Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.05/5  rDev -46.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Leine makes a Russian imperial stout?!? I had to try it. Poured into a snifter.

4.5 A: Black color. Two fingers of creamy light brown head. Retention is good and plenty of lacing is left. I'm impressed so far.

2.5 S: The first thing I noticed was a distinct aroma that I can't quite put my finger on. All that I can say is that it's not a smell that should be in beer. It's somewhere between rubber and solvent. It's hard to get past this scent, but I'll try. Chocolate with a slight soy sauce character. Soft roastiness. Surprisingly hoppy with a dominant herbal character.

1.5 T: Ewwww! This is fucking gross. It tastes something like what I would imagine fermented tobacco to taste like. The solvent/rubber sustance is in full gear. It coats my tongue like paint, burns it a little, then dissipates. More bitter than I like from the style and it presents in an almost acrid way. In addition to the bitterness, it is equally sweet at the same time. Chocolate, caramel, and molasses manifest from this sweetness.

3.5 M: Heavier medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Reasonably creamy with a boozy finish. Not that bad here.

1.5 D: I don't know if this beer is green or hasn't been processed properly at some point, but I'm picking up tons of puketastic flavors from this. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 04:10:33 | More by DavoleBomb

adammills

Michigan

2.13/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This beer pours a very dark brown near black with a rocky brown head that fades quickly. The nose is huge on banana and juicy fruit type aromas. The roast fights to get through. The fruitiness in both arom and flavor blunt most other flavors that I am assuming lurk beneath. The alcohol is very apparent and fusely. Overall, I am glad that Leinenkugels has gotten this adventurous and look forward to the evolution of this beer if it is maintained in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 15:21:36 | More by adammills

GSX1250FA

2.26/5  rDev -41%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.75

Really did not like the taste of this beer. Hard to pin down exactly but it has a malty taste that is really objectionable, sort of like a cross between rubber and tobacco. Aging may improve it a little, but I still think it would be pretty bad even after 3 years.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 17:01:37 | More by GSX1250FA

AgentZero

Illinois

2.3/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - A black stout, brown head that was just a touch too bubbly, but still nice looking. Little bit of lacing left on the sides.

S - This smells pretty bad, huge alcohol burn, completely unexpected and gross. It's kind of a sickly, sweet alcohol smell, which surrounds some cocoa and roasted malts.

T - This beer is pretty bad. Sweet alcohol taste and some roasted malts. It's really a lot like the nose, with a bit of artificual fruit taste in there as well. Almost wonder if this has started to turn a little bit, it's just a bad taste.

M - Little chewy, thick, over carbonated.

D - This beer was a bad beer and a bad experience. Would not drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2010 03:24:28 | More by AgentZero

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance -- Pours a dark brown with slim cherry wood highlights and one finger of creamy beige head. Retention is so-so.

Smell -- Ruh Roh. Liquid smoke, soy sauce, chocolate, roast malt, gas station coffee with mini creamer. Alcohol is very evident. Sweet, smoky, and a bit weird.

Taste -- Slightly better than the nose. Sticky sweet with dark chocolate and molasses, along with liquid smoke, burnt bread crust, and some spice character reminiscent of a pre-packaged steak rub.

Mouthfeel -- Actually not too bad. Slightly fuller than medium-bodied and chewy with mild foamy carbonation. Alcohol is quite evident.

Drinkability -- This beer is better than the regular Leine lineup, but not by much. The flavor profile is a strained marriage of sticky sweet malt and burnt/smokey bitterness that clash more than balance. And there's this w. Also, the alcohol presence is quite pronounced for the abv.

For the money, there are *much* better RIS choices.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 02:54:33 | More by yeahnatenelson

match1112

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

pours out as brown as the bottle it comes in, but settles in dark as night. a thin creamy mocha colored head doesn't last long but there is ample lacing. smells very malty and hoppy, that's weird. the taste is almost sour, and that's not a good thing. has enough hops to be a black ipa, but there is a awful sour grain taste that overpowers. mouthfeel is too thin for a ris. overall this is very avoidable, do yourself a favor and do not seek out.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 01:56:31 | More by match1112

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.6/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Another of my frequent trade partners, optimator13, sent this to me to help me keep my bottle numbers aligned with my CANs.
Yay!

From the bottle: " ... was ... the Big Eddy Spring in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Its waters guiding us through five generations of genuine brewing heritage."; "Dark and complex with 11 malts and grains balanced by three different and distinct hops."

I may have been a little heavy-handed in my pour, given the massive two-plus fingers of deep-brown head that I created. The beer actually seemed to be cascading for a moment! It looked like the top of a chocolate milkshake. Nose was rich with a deep, dark chocolate roasty sweetness. Mouthfeel was medium with a very smoky, charcoal flavor initially, somewhat medicinal in its bitterness. I feel left out on this one, since I am not a big fan of the style to begin with and I just am not liking this particular iteration. It was bitter, but in a burnt, not hoppy way and I just could not get behind it. Finish left me feeling like I had been drinking charcoal water. Oof.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 20:51:21 | More by woodychandler

HarrySTruman

Michigan

2.6/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

Not a bad beer, pretty easy to drink given the ABV, but not really memorable. Decent price for an RIS.

Appearance is black with a nice tan head. Decent lacing.

Smell is muted. Smells of malts and a hint of sugar.

Taste is a bit sharp, almost sour for my likes. Doesn't have that warming sensation of coffee and chocolate. Odd flavor for what I was hoping for.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin for my tastes on an RIS.

I gave this a below average score, but I would drink it again if it were offered to me. It wasn't offensive, just not that good in comparison to some other RIS' that are just as easy to find and just as reasonably priced.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 06:27:57 | More by HarrySTruman

Mauerhan

California

2.65/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

a recent bottle from the black booty bif.

pours dark with about a half finger of mocha head that fizzles quickly. little to no lacing. smell is smokey and boozy. taste leaves alot to be desired. very fusely. big presence of the alcohol. mouth is thick and burny. leaves a bit of a burnt malt taste in my mouth. not really a huge fan of this one. swing and a miss leinenkugel

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2009 06:29:22 | More by Mauerhan

buyBinboaVodka

New Jersey

2.68/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a pitch black with a 2 finger dark khacki head. It leaves some nice sticky lacing around the glass.

S - Bitter chocolate and burnt malts. This has a rather odd smell to it for a stout. Its not crisp and clean, but smells rather sloppy. Like it doesn't know what it is.

T - Bitter chocolate followed by burnt malts. Some coffee comes through as it warms up. The finish seems to be lacking in flavor. Something is missing in this beer.

M - It feels rather thin with moderate carbonation.

O - This is an ok beer. I would not reach for it again with so many other options.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 03:46:30 | More by buyBinboaVodka

harrymel

Washington

2.73/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to jbtice0315 for this as an extra, cheers Jesse!

A: Pours a dark brown with no translucence. Two finger mocha head which falls to thick quilt of foam. Moderate lacing.

S: Raisin, cocoa, malts, again, raisin. Very nice nose on this. Hints of molasses, licorice, anise. Goddamn beautiful nose.

T: The yeast doesn't offer appropriate tones to this beer (IMO). The nose follows through, but the flavor is negatively impacted by the yeast strain I believe. Decent finish though.

M: Heavy body with low/medium carbonation. Leaves the mouth dry (surprisingly).

D: love the nose, taste - not so much. Although tolerable, this is not particularly nice as a RIS.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 13:56:57 | More by harrymel

SAxDRC5

Michigan

2.78/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

A- Pours dark black. 2 finger dark tan head. when held up to a light there is sort of a cherry wood color around the edges of the glass. one of the prettiest beers I've seen.

S- chocolaty, malty and smokey. smells like soy sauce. both dark and light fruits (raisins and oranges maybe?). a touch of alcohol scent.

T- chocolate malts are the first taste I get, followed by smoke, soy sauce and fruit. finishes with alcohol and a tiny bit of hops. Flavors are not balanced, they conflict. To quote the guy at the beer store where I bought it "It tastes like someone poured about 1/3 of a bottle of sunset wheat into a decent imperial stout."

M- Pretty good. maybe a bit thin and too carbonated for me but I basically like drinking motor oil mixed with cement.

D- I've had beers higher than 9.5% ABV that were more drinkable. alcohol flavor is too pronounced and there is too much carbonation. Also if I want soy sauce I'll drink a bottle of soy sauce, not a beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 01:43:04 | More by SAxDRC5

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into snifter.

Pours 1/4 finger of tan head. Good retention with some lace. Color is a deep brown/black.

Aroma: Roasted malts , coffee, chocolate, chocolate milk, creamy, and some earthy hops.

Taste: Bitter chocolate, creamy milk flavors, roasted malts, coffee. Pretty hoppy.

Mouthfeel: Very bitter and roasted. Dry. Medium to full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends dry and roasted.

Overall, not a top notch RIS. Too roasted for me. Has an odd milky flavor to it.

EDIT (1-6-11) I just opened a bottle of this from the first batch and didn't realize it. I forgot about the old label. Anyway, when I was drinking it, I knew something was different because it tasted so much better. This beer reminds me of darkness 08 or 11. This stuff is great. RICH and creamy. Very smooth. A nice coffee roast, a lot of chocolate, and a nice mix of dark dried fruits. Leines should have kept this beer a small batch series and made more like this. At the price point that this once was, you can't beat it. I wish I had more of these. Oh and the best by date was: 03-09-08. Only 4 years past its prime haha

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 16:59:39 | More by mothman

dpnelson1978

Minnesota

2.85/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12 oz. bottle into glass snifter.
50°F

$3.25 / ea.

A: Opaque black body topped with a small brown head that quickly dissipates leaving no lace and just a bubbly ring of cover.

S: Ripe red fruit, banana, molasses, and slight booze. The banana is out of place and creates a bit of confusion. Still, an interesting blend.

T: Bitter coffee, and slightly tart. Hop character is strong leaving a potent aftertaste. Quite a bit of fruit flavors throughout, not something I'm used to seeing in the style. Interesting. Could do with less bitterness.

M: Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Noticeable carbonic bite and tangible bitterness on the tongue. Lacks the smooth character I look for in the style.

D: One max for me. The flavors are too intense in the wrong spots.

O: Worth a try, and may be worth aging. Definitely on the low end of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 03:24:50 | More by dpnelson1978

VaTechHopHead

California

2.85/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

No bottling date, poured into a goblet

A - Deep deep red/black. Initial head is thick and deep brown but fades quickly and turns light tan. Lacing is very even and almost covers the whole glass.

S - Nothing too tremendous. Hints of roasted malts, lactose, and marshmallow. Kind of a funky band-aid/nail polish remover whiff way in the back.

T - Pretty plain. Flavors are a little weak but there is some chocolate, roasted grain, dark toffee, and toast. Finish is a light syrup-y sweet and a slight medicinal/alcoholic.

M - A little light on the body for me but carbonation is good. Finishes neutral and doesn't stress the palate too much but is slightly acidic.

O - Just a "Plain Jane" RIS in my opinion. Flavors are bland and nothing extreme.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 03:37:44 | More by VaTechHopHead

crossovert

Wisconsin

2.88/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

2010 vintage.

It pours a dense, dark black with a nice foamy tan head. Thehead sticks for a nice while. It has a bit of decent lacing.

The smell is pretty standard for a RIS. It is clean, not superbly fragrant, but consistent with the style. There is some raisin, dark fruits, cocoa, and coffee

The flavor is where you can tell this is a leine's product. It isn't bad but it is inferior to the standard of the style. It has a lot of components: a nice bitterness, coffee, caramel, chocolate, dark fruits, a surprising hppiness, and a hint of roastiness, but it doesn't mesh as well as it could. There is a flavor sticking out that is just unnatural.

The mouthfeel is pretty full-bodied, perhaps a bit excessive carbonation however. The alcohol isn't completely hidden. It has a bit of a cloying sweetness.

It is a nice attempt by a macro brewery, but there is still room for improvement.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 23:21:11 | More by crossovert

beer4colin

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Full disclosure:

I have never had a Leinenkgel that I have enjoyed. But, I consider myself very open minded in reviewing.m past experiences doesn't affect anything with me..if I beer is good or bad I say it.

I fully under stand why mainstream brewers want to tap into the "craft" or "niche" maker. Profits are not the driver, but street cred is.

An Imperial Russian is a VERY ambitious brew. And not one to be taken lightly.

That said, here is Big Eddy....this beer pours a beauty, dark with a big rich dark brown 2 finger head when poured into a Pinter.

The Magog ends at the appearance. Taste is very contrived. Maybe it is a function of volume brewed but all I taste is charred wood! Stouts should be a nice roasted malt, peat or similar backbone.

This tastes like burnt wood chips thrown in the mash.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 22:48:12 | More by beer4colin

bs870621345

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to bwiechmann for sending this to me as an extra.

Pours black with an inch and a half of mocha head. Leaves nice lacing down the glass.

Smells like dark fruits and copper.

Taste is sweet, plums, caramel, roast, and that metallic twang shows up again.

Mouthfeel is nice, full, creamy, and not too carbonated. Its pretty good.

Drinkability suffers because of that metallic twang.

Its not bad, but its nothing I'd search for again.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 03:44:39 | More by bs870621345

FourBetter

Minnesota

2.95/5  rDev -23%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Black with a reddish brown head 1 finger high. Head stuck around a while.

S: Bready with dark fruit aroma, plums maybe. No sweetness to the smell.

T: More bready roasted flavor. Alcohol didn't come through and maybe should have. Nothing stood out, subtle dark fruit and possible chocolate but I'm searching my tongue to find these.

M: Very syrupy and thick. Carbonation felt right but this RIP coated my mouth in a chalky way and felt like it took up way too much space in my stomach after each swallow.

O: Not a fan. If it's going to be this thick, it needs just as big of flavor layers to back it up. Wouldn't purchase or drink again given an alternative.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 05:33:46 | More by FourBetter

Phelps

Arizona

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: inky black with a gummy one-finger head the color of rusted pennies. It recedes at a glacier's pace, getting denser and leaving sticky walls of lace as it does.

S: plum sauce, raisins, molasses, espresso, dark chocolate, some fairly strong floral hops and sweet bubblegum and cocoa powder. It leans more to the fruity side, but the roastiness is strong enough to create a nice balance. Not bad.

T: it begins pleasantly enough, with flavors of raisins mixing nicely with dark chocolate and coffee beans. The dilemma comes mid-palate, when my mouth's invaded by oddly tangy plum juice. It's far too sweet and clashing with the roasted malts rather than melding with them. The weird tang only grows as I make my way through the glass, especially noticeable on the sides and back of the tongue.

M: the problems continue. The body isn't horrible -- it's medium-light and smooth, though still a little light for me. The carbonation is just WAY too high, assaulting my tongue with vigor. There's a pretty noticeable alcohol tinge as well.

D: I got this bottle for free, so I can't complain. But I'd never pay for one. Too fruity, too disheveled, too boozy for its own good.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 06:39:21 | More by Phelps

ddahlen

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2010 Vintage - Notes from 5/3/11

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into a Duvel glass with an inch thick tan head. On the nose I get some nice dried fruit, some molasses, and some subtle chocolate notes. As the brew warms, I get an anise almost licorice aroma. Dedinitely something I haven't smelled before. The taste gives me an interesting ashy component with some robust dried fruitiness. The mouthfeel is fairly thick, but seems to have a bit too much carbonation. I think this could use a bit more time in the bottle to mellow out. Overall this beer seems to have all of the components of a good RIS, but it doesn't seem put together enough quite yet. I'd advise leaving this in the bottle for at least another year before having another taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 04:45:13 | More by ddahlen

guzzle211

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle sent to me by a close friend in Madison. Thanks Poffenbarger!

A: pours a relatively thick, inky black. A gentle pour produced a light tan lace ring around the edge, so I can imagine a vigorous pour might actually produce a full-covering head, which would be surprising for a brew of this abv. It sits in the glass looking dark and menacing, with absolutely no light penetration. I usually judge beers this dark by tilting the glass and looking up through the diagonal edge to see how much light can get through: not even the most tilted, shallow depths would allow the hint of any light. Impressive.

S: alcohol dominates, overpowering the dark malts. There is almost a hint of meat?

T/M: A brew this complex demands to be served correctly: you *must* drink this at the appropriate temperature – any colder and I would consider it unapproachable. I found it a little unbalanced on the bitter burnt side. The alcohol taste is strong, too strong actually. The ‘meat’ aromas make sense now as there is a slight hint of smokiness. There is a faint hint of chocolate that is buried by everything else that is going on. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy.

D: I would have to call this one a ‘one and done.’ As a disciple of the genre, I can typically guzzle the thickest offerings on even the hottest of days, but I had to really work at this one.

A valiant effort nonetheless. I plan to cellar the other 3 for a loooong time and re-visit this in the future, as it is definitely an incredibly complex brew that perhaps needs a little more time to settle.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2008 00:27:46 | More by guzzle211

burnheartsMKE

Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I can tell an unusual amount of time and devotion went into making this beer versus the rest of the Leinenkugel portfolio. It pours a deep black with a beautiful strong café au lait head. At first the nose reeked of burnt drip coffee but as it warmed a deep soy sauce quality emerged like a kitchen sink late in the morning after stacking coffee mugs atop last night's still dirty chinese food plates; not in a bad way, but those dishes may have been better off being washed sooner.

My first impression as I raise the glass is that my fingers are really sticky, really, really sticky. I blame myself for the sloppy pour and rinse my fingers before continuing. First taste, more burnt coffee, then sweetness, loads of it! Like a kid making his first cup of coffee, spoonful after spoonful of bleached white granules; no one is watching. Bits of chocolate & cookie dough trying to push through hoping to round out the middle, but nothing is getting past the overpowering sweetness/bitter one-two punch.

I am very glad that this bottle is only 12 oz. and next time I crack into my 4-pack stash in the cellar I will happily to invite my brother over to split the little-sized Big Eddy. And anyways, that's family does when Leinies are in the cooler, we share!

Like a hunter after too many rounds: I get what they were shooting for but I think they missed... and that's OK 'cause we're just here to have fun & drink some beer. Seeing as this my third RIS tasting this week I am forcing the bronze on this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 07:35:33 | More by burnheartsMKE

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - Good looking pitch black. No head or lacing.

Smell - The only aroma I get is a slight burnt malt.

Taste - sweet malt like melted chocolate. I can't make out anything else.

Mouthfeel - Full and creamy.

Drinkability - Not something that I feel a need to drink again. Not unpleasant just kind of forgetable.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 21:46:08 | More by ejimhof

weizenbob

Michigan

3.08/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This 12 ounce 2011 vintage bottle was purchased at Siciliano's Market in Grand Rapids, MI, for the handsome sum of $2.99. The bottle has a pry off cap as opposed to Leinenkugel's standard twist-off cap, leaving me with suspicions as to whether or not this is actually a Leinenkugel product. The label looks as though it was printed on a repurposed grocery bag. The label also brags about some bullshit like 11 malts and three distinct hops as though more malts and hops equate to better beer. If it seems like I'm being a bit hard on this beer before I even open the bottle, check out my reviews of other Leinenkugel offerings to understand why I'm more than a bit skeptical going into this. I'll be sampling Big Eddy at a temperature of about 55 degrees.

I pried off the cap and poured into a tulip glass. A horizontal pour manifests two fingers of creamy looking mocha-tinted head. Retention is pretty good. Lacing clings delicately to the side of the glass, eventually sliding into the receding head. The beer is about as dark as they come. No light can be seen through any part of the glass. We're off to a good start.

The aroma robustly displays all 11 herbs and spices, err, malts. Seriously though, the aroma leans toward sweet and malty. A delicate kiss of chocolate malt can be detected. For the most part however, the aroma is intensely fruity, a la, dates and plums. Licorice is noted. Some solvent-like alcohol comes through in the nose, which should be expected for a brew of 9.5% ABV. As it warms however, the alcohol becomes increasingly apparent.

The taste follows the aroma fairly closely. Fruity sweetness charges out of the gate with impressions of green apple and sweet cherry. Overly roasted malts add a charcoal impression that combines with the fruity sweetness to arrive stunningly close to the flavor of burnt barbeque. More cherry juice flavor ensues. Though the finish is very sweet it is not what I would call cloying. However, marshmallow is noted in the aftertaste. I wouldn't call the flavor profile balanced, or well crafted, but I do not hate it either. The irony is in how authentic these fruity flavors appear while Leinenkugel's offerings containing "natural fruit flavors" end up tasting like children's breakfast cereal.

In the mouth this stout is medium bodied, with a decent boost from the spicy alcohol. The carbonation level is low. It feels thinner than I would expect from 11 malts. If oats are one of them, then you wouldn't know it in the mouth. The weight and texture wind up working okay because the flavor is so fruity. Per style however, I expected something much more heavy and viscous.

All in all, my feelings remain mixed about this supposed RIS. It looks great, but the aroma, taste, and feel are all unconventional and leave much to be desired. All could be forgiven if this were on the bargain end of imperial stouts as Leinenkugel's other offerings tend to be. However, at $3 a bottle, Big Eddy winds up costing more than much better beers in the genre, namely Old Rasputin and Brooklyn Black Chocolate. It's also about three times the cost of Leinenkugel's regular offerings. Instead of bragging about the number of malts in their stout, Leinenkugel should probably have spent more time formulating for better flavor, balance and feel. This is a perfect example of how more is not necessarily more.

On a positive note, I think this would make a fantastic marinade.

---

The Two-Schlitz Scale: (see my profile for an explanation)
I don't give a Schlitz for Leinenkugel's Big Eddy.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 19:40:43 | More by weizenbob