Courage Imperial Russian Stout - Wells & Young's Ltd

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.04/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

275mL bottle from By the Bottle. May 2011 bottle date.

A: Pure ink black with a dense creme head. Pour is quicker than I might expect. Legs are noticeable.

N: Intense, smoke, leather, and tobacco. Prunes and raisins and rye bread. Very peppery. Dense and rich with a notable essence of dark fruits. Hops show up with the earth and peppercorn.

T: Bitter hops and baker's chocolate dryness. Very very spicy in a black pepper way. Very much in the vein of the hopped-up stout.

M: Oily and medium heavy body. Very prickly. Could use some more heft, but the alcohol is well-hidden.

O: really good stuff. It's well balanced and deft of hand. I want to buy more and age it for the long haul.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 03:50:43 | More by writerLJBerg

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

275ml bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead tulip.

Pours a pitch black color with a small dark brown head along with some light brown lacing. Nose is sweet, chocolate and vanilla.

Taste is rich and smooth, there is a light bitter coffee bite that's there and is crisp on the finish. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Very delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 22:10:11 | More by kingcrowing

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Huhzubendah for sharing this bottle with me. Owe you one for this.

At the time of this review, this is the #50 top Russian Imperial stout on the "Top Beers - Russian Imperial Stout" list on beeradvocate.com. Served in a snifter.

Beer is dark, black, with a big dark brown head of small and medium bubbles, decent retention, some lacing, moderate to low carbonation, it seems a little overcarbed for the style.

Aroma is sweet, nice roast, overall a mild aroma.

Beer is quite drinkable, for a 10% beer you'd never guess it, not a hint of alcohol or heat in the entire thing, medium bodied with a thinner finish, mild sweetness and bitterness on the finish, mostly from the roast. This is the re-release of this beer, as is my understanding, a very solid RIS. I enjoyed it and would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 01:28:01 | More by drabmuh

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Huhzubendah .. Thanks Matt.

Pours a dark brown with a one finger cocoa head. Great lacing for a 10% abv brew. Excellent nose with molasses, hops, dark fruit, caramel and slight alcohol present. Very balanced and aromatic nose. Taste follows the nose profile, with the exception of the hops.... Which are way out front on this beer. Feel is full with a big hops bite on this beer. Relatively dry finish for the style. Overall, a good beer- glad I got to try this one. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:55:00 | More by jayhawk73

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Geist. Served in a SAVOR wine glass.

Pours a very dark brown with a good light tan head and a nice cap and collar. The nose carries a good dose of chocolate and mild roast. A bit of malt sweetness then comes through in the flavor. Very nice for an English version of an RIS. Good creaminess throughout the feel. Quite chewy. Moderate alcohol. Winner of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 02:07:14 | More by Thorpe429

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

HUGE thanks goes out to Bitterbill for sharing this with mkorpal and myself at the Library Bar in Laramie, WY. 1971 (!) bottle. (short review)

Opens with a surprising hiss, pour yielded a nice cap of foam with nice lacing, definite legs. Nose was the highlight of the beer, huge sherry, toffee, and caramel are dominant and can be smelled from some ways away. Taste was much of the same, nutty, buttery, and toffee like, but beginning to start to show it's age a bit. A little soy sauce, but definitely not SATB style. Mouthfeel was surprisingly full, and still surprisingly warm, maybe even a touch hot, incredibly carbonated for the beer's age.

Side note: after the tasting had mostly concluded, we poured out the last 1/4" in the bottle to see what was left. There were some chunks, and a very slight brettanomyces profile (VERY SLIGHT), and that may have contributed to the lively carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 00:00:28 | More by pokesbeerdude

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1993, black label, thanks to Bruno for sharing!

Very dark pour with some crimson highlights and a thin beige head comprised of tiny bubbles. Nice legs, but no lace.

Aroma is an interesting medley of port wine or sherry, anise, milk chocolate, dark, over-ripe fruits, grapes, pumpernickle bread, and a hint of roasted coffee.

Flavor is equally intriguing, with semi-sweet red wine and port notes, a comglomeration of chocolate, coffee, and anise that is all muddled together, light oxidation notes, toffee, and a mildly sweet finish with just a hiny of alcohol.

Body is medium, very slick and smooth mouthfeel, with a slippery, viscous texture.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2006 22:56:47 | More by AlexJ

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1989 bottle – drank in 2004: Very dark beer with no head or carbonation. Aroma is mostly comprised of alcohol and a subtle smell of coffee. Taste can be described as a mix between roasted malts, coffee, subtle chocolate and ends with some bitterness and a warm alcohol taste. Very intriguing beer, it almost feel like a mix between an old ale (Gales Prize Old Ale) and a Russian Imperial Stout without extreme hops (Sam Smith Russian Stout) without any carbonation but with a good warming feeling from the alcohol as you drink this. I feel lucky I had the chance to taste this but a vertical tasting of this beer would be paradise…

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2004 18:30:43 | More by Phyl21ca

claytong

Vermont

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

1978 vintage. wow thanks bill

so this beer is 10 years older than me and will judge it lightly as it seems it was probably more than ready to be opened

appearance - not as viscous as i would expect. black with mahogany borders. no carbonation to speak of

smell - dark roasted malts, wood, oxidation, tobacco, fig

taste - dark roasted malts, wood, salt, old molasses, tobacco, minor fig

mouthfeel - surprised about the thinness, smooth, no carbonation, nice in the mouth

overall - hopefully ill get to try one about my age to compare, hah.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 17:55:33 | More by claytong

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown but looks black in the glass. A large very frothy tan head tops the beer, takes up 1/3 of the pour and just refuses to recede. Light smells all around. Coffee, roasted malts, and a chalky chocolate aroma comprise the nose. First sip is much more flavorful than the weak aroma indicated. Coffee leads the charge with chocolate that again is slightly chalky. There are some black licorice, vanilla, and dark fruits present too. Very well balanced. What really stands out is the mouthfeel. It is milkshake creamy and is truly amazing. I have not read Catherine the Great’s review but I hope she appreciated it in 1795 as much as I did in 2011.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 20:17:27 | More by ATLbeerDog

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

A huge thank you to xpimptastikx for hooking me up with this. I am huge fan of the style, and am grateful for the opportunity to taste this stout for the first time.

The beer appears dark mahogany with a substantial beige head that leaves copious lacing on the tumbler. The aroma brings roast, dark fruit, malt, raisins, toffee. Nice flavor. The finish brings a healthy amount of hop bitterness. Prominent dark fruit with a strong hop presence in both the aroma and flavor. Unusual for the style and really delicious. Glad I was able to acquire some of this.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 23:11:22 | More by Huhzubendah

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a snifter: Inky black body, looks like highlights are trying to poke through, under a dusting of khaki head that leaves thick legs.

Sharp dark fruit with alcohol in the taste. Rum-like, with a graham cracker & mild cocoa undertone once it clears. Complex, & kind of seesaws btw. varying levels of easy-going pleasantness & booze.

Dark chocolate, espresso bean, with a nice pear or baked apple fruit flavor just at swallowing, then comes with some intense alcohol dryness. Creamed coffee aftertaste that unfolds & gets better & better. A little tart flavor there too, like dark chocolate-covered cherry.

I seldom make a big deal about mouthfeel, but this is both full-bodied & kind of buoyant - just floats off, doesn't coat or weigh down. Awesome feel.

Fight btw. dark & light, good & evil, tasty but challenging at times.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 17:55:40 | More by OneDropSoup

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

275 mL bottle of the May 2011 vintage pours a light black color with a rising, rich and frothy brown head. Retention and lacing are both phenomenal. This is the best looking beer I have seen is a long while.

Nose is fruity, chalky, alcohol and dark chocolate. Very nice, very British smelling beer. Love it.

Taste is a little on the hot side right now, I definitely will look for a couple of these for the cellar. The potential is there but does not seem fully integrated yet. Lots of raspberry and figs with a burnt sugar malt with a fair amount of chocolate and roast. Mouthfeel is a little on the thinner side of impy stouts and the sweetness is pretty low. It opens up more as it warms, and gets better. I like it quite a bit now and like the cellaring potential even more.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 02:21:29 | More by twiggamortis420

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

275 mL bottle poured into a CCB snifter. May 2011.

Appearance - Pours a sedimenty black with an ample head. I chose this glass because I thought it would all fit. Barely does. Retains magnificently with lacing all over.

Smell - This is what an RIS should smell like. Chocolate roast. Booze, but appropriate to the style. Bitter coffee that is amplified by a grassy hop aroma.

Taste - Maybe not as good as the nose. The hops are dominant throughout, masking some of the malt complexities. Chocolate is secondary to a deep coffee roasted malt flavor. Finishes quite bitter, as I would expect. Unlike many American RIS's, the hops are purely bittering, but the flavor is still pretty extreme.

Mouthfeel - Just a touch abrasive from the bitterness. 275 mL is a good serving size for this. As it warms, it gets more hoppy and bitter. The carbonation is remarkably high, which makes it seem even more abrasive.

Overall - Wonderful example of the style. Surprised to find a true English RIS exhibiting such American characteristics. Maybe I'm just confused as to what I should be expecting. It's extremely hoppy, but on the bittering end at least. I'd go for it a little more if it weren't as palate-crushing, but I suppose it needs all of those hops to survive the long journey to Catherine the Great.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 02:25:46 | More by Alieniloquium

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

275ml, May 2011, BB 19/9/24.

Appearance. Pours black with just a bit of light coming through at the edges. 1.5 fingers of tan head.

Smell. Dark ripe fruits; plum, dates, raisins and cherries with a bunch of semi-sweet chocolate, dark malts and a bit of smooth booze.

Taste. Semi-sweet chocolate, dried dark fruits, a drop of espresso and a bit of alcohol that has a slight floral/perfume quality.

Mouthfeel. Fairly full body with smooth, medium-low carbonation.

Overall. A very nice beer with nice flavours going on in. Big but goes down pretty easy. Nice stuff, I'll buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 01:22:57 | More by Rutager

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.11/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

275ml bottle, a limited quantity special happy-time goodness event for we here in Wild Rose country, it would seem, according to the rep, at least.

This beer pours a solid oily black abyss, with ever so slight reddish highlights, and one finger of foamy, puffy, and fizzy mocha head, which leaves a thorough, yet loose webbed pattern of lace around the glass as it quickly settles.

It smells of sweet roasted caramel toffee, treacle, thin black licorice, aged dark fruits, soft saccharine booze, and musty, dusty hops. The taste is lightly roasted caramel malt, a touch of soaked brown bread, bittersweet dark fruit, some lighter drupe fruit frivolity, molasses, gritty dry chocolate, a bit of sooty ash, singed brown sugar, leafy, weedy hops, and a simmering alcohol warming.

The bubbles are fairly sedate, and innocuous, the body a more or less sturdy medium weight, a touch hollow, with a bit of astringency maybe screwing with an unjustly expected smoothness. It finishes just off-dry, the bitter cocoa, muddled tart fruit, and straining booze all pitching in to proffer their two-bits towards the overall effect.

An interesting, and heady affair, to be sure, but kind of lacking the gravitas of those New World upstarts, unfortunately. The sly tugging of the booze, while not actually hot, does soon aggravate to a certain degree, even over such a small serving size. Quite nice to try, sure, but probably meant for a more reserved, Old World stout aficionado, than this otherwise biased camper.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 04:07:25 | More by biboergosum

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Smoky aroma has a chocolate undertone and hints of molasses and coffee. It pours a rich, warm sable just a whisker above black and with a very thick, somewhat fluffy tan head that hangs around for a little bit. Flavor has elements of roast quality coffee, molasses and chocolate with a hint of licorice. There is some subtle sweetness and bitterness that balance each other nicely. Full-bodied texture is quite fizzy and a little syrupy - doesn't get any better. A truly worthy RIS.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 04:45:55 | More by Cyberkedi

Domingo

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pretty cool to see this being brewed again.
A deep brown-black with a lively head that stays and laces for the life of the beer. Visually, it's pretty much perfect for the style.
The flavor profile takes on the characteristics of both the US versions I've had, and the stronger European export stouts, too.
Massive roasted malts that provide just the right amount of sweetness without being cloying or overdone. A hint of vinous character from the yeast. The hops are extremely herbal in this case. Medicinal and giving off a little bit of spearmint character. There's definitely come rummy alcohol heat, too. Everything comes together in a fine package that's both unique and extremely flavorful. Like a little bit of a chocolate dessert with some rum.
A welcome bottle in my fridge, I'll be buying more for sure. I do wish the bottle was a hair bigger (since I tend to split stronger items) but that's not really a gripe about the beer itself.
Good stuff, and a very cool tradition that has returned.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 16:18:30 | More by Domingo

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle poured into a Swiss wine snifter.

Pours with a huge 4 fingers of rocky dark tan head that slowly crumbles leaving lace everywhere. Body is black with faint/slight dark brown highlights.

Smells of well integrated roasted malts on top of English hops. There remains a fruity, almost grassy hop aroma, and it nearly takes center stage in the aroma. There are hints of cocoa powder and slightly burnt toast. Once the glass is half drained, I distinctly smell fuggle hops, but my nose may be deceiving me. I wonder if this is dry hopped? Maybe that is one of the factors that helped it age over long periods...

The flavor is big and dark, with black coffee and dark chocolate notes rising from the liberal use of dark malts. There is a moderately high dose of hop bitterness and even some hop flavor, both of which are common finds in American versions of this style, but less so in English varieties. There is a touch of fruitiness that is sweet and and fleeting in the beginning of the flavor- I suspect that this will broaden out and overpower the hop flavors/bitterness over time. There is also the faintest hit of port, and I imagine this quality will grow and if the bottle was kept all the way till the "best by" date (12 years from now) the port character would dominate.

The mouthfeel is well carbonated and slightly less smooth than I would expect, but then again this is still young. There isn't much alcohol burn which is nice.

Conclusion: I truly wonder if this is how the original Courage RIS tasted. If so, it was a groundbreaking beer in its day, and is still an excellent one now. I am very happy to see this brewed again, now all I need is for Thomas Hardy's Ale to be resurrected and will never ask for another beer-related miracle again! Sometime I will get a few more of these and let them age.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 03:04:11 | More by allforbetterbeer

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.14/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled May 2011

A: black, opaque, poured a beautiful thick creamy head with a tan color
S: mild but very pleasing, some burnt licorice and malt, treacle undertones
T: creamy, full-bodied, some heat in finish, deep roasted/burnt malt, this is the type of IRS I like where the hops are not over the top and dominating but the malt takes center stage, a little bit of astringency in the finish
M: very satisfying, well-made

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:37:44 | More by wisrarebeer

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in my swanky new Sweetwater snifter.

Nice to hold some brewing history in my hands, even if it isn't from the original re-brewers (read: not Wells/Young). It pours a straight onyx topped by a tall finger of dusty tan foam. The nose comprises dark chocolate, roasted malts, light molasses, and a touch of darkly-roasted coffee. Pretty dern British, so to speak (as far as stouts go). The taste brings in more of the same, with a touch of clove lying near the bottom of things. The body is a light-feeling medium, with a light carbonation and a creamy, smooth feel. Overall, this is a great-tasting stout that drinks way the hell too easily for anyone's own good. If this is anything like the older stuff, I will work my ass off to get a vintage bottle...

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 05:35:11 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is close to being jet black in color. It poured with a finger high tan head that died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of roasted malts and licorice in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of roasted malts along with notes of licorice and hints of cigar smoke. The roasted malt flavors linger though the finish.
M: It feels nearly full-bodied and a little dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is a very good representation of the style and hides its alcohol very well, making it easy to drink but pleasant to sip.

Note: 2010 vintage

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 13:09:15 | More by metter98

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into a Hair of the Dog tulip -

A: Relatively dark and opaque body - creamy brown head, some lacing.

S: Heavy malt base, less hopping that usual for a RIS (I would expect this out of a Brit). Dark roast, hints of sweeter malt, dark caramel, hints of coffee and licorice.

T: There is a hint of leafy hop here; dominated by roast, coffee, caramel, moderate dark chocolate, and a hint of licorice again.

Not quite as robust as Americanized offerings but a solid, pleasant drinker.

MF: Creamy body is more medium than full - hides the alcohol very well on the plus side. Dry finish.

O: Decent, more than decent really. Its a good RIS, with no trace of the 10% anywhere, and solid roasty, malty characters.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 13:51:55 | More by Scotchboy

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a big finger of frothy chocolate-khaki head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Roasted chocolate and a bit of caramel malts, some dark fruits, molasses, black licorice, vanilla, earthy hops, and a touch of booze.

T - Dark chocolate and caramel malts, some plum and other dark fruits, molasses, black licorice, roasted coffee, cocoa, earthy hops, some bitterness, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and almost creamy with a sweet, roasty, and warming finish.

D - Great RIS. Great balance and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 06:23:48 | More by ngeunit1

xpimptastikx

Texas

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - dark brown with large milk chocolate head and excellent lacing.

S - raw cacao and roasted malts.

T - chocolate covered espresso beans with a light dark fruit tone.

M - medium body and carbonation, very creamy.

O - Exactly what a RIS should be.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 01:19:01 | More by xpimptastikx