

Overall it was pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 00:43:46 | More by AlCaponeJunior

Pegasus

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Deep obsidian in color, with a scattered archipelagos of tan foam, sparse patchy lacing.

Aroma: Deep aroma of bitter cocoa, strong burnt notes, roasted malts, cold coffee, and some restrained herbal hops,

Taste: Begins with roasted malts, soon after, cold coffee appears, and dark roasted malts. AS the beer warms, dark fruit flavors become apparent. Along the way, there are hints of dark chocolate. Finishes with a long, lingering note of roasted malts, and a moderate herbal hop presence.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, very pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: A very nice, drinkable, slightly over-the-top example of the style.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard twenty-two ounce brown glass bomber with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Sourced: Purchased at Spec's in Austin, Texas for $3.99.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 02:23:36 | More by Pegasus

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber pours a mostly black color with a small cap of tan head. A little below average on retention and lacing.

Nose is raisins and dark chocolate, fig newton and brown sugar...not bad, interesting at least.

Taste is light cocoa with a dusty mineral flavor and the fruit is less prevalent than the nose would indicate. A little roasty and acrid on the finish, lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel is very thin for the style and it does have a bit of 'watery' taste to it. It is not even average in the style category for mouthfeel...I know Full Sail can brew some really good stuff when they want too, but some of these bomber offerings just seem so half-assed. A watery, 7.2% ABV Imperial Stout...really? That is not imperial, man....maybe foreign export at best. Its like the Pre-K of imperial stouts, Im surprised it didnt come with a diaper. I jest...kind of. It is not that bad of a beer overall, and I think the 3.99 price tag is reasonable, but to call it a brewmaster reserve is a little much.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 01:09:26 | More by twiggamortis420

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

22oz bottle of unknown origins. Maybe bought locally, I can't recall.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a skinny 1/4" brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Head is promptly a skim, with bubbles around the rim and leggy slow-falling lace. Aroma is dark fruits and malts.

Taste is dark sweetness to start, coupling with some fruit and anise in the middle, and closes slightly acrid, moderately bitter. Mouthfeel is slickery smooth, and drinkability is good for the style. As expected, good brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 00:25:46 | More by ppoitras

diamondc

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Brewmaster Reserve 2012. $5 for a bomber. Says Enjoy By 023 ... whatever that means.

A: Typical stout apperance... almost completely black, with maybe a hint of ruby when held up to the light. A fingers worth of mocha colored head with some slight lacing.

S: Really big cocoa powder notes, with a subtle sour fruit smell. Almost like a raspberry.

T: A really big coffee flavor up front. Some dark chocolate, burnt toast, almost charcoal bitterness afterwards.

M: A bit thin on the mouthfeel. The roasted, almost burnt malts lingers long after each sip.

O: Decent stout. Too roasted, not much complexity going on, but worth a try since its cheap.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 11:04:06 | More by diamondc

oberon

North Carolina

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

7.2%ABV. per bottle label.Poured jet black with a well defined one finger deep tan colored head atop,it settled very slowly leaving nice lacing as it did.Chocolate and roast stand out most in the nose,dark fruit comes into play as it warms more.Dark fruit and char up front on the palate followed by French roast coffee and bitter chocolate,a drying somewhat raw earthiness in the finish.This is a solid lighter beer for the style,it's not thick chewey and alcoholic but still has all the character of an imperial stout.Solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 01:15:37 | More by oberon

gtermi

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer pours a dark black body with a thin tan head that quickly fades away and leaves a tiny bit of lace on the glass.

S: To me it smells sort of oxidized with a little bit of chocolate malt, some roasted malt and a bit of sweetness.

T: The beer has a lot of chocolate flavor, but not as much roastedness as I want. The chocolate/ mocha flavor lasts for a long time. It sort of reminds me of a stronger version of guinness. I think it tastes very nice.

M: The beer is pretty smooth for an Imperial stout and really easy to drink. It also has a tiny bit of crispness on the back of the throat.

O: Man for 4 dollars this beer is well worth the money. It has some nice characteristics and I really enjoyed it. I would for sure buy a lot of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 07:25:55 | More by gtermi

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Pours near black with a slight red tone. Slight tan head and a trace of lacing. Dark malts and coffee aroma. Dark malt, dark fruit and light hops. Finishes dry with lingering coffee/dry dark malt. Not very complex. Like an imperial version of an English stout. Satisfactory, but not outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 20:02:29 | More by LiquidAmber

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 24oz bomber into a snifter

A Pours a dark brown that borders on black. Topped of with a nice mocha head.

S Coffee, dark chocolate, and some dark fruits.

T Lots of dark fruits, some roasted coffee and chocolate.

M Kind of thin and watery.

Overall this is a pretty tasty non barrel aged stout, and a very good effort by Full Sail. It is a bit thin and watery which is an issue, but other then that it is pretty solid. Plus at around $4.50 a bottle its hard to find a better deal.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:49:17 | More by beerandcycling88

CaptDavyJones

New York

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz Brewmasters Reserve 2012 bottle, with ABV (7.2%) on the label.
One finger dark tan colored head that dissipates fairly quickly.
Aroma is very malty, lots of milk chocolate malt balls like aroma.
Over time the chocolate rich aroma gives way to some roasted coffee notes.
Taste is also very malt forward with lots of cocoa and coffee notes. Hints of bitterness towards the finish. Medium bodied and easy to drink. Wishing it was a tad full-bodied.
Anyways, this is another good offering from Full Sail and definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 01:46:18 | More by CaptDavyJones

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz 2012 offering poured into my CBS snifter.

A: Opaque, with dark brown/ruby red highlights at the edge of the glass...tight half finger of khaki head, good splotchy lacing.

S: Roasted malt, anise, earthy hops, a touch of an oily herbal note, espresso and coffee, burnt caramel.

T: Very roasty but not smoky...toasted grains, dark chocolate, black malt, espresso, hints of caramel, brewers licorice.

MF: Smooth, creamy, medium/heavy mouthfeel, soft & lower carbonation, really no alcohol presence, light dryness is nice for an Imperial Stout.

O: Really nice, a great drinker right now at an excellent price point. Not sure how robustly it would stand up to the cellar but its drinking just fine right now.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 16:37:45 | More by Scotchboy

boralyl

Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle which reads 7.2% abv, not the 8% listed on the site.

A - Pours 2 inches of creamy dark tan head. It has nice retention and leave some nice globs of lace as it settles. The beer Is a deep shade of black with just a hint of light coming through near the top of the glass.

S - Sweet molasses, brown sugar and a hint of roasted malts. As it warms a little bit of chocolate comes out. It has a very aromatic nose.

M - Medium to full in body with light-medium carbonation and creamy finish.

T - A slight roastiness up front followed by some molasses and bigger brown sugar presence. Dark, bitter chocolate is detected mid-taste which blends in with a roasty finish.

This is a fantastic imperial stout, and you can't get much better for the price (about $4 for a 22oz bottle). Very impressed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 05:41:20 | More by boralyl

keithmurray

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a mug

Appearance - Pours a nearly jet black color with tan head

Smell - milk chocolate, roasted coffee beans, expresso, roasted malt

Taste - milk chocolate, roasted malt, expresso, little bit of roasted coffee bean as well

mouthfeel - the body is a bit thin to be classified as an imperial stout, thin on carbonation, slightly sweet body, bitterness to the finish, no booziness is present

overall - This was a decent beer, although I might hesitate to classify this as an imperial stout. For the price point it is certainly worth a try.

Price Point - $4.99/22oz.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 01:05:22 | More by keithmurray

warnerry

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 release

A - Pours black with one finger of tan head. Head doesn't have great retention but leaves some spotty lacing.

S - A lot of chocolate and some roasted malts. Faint sweetness. Pretty standard IS aroma.

T - Follows the nose pretty closely, though there is more roasted malt in the taste. A bit of alcohol is apparent.

M - Mouthfeel is too thin for my liking.

O - Pretty good imperial stout that is done in a bit by thin mouthfeel and a flavor profile that is good, but not very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 00:11:45 | More by warnerry

jera1350

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2010

Pours black as night. The head is short, but what's left is creamy looking and leaves some nice lacing.

A creamy lactose sweetness smell with a touch of roasty malts.

Roasty malts, hint of hop bitterness and a milk sugar sweetness like cream. Dark chocolate. Just a good mellow flavor for an imperial stout.

Very smooth, about full bodied. The feel is a bit dry and the carbonation is supple and low.

Very well made no frills imperial stout. Drinks nicely and is a bargain for the $4 price tag. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 20:32:58 | More by jera1350

BMoney575

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled on 11-2-11
2010 Vintage

Pours very black and viscous, with just a hint of a tan head that quickly bubbles away. There's a bit of deep red around the edges if you hold it up to the light.

Smell is sweet, with lots of molasses and just the right amount of age. Later, aromas of dark fruit and oak come through, backed up by a nicely hot alcohol kick.

Taste is a little bit of a let down. A coffee bitterness comes through right away, with not much else going on. The finish is dry and without much sweetness, and the bitterness lingers on into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is a little too thin, and the flavors aren't big enough to stick around.

Drinkability is good, the bitterness keeps things even, and masks the alcohol as well.

Overall, nothing special, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 22:08:21 | More by BMoney575

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to redbrewer83 for sending this one out in our most recent trade, which incidentally, isn't so recent. We have to trade again, Evan! Poured this bottle of the 2010 vintage into my snifter.

Opaque black, viscous looking, but only .5 cm head at its peak. It fades away quickly, leaving only the pitch-colored liquid behind. A swirl leaves oily legs and kicks up a touch of carbonation, though that also rushes away as soon as it reaches the surface.

The aroma is dark. Lots of black malts here. Acrid roast, chocolate, roasted coffee, and a touch of toffee that barely squeezes its way in through the acrid roast. The flavor is similar, with no presence of fruit, but plenty of roast and almost burnt coffee. Not too much nuance in this. Some piney hop oils come through at the end, but only in hints.

Nice a thick, resinous, and syrupy, this hits the mark in terms of feel. Low carbonation, and despite what other reviews said, an ample and full body. Thanks again, Evan, this was a good one.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 01:57:43 | More by NittanyBeerFan

emmasdad

Colorado

2.8/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I picked up a bottle of this one in Fort Collins last Saturday (shocked I hadn't seen it before). Poured a nice black color with a little light brown head. Aromas of roasted malt, burnt coffee and a bit of chocolate. Lighter bodied than I expected, dry and acrid, with roasted malt and burnt coffee.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 06:19:16 | More by emmasdad

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque black with slight red highlights around the edges and a 1 inch tan head that fades to film on the top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace form on top of each other on the drink down. Smells of dark roasted malts, coffee beans, and milk chocolate. Tastes of roasted coffee, bittersweet chocolate, roasted malts, and some caramel. Mild coffee/dark chocolate bitterness on the palate after each sip. Low carbonation makes for a creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good imperial stout for a really good price. I ended up with this one for $4.99 and I am happy with my purchase.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 02:29:56 | More by UCLABrewN84

billab914

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 vintage poured from a 22oz bottle into my Stone IRS glass. It poured black in color with a thin but frothy tan head to it. The head faded but left some decent lacing as it did.

The aroma has a bit of a sweeter, molasses and brown sugar like quality to it. I get a good amount of roasty, burnt, bitterness to it along with A little bit of a dark, bitter-sweet chocolate flavor as well. Pretty decent aroma to it overall.

The taste also shows a sweeter, molasses and brown sugar quality to it right off the bat. Later I start to get a burnt, roasty flavor with some decent smoke coming through as well.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation being moderate. Overall, it was decent but not outstanding in the style. I did like the roasted, smoky flavors it had to it though. Good beer to sip on this evening.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 02:20:57 | More by billab914

GilGarp

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. bottle served cellar temp into a pint glass.

It's very dark brown on the pour with the aroma already coming forward. The crema colored head is short and brief.

Back the aroma, it has a really rich roasty character with what seems like bourbon but I don't think this one was barrel aged. Still a little vanilla comes through.

Flavor is roasty/toasty too but it has a surprising dark fruits and cherries. I don't think it's oxidized but it has a little hint of winey to it.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, not so thick, with nice-and-low carbonation.

Overall a solid beer but certainly not one of the best. This style is heavily stacked with winners and this is a runner up.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 02:08:30 | More by GilGarp

maximum12

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up this bottle on a whim at some undetermined amount of time in the past. I mean, when do you see $3.99 bombers of imperial stout? Hell, that's reason enough for me. Split up 50/50 with my reclining wife after an early night of poker.

Pours black, like every imperial stout ever created. Smell is malty, but with a milky edge, a la milk stouts. Sprigs of chocolate, too.

Full Sail Imperial Stout works on several levels, but the first impression is it's a bit thin. Chocolate & roast work their way into my septic systems, but they're cut with Oregon's finest tap water. The roast really veers drunkenly towards charcoal territory in the end. As it warms, the roast becomes even more prominent, allaying the whole H2o problem.

Well. One could certainly do worse for the price of a 22 oz. bomber. Simple, approachable, kind-hearted imperial stout. Good beer, a throwback to a simpler time of brewing.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 04:48:37 | More by maximum12

kels

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Finally got around to cracking this bottle now that it's 2011. Review on the beer poured into a snifter, shared with pwoods.

Really nice looking pour. Super-dark chocolate liquid, completely opaque but not viscous looking, supports a fleeting cocoa-powder brown head. Not much of it remains after the first few seconds, but loads of lace cling to the walls throughout the entire drink.

Disappointing nose in this one. With all that lace and the initial head, I thought more aroma would come off this beer. Instead I only get the slightest hint of roasted chocolate malt. That's about it.

Taste is a little more apparent than the aroma, but not as much as I'd expect in an imperial stout. There's a good note of richly roasted coffee, and there's a slight kick of sappy hops that comes in mostly in the aftertaste. Body is thin, and it washes the taste away too quickly to really get to make much mention of what had been.

Drinkability is, well, it's drinkable. It goes down quickly and easily, but not with much interest. I don't know if it's the age or what, but this is one I won't miss next year.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 05:54:25 | More by kels