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Ironman Imperial Stout
Free State Brewing Co.
- From:
- Free State Brewing Co.
- Kansas, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 8.4%
- Score:
- 83
- Avg:
- 3.67 | pDev: 11.17%
- Reviews:
- 44
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 06, 2021
- Added:
- Oct 18, 2003
- Wants:
- 6
- Gots:
- 21
Our Imperial Stout brewed to an Original gravity of 19.5 °P using 10 different types of malt, which combined, weigh 1,465 lbs. That works out to 3.4 lbs per gallon of finished beer or almost 4/10ths of a pound in every glass. The dark malts give a roasty flavor and dark color, caramel malts add sweetness and a full body. Three different hop varieties also add their own complexity (and about 78 IBUs). The bittering hop is Magnum. The early aromatic hops are Northern Brewer. The later aromatic Centennial. The final hop addition is a dry hop with a generous dose of Mt. Hood hops for a fine aroma The Ironman is named for one of our favorite regular customers, Walt Hull, who is a local blacksmith.
78 IBU
78 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Sludgeman:
Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia
3.64/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.64/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Rereview on Feb 23, 2016
On tap at The Public during a Free State TTO.
Much better this time. Mouthfeel still thin.
---
Bottle at Old chicago old town Wichita.
A - It pours black, minimal head that dissipates quickly.
S - Dark fruit dominates, maybe due to the hops, but results in a muted raisin aroma.
T - Dark malts, raisin, some roastiness, NO coffee, hides ABV (but still at only 6.1).
MF - Thin, medium bodied, slightly sweet finish.
O - Can't call this an "imperial" at only 6.1 ABV! Is it the malts or the hops? Disappointing. Unbalanced.
Oct 23, 2013On tap at The Public during a Free State TTO.
Much better this time. Mouthfeel still thin.
---
Bottle at Old chicago old town Wichita.
A - It pours black, minimal head that dissipates quickly.
S - Dark fruit dominates, maybe due to the hops, but results in a muted raisin aroma.
T - Dark malts, raisin, some roastiness, NO coffee, hides ABV (but still at only 6.1).
MF - Thin, medium bodied, slightly sweet finish.
O - Can't call this an "imperial" at only 6.1 ABV! Is it the malts or the hops? Disappointing. Unbalanced.
More User Ratings:
Rated by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado
3.15/5 rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.15/5 rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Bottle:
C+ / ABOVE AVERAGE
Nov 12, 2018C+ / ABOVE AVERAGE
Reviewed by ICTguy21 from Kansas
4.23/5 rDev +15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Look: deep black with a few bubbles giving way to a thin tan head
Smell: big roasty malts with a hint of coffee, definitely more hoppy than I expected.
Taste: roasty malts with a touch of bitter chocolate and very faint coffee, hops are barely perceptible
Feel: pretty smooth, decent carbonation, hides it's abv well
Overall: very solid old school stout, definitely think it should be rated a bit higher, it's not flashy but it's still pretty dang good, would be interesting to age one for a couple years
Mar 03, 2018Smell: big roasty malts with a hint of coffee, definitely more hoppy than I expected.
Taste: roasty malts with a touch of bitter chocolate and very faint coffee, hops are barely perceptible
Feel: pretty smooth, decent carbonation, hides it's abv well
Overall: very solid old school stout, definitely think it should be rated a bit higher, it's not flashy but it's still pretty dang good, would be interesting to age one for a couple years
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Forged from the darkest malts and made for the most burly of the working class, the imperial stout of Free State is just as gentlemanly as it is rugged.
As black as wrought iron, the robust beer pours like black coffee but the viscosity more like molasses. Its nose is chocked full of malt complexities, continuing those molasses impressions but also raising the level of roast, earth, sweetness and savoriness. Initial flavors coat the tongue with blackstrap molasses, turkish coffee, black walnut and cocoa.
As the stout rolls across the middle palate, the malts begin to dry slightly and allowing the roasted char, light smoke and powdery ash flavors to command the taste. Baker's chocolate, strong roasted coffee and an overall soilish earthiness comes along with the toasted remnants of caramel and toffee. Spicy, bitter and mineral heavy, the beer's finish is sharp and woodsy to balance the residual maltiness.
Full in body, the beer's robust demeanor never beats the sweetness over the tastebuds. Its roasted character trends dry and arid like the character of campfire. And like its namesake, the beer's high mineral impressions leave a taste of iron on the finish that flows along with a deep aftertaste of espresso and smoldering embers.
Jul 18, 2017As black as wrought iron, the robust beer pours like black coffee but the viscosity more like molasses. Its nose is chocked full of malt complexities, continuing those molasses impressions but also raising the level of roast, earth, sweetness and savoriness. Initial flavors coat the tongue with blackstrap molasses, turkish coffee, black walnut and cocoa.
As the stout rolls across the middle palate, the malts begin to dry slightly and allowing the roasted char, light smoke and powdery ash flavors to command the taste. Baker's chocolate, strong roasted coffee and an overall soilish earthiness comes along with the toasted remnants of caramel and toffee. Spicy, bitter and mineral heavy, the beer's finish is sharp and woodsy to balance the residual maltiness.
Full in body, the beer's robust demeanor never beats the sweetness over the tastebuds. Its roasted character trends dry and arid like the character of campfire. And like its namesake, the beer's high mineral impressions leave a taste of iron on the finish that flows along with a deep aftertaste of espresso and smoldering embers.
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri
3.73/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.73/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours black with a finger of khaki head. Great head retention with a huge splattering of lacing left behind. Aroma is biscuit, bready, toasted, and nutty malts. It doesn't smell very dense, just lots of malts. Flavor profile is toasted, bready, nutty malts. It drinks more like a robust, dark brown ale or dry stout than an imperial stout. Mouth feel is medium in thickness and smooth. Overall, while malty and filling, it resides more on the smaller side of the imperial stout spectrum. Still plenty of malt and flavor for most. The subdued flavor profile combined with the thinner feel, may be more enjoyable after 70.3 miles of swimming, cycling, and running. Alone, it feels a little thin.
Served in a 12oz snifter.
Apr 09, 2017Served in a 12oz snifter.
Reviewed by BrownAleBollocks from Kansas
3.55/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Pours an opaque black with brown and red highlights and a fluffy two finger mocha head. Aroma is dark fruit, and very light coffee. Taste follows with dark fruit and very light coffee/chocolate and roast. Mouthfeel is medium and oily, with a very drying quality. Overall, this is a rather average imperial stout from a brewery that is pretty hit or miss for me.
Apr 17, 2016Reviewed by rwhitmore from Kansas
4.8/5 rDev +30.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.8/5 rDev +30.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Free State is my hometown brewery, so I'm biased. Pours a deep dark black with a moderate but sticky head. The aroma is coffee and chocolate with some dark fruit and a touch of alcohol. The taste is rich and smooth with the coffee up front. Very easy to drink, full bodied and immensely satisfying.
Mar 20, 2016Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon
3.31/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.31/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
12oz bottle. Served in a snifter glass.
Pours a dark cola coloured body, half finger white head, no retention or lacing. Smells of dark fruit, a bit of sherry, mild chocolate, minimal roast, a bit of coffee, and a bit of smoke. Nothing special, a bit hefty on the dark fruit. Flavour is perhaps a bit oxidized but not too badly so; a fair amount of dark fruit, not much else. A bit of chocolate and tobacco, with an earthy hop sting on the backend. Mouthfeel is thinner bodied, lower in carbonation, a bit of tobacco and earthy bitterness on the backend.
Jan 07, 2016Pours a dark cola coloured body, half finger white head, no retention or lacing. Smells of dark fruit, a bit of sherry, mild chocolate, minimal roast, a bit of coffee, and a bit of smoke. Nothing special, a bit hefty on the dark fruit. Flavour is perhaps a bit oxidized but not too badly so; a fair amount of dark fruit, not much else. A bit of chocolate and tobacco, with an earthy hop sting on the backend. Mouthfeel is thinner bodied, lower in carbonation, a bit of tobacco and earthy bitterness on the backend.
Reviewed by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
12 oz., bottled 11/2014: this beer currently has about 10 months age on it. Pours a very dark brown color, with a beige head. Strong aroma with a lot going on: I get dark fruits, malts, alcohol. Light to medium mouth-feel. The taste is not as strong as the aroma but still has the strong malty, and slightly chocolaty, flavor typical for an imperial stout, with a bitter bite on the finish.
I really like the color and the aroma, but I was a little disappointed in how light the flavor and mouth-feel was. I found I didn't like it as much as it warmed, which is a little unusual for a higher-gravity beer. Still, a solid imperial stout, and I am interested in seeing how it continues to age.
Sep 14, 2015I really like the color and the aroma, but I was a little disappointed in how light the flavor and mouth-feel was. I found I didn't like it as much as it warmed, which is a little unusual for a higher-gravity beer. Still, a solid imperial stout, and I am interested in seeing how it continues to age.
Rated by Getalegup from Texas
3.85/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Not bad. dry chocolate stout w/ slight sweetness. Creamy mouthfeel. Low carb.
Aug 20, 2015Reviewed by mlockman from Indiana
3.79/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Many thanks to @treebute for this beer! Slick mouthfeel that becomes creamy when agitated, this beer has some serious legs. Slight dankness to the aroma, moderately hop-forward on the palate. A mild dark-chocolate sweetness at first sip transitions to delicious roastiness and finishes clean.
Aug 14, 2015Reviewed by Beaver13 from Colorado
3.8/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle. Pours dark black brown with a big creamy tan head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is roasted chocolate malt, black licorice and a little fruit.
The flavor is roasted chocolate malts, black licorice and some dark fruit and an ashy bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, a nice imperial stout.
Jun 03, 2015The aroma is roasted chocolate malt, black licorice and a little fruit.
The flavor is roasted chocolate malts, black licorice and some dark fruit and an ashy bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, a nice imperial stout.
Ironman Imperial Stout from Free State Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
83 out of
100 with
121 ratings
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