Courage Imperial Russian Stout - Wells & Young's Ltd

ncketchum

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Duvel tulip. Brewed in 2011. Good till 2024.

A - pours jet black, aggressively poured so resulted in massive chocolate head, hung around for quite some time, then left a fine lacing

S - molasses and roasted malt. No alcohol to speak of

T - sweet chocolate up front, followed by malt, then a significant hop character. Aftertaste is coffee with hops lingering

M - pretty thick, not too carbonated, not much alcohol burn

O - a great, unexpected find. I was told this was quite limited in this area, a nice big stout that apparently will age nicely, so I'll look for a couple more to put away for a bit.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:51:15 | More by ncketchum

bashiba

Iowa

4.44/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a thick and creamy dark brown with a long lasting dark brown head, nice lacing and good retention.

The smell is dominated by sweet caramel malts with hints of roasted barley and smoke.

The flavor is very full, big roasty malts, smoke, dark chocolate with a big blast of hop bitterness breaking through the malty sweetness bringing into a nice balanced state for a beer of this enormity.

The mouthfeel is very creamy and rich.

A great imperial stout, pretty much spot on benchmark quality.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:54:20 | More by bashiba

beerdrifter

Germany

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

1983 bootle which was given to me as a gift from a fellow BA. Extremely unique in every way. Oldest beer I've had to date. Poured a deep dark brown, almost black with little head and not much lacing. The smell is powerful and complex as is the taste. Bitter chocolate, rasins, molasses, alcohol, coffee and a very pronounced red wine taste help make this easily the most complex beer I've had. Once you try it you won't soon forget it. Thanks Smalls!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2007 16:37:07 | More by beerdrifter

mcallister

Ohio

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

1977 Vintage. Sampled on April 8th 2008 for my 31st birthday (damn getting old:()

Pours a shade or two short of black with slight bricking at the edges and with still a nice carbonation pop with the cap and a cascading mocha tan head that fades into a creamy topper. Looks exceptional even for a 31 year old brew.

Some vinegary notes and oxidation. Almost seems like brett in there with some woody undertones. Full of dark fruits, black cherry, currant, boysenberry, dark mollasses, brandy, sherry and on and on. A never ending piece of complex olfactor perfection.

Chiii...rist. The vinegary-ness of the aroma is gone and completely overridden with thick bitter dark chocolate and fudge. Unbelievably malty and creamy thick mouthfeel. I've only had one other beer with malt sustance like this and it was Kuhnhenn (add any K-henn beer and there it be). Oxidation lends to a layer of dark fruit and then the same brandy grape, sherry flavors that prevail in the nose. Prune, black cherry, blackberry, mollasses, earth, manure, and leather and on and on. Immensely complex and very good. Would have loved to tried this 10 years ago.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2008 21:02:12 | More by mcallister

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

Vintage 1993 bottle from Union Jack's on the Manatawny...
Appears a syrupy dark brown, nearing black when poured into the brandy snifter. Tiny whisps of tan, soapy bubbles quickly dissapear into nothing. Large chunks of protein are left in the bottom of the nip sized bottle after a slow, careful decanted pour.
Smell is of raisins, cocoa, caramel, madeira, and port wine with perhaps a mild touch of tart, black cherries, and a splash of salty soy with molasses.
Taste is of the aromas with the raisin, and cocoa dominating the flavors and a touch of the tart cherries coming through on the finish.
Mouthfeel is warming, viscuous, relatively devoid of any carbonation, making this a smooth, after dinner sipper.
A hefty price to pay for such a rare treat...worth it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 20:15:04 | More by weeare138

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

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

1975 nip bottle, shared with my good friend Troy to celebrate all the hard work we put into planning Toronto's first beer week.

Some rust on the exterior of the bottle cap, but otherwise its in good nice. Its very reassuring that upon cracking the crown there's an audible hiss of carbonation. 35 years and the bubbles are still there! A thick residue similar to brown cocoa butter is clumped on one side of the neck.

The pour results in a dark brown liquid that verges so closely on black that it might as well be. A very fine whispy head takes up residence and slowly fades. As expected, there'snot really anything in the way of lacing. The nose has strong vinous notes - strong red wine, some soy sauce, bitter chocolate and tobacco. Certainly an old school RIS. Much the same can be said if the flavour, which has held up incredibly over the past three and a half decades. Stong tobacco notes and a resilient bitter chocolate. Red wine mixed with soy sauce and fleeting coffee notes. More going on than I can really put my finger on... Light carbonation, but its still there!

An extremely interesting brew. I've always wanted to try something older than me, and this one has me beat by seven years! Not only has it held up well, but its actually a very pleasurable example of the style, and its neat to see a traditional take along the lines of the A LeCoq stout. Worth the expense.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 12:37:25 | More by bobsy

DavidST

Texas

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

Poured from a 275 ml bottle into a tulip glass, 2011 version with a date of 9-19-24(?), I do know if this is a best before date or best after, but I doubt I hold onto a bottle for 12 years. This pours a little thinner than expected, but its a hazy yeast filled almost black color with a massive tan head (i had to wait several times for it to go down). The smells are of dark roasted malts, espresso, a little sweet dark fruit, and some alcohol. The feel is medium, a little thinner than some other irs, but still a tad creamy. The taste is pretty great, plenty of bitter hops and malts combined with a little sweetness and then a nice peppery finish, I'll probably get a couple more to save.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 03:22:44 | More by DavidST

HattedClassic

Virginia

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

Appearance:
A very dark brown with decent head that is a dark tan. A nice amount of lacing that sticks to the glass.

Smell:
Coffee, dark chocolate, and hints of pear that mix together to form a unique and complementary smell.

Taste:
Dark chocolate and cocoa with noticeable undertones of pear. The aftertaste contains pear with hints of dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel:
Biting carbonation and a smooth feel.

Overall:
An amazing Imperial Stout. By far the most complex and unique stout that I have ever had. Too bad it's pretty expensive.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 03:54:36 | More by HattedClassic

B33R501

Pennsylvania

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

pours beautiful, huge creamy mocha head, what a beer should look like. tastes huge chocolate malt bomb, incredible roast with perfect bitterness. yes a little smoke, amazing fruity finish. strong, smooth, rich, satisfying. the one was enough, but i could have had several. only drawback is the price.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 13:06:38 | More by B33R501

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Brewed in May 2011.

Best before 9/19/24.

Pours an opaque black with a 2 inch foamy dark khaki head that settles to a thin cap. Thin foamy rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark malt, dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, and some alcohol. There is a distinct cinnamon aroma that comes out as the beer warms. Taste is of dark malt, dark fruit, cocoa powder, and roasted coffee beans. There is a mild roasty bitterness and alcohol warming in the back of the throat with each sip. This beer has a lower level carbonation with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good RIS with a nice historic element to it. I am very happy I was able to find a bottle of this after reading it was coming to the US.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 03:29:26 | More by UCLABrewN84

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a few bottles of this for $5 a pop. Been wanting to try this for years now, and I could not pony up for the 20 year old aged bottles at Monk's. Poured into my TJ'S Everyday 7th Anniversary 'gold' rim plated snifter.

Courage pours out the dark red/brown/black mix when in mid air. When in the glass all nestled, Courage is a black looking stout, with a creamy froth of beige/tannish foam with legs and stick.

Smell is very inviting and bold and layered. Im really digging the smell. English qualities with the signature coffee, chocolate, roasted malt of an IRS. The english yeast provides an extra layer while there is a nice burnt/smoky/ash quality as well. Dark fruit with significant warming.

Taste is pretty exquisite. At this young stage Courage jumps out with roasted malt, milk chocolate, coffee beans, slight vanilla, a burnt English Baltic Porter quality with some smoke on the end. Layered is an understatement. As with the smell, dark fruits jump out at the end.

Feel is approaching full, this for sure coats the mouth on the way down with a slight warming quality without being hot. I cant taste the alcohol. Carb is light but present. Im sure this will smooth out even better with time.

This went down the hatch very easy like and I was surprised at the depth of this RIS. Im not a huge RIZZ guy, but I can appreciate the nuances of this beer. I have another bottle and it's taking a ten year dirt nap. I'll update then.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 17:16:38 | More by onix1agr

pkalix

California

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

depp, dark, thick and rich looking. no real head. wasnt sure if i was supposed to pour in the espresso-looking yeasty stuff on the bottom.
smells deep and dark and musty. cant wait to taste this....
tastes dark and roasty. not bad for the 10% abv, or for a russian stout. has that 'samiclause' kind of twist to it. kind of heavy, but that is expected. actually, almost a little sweet.... and defonitely not experiencing the 'pear' the boasts of.
overall, eh.... darn good for the style, but the style is a difficult one for me to appreciate although i continue to try it. i love trying the higher abv brews and i do like the differences. i like the beer but i need to change it up a little after one of these. maybe a couple of these in succession with a good bourbon would be in order . . . . . i give it a 4.5 overall because i believe it's a great product, a nice taste for the style and the abv, and i like the flavor i'm getting from it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 02:07:04 | More by pkalix

BradenMK

Ohio

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

This was a near-perfect beer that I had warm just because I wanted to try it, and I had no expectations. I would like to try it cold, on tap, and any way I could get it, because as a stout-lover this is one of the best.

Also, I want to let the Bros know, Todd who reviewed this last in 2011 (I think?), this apparently is still being brewed, or has been started up again (or something), because I found it today in a 9.3oz bottle in Columbus, OH at The Anderson's general store and there were a few others there. I want to go back and get more. So, since you guys seemed to like it so much, if you don't know already, you can still find it in some places. It's amazing.

Sorry I'm not doing a full review with the right paces and all of the bits in the right order, but I wanted to make sure it was known that this is still out there!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 01:37:03 | More by BradenMK

gtermi

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer pours very dark with a very thick tan head.

S: The beer has a lot of roastedness, a good amoutn of some sweetness and a little chocolate.

T: The taste is just amazing. The roastedness is just amazing and the coffee after taste just hits the spot. I am also getting some tobacco and alcohol. Maybe I am crazy, but the first sip, I taste a good amount of fruit.

M: The beer is pretty crisp and sort of burns going down.

O: This was just a great beer. I wish I could find this beer more often and cellar a few. This is amazing

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 03:41:00 | More by gtermi

claaark13

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1993 nip poured at 55 degrees into a Darkness snifter. Opens with a squeal.

A - Very dark. Sticks to the side of the glass a bit. Bubbles around the side, but no real lacing.

S - Dark malts, raisins and figs, bits of caramel sweetness, slight chocolate. Upon sifting, the aroma blends so well.

T - Dark chocolate and malts begin with an almost immediate influence of the brett. Frutiness comes out, then a slight backbone sourness that stays through the finish. Clears the nostrils a little, but there is not actual flavor evidence of the ABV%. The flavors are port-like with the exception of the brett. The brett actually seems to add a citrus note to the middle. Very unique.

M - Medium, which seems much thicker without any carbonation. About what I'd expect from a IRS this old.

O - I found it to have aged remarkably well. I think the slight sourness that adds some fruity components to the flavor may be off-putting to some. I, however, enjoy it a lot. It has developed very well and held its ground. I had a sample of one from the 70's not too long ago and remember having a similar experience.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 00:41:56 | More by claaark13

Kromes

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured into a tulip glass. Pitch black with a huge tan colored head. Reminds me of a root beer float. I had to wait a good 5 minutes for the head to die down an inch to get to the beer. Sheets of lacing on the glass.

S: The first thing that you notice is the grassy hop and then the roasted malt and chocolate aromas fill the nose. Very, very nice.

T: A little bit of booze up front with a sweet roasted malt flavor. The hops then kick in with a nice grassy flavor to balance out the beer. The finish is sweet and a tad bitter and then the mouth dries out. Sweet chocolate and roasted malt flavors linger.

M: Medium-full body with a smoothness to it. There is a slight chalkiness in the finish when the dryness hits.

O: A bit more balanced and smoother than it's American brothers. It's what I would expect a Russian Imperial Stout to taste like. It's not oak aged or brewed with chocolate or coffee....it's pure RIS. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 23:00:15 | More by Kromes

maximum12

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to dlello2 for this bottle in a large-format trade involving massive quantities of beer, er, yeast samples moving through the mail. Quaint 9.3 oz. bottle poured into a miniature snifter.

Pours black with a cockamamie, stink-eye of a head that overwhelms my little glass. Stands tall for a while, if anyone cares. Has one of those noses on it that say 'Don't drink me, I'm too good smelling to go away!' The smell is classic big stout, plus. Lovely malts, sweet, nice hoppy bite, dark fruits. Melded together like a Jason Bourne roundhouse.

Courage Russian Imperial Stout is deserving of its street cred. Great dark malts dominate with only the barest crack of smoke. Rich deep chocolate of course, with a dose of bitterness that might stem from the chocolate or leaf from hops. Flashes of peat. Smooth. Smooth & creamy, almost to the level of a cream ale. Lovely to drink; this bottle is too small by a factor of six.

A beer this legendary is often a let down, but that's not the case here. This beer excels in almost every category, but is a standard bearer in the nose & mouthfeel. Excellent. Love to see this one show up locally.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 02:46:31 | More by maximum12

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 No. 071562

Pours a very deep mahogany body bordering on black with yeast dancing about beneath the mocha colored, foamy tan head which very slowly cascades to a close leaving a dense lacing clinging to the glass.

Quite a unique aroma, as advertised there is certainly coffee and espresso among the roasted malt as well as fruity notes as it warms a bit. Surprisingly the fruit notes are that of peach or nectarine just as advertised. Not expected from the style.

The flavor offers robust roasted malt and espresso with a hearty smoky finish. There is also a woody hop presence mid palate and less fruit notes than the aroma, yet present nonetheless. That smokiness really comes forward as it warms as well, bordering on charred as it coats the palate, but there is also a currant or berry like sweetness that lingers at the finish as well.

The mouthfeel is robust yet silky smooth with medium carbonation and again that nice smoky finish.

This is really a great beer. Just plain tasty with abundant character all around. Different than a lot of the other RIS’s on the marketplace now.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:11:54 | More by CHADMC3

tectactoe

Michigan

4.39/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Review #200! Pours a deep, jet-black color with a khaki colored head, thick and bubbly with reasonable staying power. Nose contains a powerful amount of dark chocolate and cocoa beans, roasted, nearly burnt barley, and a slight alcohol character. This beer has an incredibly body - viscous, rich, silky, creamy and chewy - everything an RIS should be. Flavors are an excellent combination of bitter cocoa beans, dark roasted coffee, sweet licorice and tobacco, heaps of roasted malt, big roasted and charred profile, a slight hint of smoke, faint nuttiness, a touch of molasses, and lots of underlying sweetness in the dark of dark fruits; dates, currants, blackberries. The hops aren't exactly vibrant in the taste, but are still necessary for their bittering element; somewhat ashy and herbal to provide a good counterbalance to the sweetness and richness of this beer. Alcohol warms and adds character without being abrasive or rough. Huge body, low-medium bout of carbonation.

Had this beer once before and it was just as great as I remembered. Makes me wonder why I don't get this more often. Truly a fine example of a Russian imperial stout done right.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 12:31:46 | More by tectactoe

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Vintage bottle 1983, Sampled September 2004.
The cap pops off of this beer with a bit of a hiss. There is some light carbonation left, and the beer itself is pitch black in color. The nose has notes of cherry, thick rich plum, molasses, sherry, and malt in the background. Surprisingly there is only a hint of dark malt left after all this time. There is some acidity left here from the dark malts, it is not roasty up front, but there is a nice long finish with solid notes of coffee. The fruit notes are not as evident in the taste as in the nose. The acidity definitely dominates up front, but this is not an acidity from an infection.

Sampled in Oct 2002:
This was a 6-pack of the 1983 picked up from the Kulminator in Antwerp, for $7! Thick black and wonderful looking, even after all these years. Tasted of sherry, burnt caramel, and raisin. Very full mouth feel, yet you could tell that the body has thinned noticeably with age. This beer has held up very well, despite being obviously oxidized. This in my opinion just added to the character and complexity of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2003 16:08:13 | More by Gueuzedude

sweemzander

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

9.3oz bottle poured into a snifter. Brewed May 2011.

(A)- Pours a pitch black color. Produced a giant frothy tan colored head with enormous spots and rings of lacing. A ridiculous retention that is lasting forever.

(S)- A nice mild roasted bread component with bits of raisin and a cocoa-like yeasty dry finish. Lots of dry roasted bread components actually.

(T)- Again, a deep and dry roasted bread/grain profile. Plenty of cocoa, raisin, and coffee with subtle spicy grain kick.

(M)- A smooth carbonation level and a great balance. A great combo of roasted grains, dark fruits, and a dry finish. Sure doesnt feel like its 10%.

(D)- This one has been on my want list for quite some time now. Very happy it was brought back out of retirement. I look forward to seeing how this ages in the coming years. A great stout that I think can definitely improve with time.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 19:12:33 | More by sweemzander

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

275ml bottle poured into tulip 30/11/12 bottle #6255 2012 vintage from notes

A shes pretty dark alright both the liquid and the foam, the head lasts for few sips leaving a little soapy lace

S dark roasted espresso with some bakers chocolate and licorice, faint fruity notes but I'm not getting the pear the bottle suggests but I do get some of the smokey notes and just a little booze

T the flavors similar to the nose but the intensity of the dark roast is upped a fair bit, some char and more smoke with even stronger espresso and I get some faint creme brulee and even some earthy hops shine through, its pretty intense and I'm loving it

M feels solid, well not quite solid but its pretty thick liquid, a little slick with some faint heat and an aftertaste I'll be enjoying tomorrow at this rate, very nice

O this ones a hit, rich and dark with no real flaws anywhere, just a little booze here and there but that's to be expected in a fresh 10% RIS

for 5 bucks I'm going to throw a few away for aging, strange the bottle says it can be kept for up to 13 years, seems random and unlucky

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 06:11:06 | More by wordemupg

draheim

Washington

4.36/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

275mL bottle (19/09/24) a L1262 21:05) into a tulip. Pours a deep chocolate brown w/ a monstrous head that slowly settles to a dense pillow, leaving behind a tan web of lace.

Aroma is raisins, figs, molasses, chocolate. Rich and complex.

Taste is roasty, bitter, balanced. Dark chocolate, dark fruits, molasses. Everything works in harmony. 10% ABV completely hidden.

Mouthfeel is smooth and balanced. Surprisingly light on the palate with a dry finish.

Overall a solid imperial stout. I'm hard-pressed to find any flaws here. Just a tasty, rich, complex beer in a conveniently small-format bottle. What's not to like?

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 07:18:41 | More by draheim

constantine_272

Oregon

4.36/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Served out of a bottle into a tulip. "No. 063233 of 210000."

A: Jet black with caramel foam. I swirled the last third of the bottle to stir up some head but it fades fast.

S: Strong and sweet caramel and chocolate. Hint of alcohol.

T: A huge load of roast coffee and chocolate that quickly turns to a bitter finish. The bitterness of some hops and roasted grain blend well together creating a unique bittering sensation. After a few more sips, I'm noticing some spice notes, maybe nutmeg, it's hard to put my finger on this one.

M: A bit full to sit down and drink more than one of these. The coffee flavor lingers on the back of the tongue long after swallowing.

O: Great stout, it's a concentrated punch of flavor. Even with all that flavor it's not too robust to enjoy. The whopping 10% alcohol is covered nicely here. One of the better stouts out there. 10% is just a tad high for my taste, but I wouldn't have known otherwise. This beer gets good overall marks for its uniqueness and bold, full flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 05:19:50 | More by constantine_272

ADZA

Australia

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a dark kola hue which leaves a two finger head and heaps of clingy lacing,beautiful looking almost spot on.

S-Burnt toffee and raisins,rich sticky date pudding,caramel and candied figs.

T-It starts off like a liquid Xmas pudding with tastes of caramel cake and candied fruits mixed with chocolate and chestnuts and finished with a dark fruity hoppy bitterness that counteracts every sweetness first encountered.

M-Full bodied and a touch boozy which finishes bittersweet.

O-This is definately a brew that would age well and im glad ive got more than the one and look forward to seeing how it ages and if you find definately buy more than the one cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 14:42:17 | More by ADZA