KGB Imperial Stout - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on-tap at Bailey's Taproom in Portland, OR.

Pours a solid black-brown, with a fine and full, but relatively bubbly head of caramel brown. Great lacing as it subsides. Solid body to it with a firm bead. Looks great.

Robust nose with big, smooth roasted characters coming through, giving caramel and a touch of light coffee. Creamy chocolate noticeable too. It's so smooth. Wonderful stuff.

Taste is smooth and clean, but with lingering complexities on the back. More sweet caramel, dark more brusque roasted coffee beans, and chocolate in a silky high-cacao way. All is layered with the smoothness of character which seems to epitomise it. Awesome.

Lovely drop. It's smooth, round, clean and complex. Everythign you want in an imperial stout. Love it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2012 14:58:08 | More by lacqueredmouse

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Kgb pours a black color with a nice lacing tan head. Their is a a strong roasted malty aroma. The taste has a sharp almost sour malty bite, black licorice flavors and a strong boozy tast. Full flavor bu more of a sipper. Overall an interesting sourish russian stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 01:32:32 | More by vette2006c5r

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%

06-12-2013 17:47:48 | More by SawDog505

arizcards

Arizona

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber at the end of April from Total Wine for 4.79. Bottled on 12-10-12.

Beer poured black as night with a very nice brown head.

Nose has hints of roasted malts and mocha.

Taste is nicely balanced. Roasted malts, chocolate, mocha, and a decent amount of hops keep the sweetness at bay.

Mouthfeel is medium to heavy and satisfying.

Overall I like this brew, not to boozy and very balanced and the office is nice. Give it a shot if you have the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 00:43:14 | More by arizcards

DeschutesFan

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%

06-02-2013 04:16:40 | More by DeschutesFan

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque yet clear jet black in color with some light amounts of gentle visible carbonation near the surface of the beer and some very dark amber + cola brown highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy dark tan head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a couple of small slightly thicker patches and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of dark roasted malts that slightly intensifies as the beer warms up.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of dark roasted malts along with some light amounts of coffee beans. There are some very light hints of dark fruits (raisin) that contribute a little bit of initial sweetness. The beer has a light to moderate amounts of bitterness that lingers for quite a while.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Fairly easy to drink with very well hidden alcohol and not as intense flavors/aromas - not overly roasted or bitter.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 22:48:15 | More by dbrauneis

WritersBlock

Texas

4/5  rDev +9.3%

05-26-2013 02:55:43 | More by WritersBlock

Topher78

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

05-22-2013 21:42:29 | More by Topher78

tectactoe

Michigan

3.34/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Kevin or Jeff for this one, not sure who it actually belonged to. It pours out nearly black with some very, very dark brown tints that stain the extremities. The khaki, almost half-inch head actually has decent retention (for a Russian Imperial Stout, anyway) and leaves a few spots of chunky lacing along the sides of the glass.

Straightforward and simple is the aroma, possibly almost to the point of being a little one-track minded. Heavy roasted malts, embarking on the modest trail of light ash and light char. Sprinkle something faintly reminiscent of cocoa powder over that, and you've pretty much summed up the aroma of this one. It's missing out on a lot of great, yet typical RIS elements, and that makes it seem kind of bland and boring.

After taking a few sips, it unfortunately doesn't seem like the flavor profile will end up being the redeeming factor of this beer. It's far from bad, offensive, or gross - it just happens to be far too stripped down and painfully average when other beers of the same style are considered. Some deeply roasted, almost charred and burnt malts scrape the palate along with a dark cocoa bean finish, and now I'm struggling to pick out anything else.

The one and basically only addition the flavor has that the aroma doesn't is a bit of alcohol. In retrospect, it really isn't good nor bad, it's just there. I guess it gives a bit of robustness to an otherwise basic and slightly wimpy RIS. Even the mouth feel is lacking a bit; it's medium bodied, but still thin within the style; more oily and wet than creamy or smooth. Carbonation is pretty good, and sadly, it looks like that may be the high-point.

A pretty big "meh" in regards to a style that's full of huge, robust, and complex beers. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with lighter, simpler brews - hell, I love me a nice German Helles Lager... but when I pick up a Russian Imperial Stout, I have certain expectations and they just really weren't met here. Not bad, but uninteresting to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 11:24:40 | More by tectactoe

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

05-22-2013 02:45:43 | More by SmellsofMahagony

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

2013 edition. Has it really taken this long for a Russian imperial stout to be named in honor of the KGB? Regardless, this stuff pours a murky black-brown topped by a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises mild roasted malts, light chocolate powder, and a dash of blackened pretzel. The taste brings in more of the same, with a strong roasty bitterness pervading the second half of things, along with a hint of nondescript booze. The body is a stolid medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a thickly smooth feel. Overall, a middling RIS, one that just doesn't bring the proper amount of robustness or control necessary to communicate the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 20:50:16 | More by TMoney2591

ksimons

New York

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A-very dark brown with two fingers worth of tan head that sticks to the glass

S-rich roasted malt, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and a bit of molasses and licorice

T-taste is similar to the smell with a large amount of roasted malt and black coffee, dark chocolate, a light molasses

M-a bit on the thin side for the style, good carbonation, dry roasted mouthfeel

Overall this may not be the best of the style, but I think the smell is very good and it is easy to drink. I would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:44:25 | More by ksimons

iHeartMNBeer

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

05-16-2013 20:23:41 | More by iHeartMNBeer

bigbeers84

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%

05-13-2013 02:31:55 | More by bigbeers84

Kubrickx

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

05-12-2013 18:33:04 | More by Kubrickx

metter98

New York

3.74/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a finger high tan head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of dark roasted malts are present in the nose; these become a little stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste has flavors of dark roasted malts along with notes of coffee beans and faint hints of raisins. It has a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels a little more than medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The roasted malts leave some dryness in the finish.
O: This Russian Imperial Stout is really easy to drink compared to other beers in the style because it's not overly full-bodied, bitter or roasty and hides its alcohol very well.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:31:35 | More by metter98

markcp

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

05-07-2013 21:15:22 | More by markcp

screamking

Ohio

3.11/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into snifter.

Pours pitch black with a thin tan head that disappears very very quickly. Lacing from side to side. The aroma in this is quite faint, for such a strong style there is just not a lot here. Dark fruits are present but just barely. That's all.

The taste leaves me wanting more also, there's a nice bitter rasian quality but that turns to a bad old coffe flavor. Worse than that its watered down bad coffee. I would be completely disappointed with this beer if I had any indication of its quality. This was a complete shot in the dark and it missed badly.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:01:42 | More by screamking

Huffaroma

Montana

4.5/5  rDev +23%

05-01-2013 06:16:43 | More by Huffaroma

tourdot

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +9.3%

04-28-2013 23:54:49 | More by tourdot

zonker17

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-25-2013 01:18:02 | More by zonker17

silverking

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-16-2013 17:07:03 | More by silverking

Jackdevilbiss

5/5  rDev +36.6%

04-15-2013 22:53:48 | More by Jackdevilbiss

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

04-13-2013 17:23:20 | More by DrunkinYogi

ShawneeIrish

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-09-2013 22:29:30 | More by ShawneeIrish