Heavy Seas - Peg Leg Imperial Stout - Heavy Seas Beer

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours deep black but has a kind of fizzy look. The head was...fizzy and disappeared quite quickly.

The scent is a little weird, as it has more qualities of a milk stout. Very lactose like with thin dry chocolate and dry malt aromas.

For as dry as the scent was the taste is rather sweet. Sweet dark chocolate or espresso with a bit of coffee and malt. Tasty but not going to rule world.

The feel is as easy as a lager and at over 8 pct ABV this could be dangerous.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 23:14:03 | More by KYGunner

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Very dark chestnut, almost black; big, frothy tan head due to aggressive pour, long lasting; excellent lacing

Aroma: Roasted malts; coffee; chocolate; earthy hops; dried figs

Taste: Malty and very creamy on start with roasted malts well balanced with sweetness quickly following; warming alcohol in the mid; creamy mouthfeel throughout; finishes sweet with lingering bitter notes; excellent

Remarks: Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 21:59:18 | More by IchLiebeBier

Leon86

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served: Bottle - Notched Oct 12,2013 (Drink by date) - Poured into a mug.

Appearance: Pours very dark brown but not quite black. Starts with a small head (finger height) that dissipates quickly into a thin ring-like top.

Smell: Strong coffee and molasses on the nose, perhaps a hint of hops in there.

Taste: Strong coffee, malty, the alcohol is very present but not overpowering by any means. Slight hint of hops, strong coffee finish.

Mouthfeel: Reasonable thickness and smoothness. Not watery but not heavy/syrupy. Goes down easily for being what it is. Not much of the creaminess feel that I get from many stouts.

Overall: I like this beer and I can see myself keeping it in stock for occasional drinking or an after work treat but I don't think I could drink it every day. The alcohol presence in this beer is very noticeable and may be a bit much for anyone new to stouts or even craft beer in general. I would recommend anyone to try this brew at least once.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 19:18:28 | More by Leon86

tectactoe

Michigan

3.09/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Jeff for this one; intended to break up the "monotony" of all the IPAs we enjoyed previously. Peg Leg pours a very dark brown, not quite bruising enough to be called pitch black, decent amounts of light shining through the edges. Barely any head forms, even with a mildly aggressive pour; the skin the shows up is an off-khaki color that leaves no lace behind.

To say the least, the nose is fairly unimpressive, especially for the style in question. It's got a quiet stout backing full of some roasted and darker malts, joined by a light cocoa powder essence and a touch of sweetness. And that's really about it. Pretty "unrobust" for a Russian Imperial Stout. Even with time, it never really opens up or gets any more exciting - very lazy and quiet, and that's not what I'm looking for in my imperial stouts. Nothing offensive, just nothing very notable, either.

The flavor has a light roast and toasted malt feeling to it; coffee beans come into play with a deeper allotment of cocoa powder that the nose would have you believe. Some sweetness, almost residual like very, very modest amounts of brown sugar. Halfway through, there's a soft kiss of hops, slightly ashy and leafy, not really adding much save for a mild hint of bitterness. The aftertaste is heaviest with a used coffee-bean flavor, somewhat sweet and almost creamy. Actually, the aftertaste that coats my mouth after the beer is gone is my favorite thing about it so far.

Mouth feel is depressingly thin for the style as well, medium bodied at best, not very creamy feeling; kind of slick and oily, low carbonation. No real alcohol presence, except for a very light warmth. This beer is listed as a Russian Imperial Stout, but it seems like anything but that to me. If anything, it reminds me more of a regular American Stout. It just doesn't have the robust flavors, aromas, or mouth feel you should expect from this style. It falls kind of flat and doesn't really give you anything that would make you come back for more. Thanks again to Jeff for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 21:34:58 | More by tectactoe

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.99/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From a 12 fl. oz. bottle with the label notched at Jul 2013. Sampled on April 14, 2013.

The pour is very dark brown to almost black with a tan head that dissipates quickly to a thin ring.

On the nose there are roasted dark chocolate malts, Amarillo, and the vaguest of hops lingering on the backside. More sweet.

The body falls into the medium range and creamy.

The taste begins with many of the same roasted dark sensations as the nose but a little sweeter. It ends slightly dry with a bitterness that lingers. I think there was a good effort here but I don't think is quite met my expectations for an Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:22:27 | More by puboflyons

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12oz brown bottle into stout glass. Pours dark oily brown, aggressive pour yields small dark brown head with big bubbles that dissipates rather quickly. Smell is burnt sugar, coffee and maybe a bit of chocolate, very clean smelling. Taste is coffee and bitter chocolate, sweet at first but drying to finish. Some delicate lacing sticks as it's drunk. Mouthfeel is smooth yet full, alcohol isn't noticeable. A solid RIS that I would pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:36:22 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced to a thin layer. It is a pitch black color with no clarity of bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Roasted coffee, caramel, chocolate, toffee, and toasted oats.

Taste: Same as above with a little booze in the end and a little ash and smoke characters. Nice stuff.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, boozy, full bodied, silky, and low to medium carbonation.

Overall: As for hoe the beer looked, pretty solid beer and happy that I let it warm up a bit too to bring out more qualities.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 06:31:52 | More by Flounder57

Minkybut

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I poured this heavy duty black brew into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer looked like a stout and smelled like coffee. The beer was a little sweet tasting with a coffee hit and not too heavy on the chocolate side. Not a real HEAVY tasting beer but you knew it was there. I would buy this again for sure. Like to see it on tap!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 17:29:42 | More by Minkybut

Mertzy81

Maryland

3.74/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black, with a little beige head that fades quick, average lacing - seems a bit thin

Smell: Somewhat mild but interesting - burnt, chocolate malts, some coffee, cooked malts, caramel - not a ton going on

Taste: Burnt, a little earthy, roasty coffee - burnt malts, cooked and caramelized malts, some char - not a bad stout, but it really doesn't taste "imperial"

Mouthfeel: Smooth, but could be smoother - very light

Overall: Not bad, just average

I realize that I have been spoiled by some of the more ridiculous takes on the RIS style, but I am pretty certain this is the thinnest imperial stout I've ever had. It's not bad, I just think that it needs more of everything.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 07:18:16 | More by Mertzy81

Theheroguy

Maryland

4.04/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jet black with a very light brown head

Smooth and chocolaty; a true English stout. The hop presence/bitterness is mild and only there to balance this out and prevent it from being too sweet

The alcohol presence is well but not completely subdued. While you can't taste the alcohol very well it is noticeable in the aroma.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 07:58:55 | More by Theheroguy

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.61/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single bottle from Premier Gourmet in Buffalo. BBD March 2013.

Poured into a nonic glass, which I happened to have handy. Pours a dark chestnut black, with about a half inch of off-white head that settles into a thin ring. The consistency of the pour makes this brew look more like a porter than a thick imperial.

Nose is sweet and chocolatey, which to me smells heavily of milk - almost as if there was lactose involved at some point. Or it could just smell like milk chocolate. A bit of coffee, roasted malts, cream and sugar here.

A sweet stout, lacking in much depth or robustness, though certainly tasty and easily drinkable. Sweet milk chocolate remains dominant, which transitions to a mild bitter coffee finish. It feels and drinks a great deal like a porter, rather than an imperial stout, which is a bit of a shame. Call this brew a porter and I'm right on board with it, but with an imperial stout I'm expecting a great deal more umph. Still, quite drinkable and the alcohol is well masked.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 21:04:09 | More by JohnnyBarman

tdm168

North Carolina

4.09/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - pitch black with a thin, dark brown, foamy head that has decent retention

S - coffee, bread, roasted malts, brown sugar, and chocolate

T - roasted malts, chocolate, alcohol, burnt sugar, faint coffee, dark fruit

M - medium to full bodied, crisp, a bit overcarbonated

This is a nice stout. The body isn't as full as I would like and it's a tad overcarbonated. The flavor is delicious; complex, deep, multi-layered. Though the overcabonation messes with the palate. Otherwise, this is a stout worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:47:33 | More by tdm168

Huffs

New York

3.14/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

This review was from April of 2006:
Appearance: Light head with large, quickly disipating bubbles. Dark Brown to Blackish color with a dark red hue.

Taste: Malty to chocolaty with a fairly light texture. Aftertaste is somewhat weak and leaves a dry feel.

Comments: Poor density for a stout with weak taste and head.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 03:07:42 | More by Huffs

nUgZ

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a black color with a half finger head and light lacing.

S: Dark chocolate, dark fruits, and roasted malts dominate the nose.

T: Pretty much like the smell. Not as complex as I hope for in a RIS.

M: Medium bodied with decent carbonation.

O: This is a decent beer, but not in the same class as many of the top RIS's available these days. I'm glad I tried it, but I won't be seeking it out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 23:00:32 | More by nUgZ

SLeffler27

New York

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The chestnut head reaches one and a half inches and settles from sea foam to a creamy texture before lingering for quite a while over a black beer while lace coats the Hoegaarden snifter.

Chocolate and molasses reach out above the alcoholic fumes while nuts and fruit come out after warmth.

The malt is roasted and almost burnt with bittersweet chocolate leading to black licorice. The finish is astringent.

Warming alcohol and a full body accompany the smooth texture while fine carbonation carries away a light astringency. This one is dry, yet leaves a sticky residue on the lips.

This is certainly a sipping beer, but is less suited to a long session with a book than others of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 12:30:44 | More by SLeffler27

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

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

Best by January 2013:

Into the nonic pint glass (also noted in regular pint glass, nothing really changed in both glasses):

A: jet black colored body and leaves a one finger mocha colored head that appears and dies immediately. The body is too dark for any carbonation to be seen rising.

S: roasted coffee tones up front with some fig and dates in the background, chocolate is there but very subdued, one really has to pull for both of these even after as the beer warms.

T: takes all of those smells to combine a nice sweet roastiness.

M: medium with some slight harshness on the tongue, nothing bad, but noticeable. It is slightly dry. I would say it is slightly drinkable.

O: uh . . . I'm not sure if I'd pursue again. There's better RIS'es out there, folks.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 01:52:40 | More by kangarooAdam59

raznug

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This beer pours a dark black color and is topped with ½” of brown colored head.
Smell: The aroma of this beer is all roasted malts and coffee tasty smelling beer.
Taste: Roasted malts and coffee flavors is all that I can taste which isn’t bad but just wish it would be a little more complex to be a great stout.
Mouthfeel: Thick and oily just like a stout should be a good sipper for a chilly night.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 20:03:21 | More by raznug

panajoe

2.78/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I was not impressed with this beer. It smells better than it tastes. There was a strong aftertaste that lingered long after each swallow. A bitter off-taste that is outside my list of taste adjectives. The beer had good promise when drinking until that aftertaste hit me. I drank from a bottle, like I always do, so I don;t even know or care what color it was or how much head it had. Overall, I liked this beer, but I was disappointed by the strange aftertaste. I could really feel the slightly stronger alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 23:04:09 | More by panajoe

metter98

New York

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is essentially jet black in color—traces of dark brown are visible near the edges of the glass when it is held up to a bright light—and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin and dense tan head that quickly died down, leaving some lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of licorice, semisweet chocolate and dark fruits in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and does not have any bitterness or flavors of roasted malts.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. No dryness is perceptible.
O: This beer is somewhat unusual compared to other beers in the style because it lacks dryness and flavors of roasted malts and seems to be somewhat of a hybrid between a Belgian Strong Dark Ale and a Russian Imperial Stout. Nonetheless, it is relatively easy to drink and hides its alcohol very well.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 04:10:59 | More by metter98

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass. Pours a deep brown with amber hue and slight tan head. Smells of sweet chocolate roasted malt. Nice bitter aroma as well. Taste is a bit woody earthy boozey. Its slightly bitter but sweet. It has a nice smooth aged feel. Nice imperial stout especially for a year round and cheap 6er.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 01:57:44 | More by DrinkSlurm

AmitC

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Well, some expectations from an imperial stout.

Pours very dark brown color with a good head. More than a finger thick. Coffee tan colored. Absolutely dark pitch black in the glass.

Smell : Coffee, caramel and roasted barley. Smell is a lot subdued considering this is stronger strength stout. Should have been somewhat richer.

Taste: Not disappointing but not exciting either. Very normal porter/stout like taste and that says a lot. Nose follows you to the tongue. A little alcoholic, but nothing else great about it.

Mouth feel : Medium bodied with decent carbonation. Could have been more fuller.

Overall good drinkable stout but nothing great. Just a tad above average. Nothinh 'Imperial' about it.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 21:04:02 | More by AmitC

Mojo

Alabama

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Well I might have loved this had I not had an Old Raspy a few nights ago. As it is this is a pretty good imperial stout, but obviously not in Old Raspy's league. It pours up as black as ebony with no head to speak of and very little lacing. Smell is mostly coffee and alcohol. Taste is dark chocolate, coffee, some molasses, and alcohol on the finish. Mouthfeel is just average. Not great, not bad. Overall it's really pretty good, even if it's not the standard for this style.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 03:01:30 | More by Mojo

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from A 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A- dark, nearly opaque black with a 2 inch light brown head that sticks around for a while. Nice stringy lacing

S- dark chocolate, roasted coffee. Pleasant and inviting

T- could be a little more flavorful, but I'm getting nicely toasted malt, dark chocolate, and warming malt. Slightly bitter , black coffee aftertaste. Dry

M- thick and robust, almost like a chocolate milkshake.

Overall, a pretty run of the mill imperial stout, but an enjoyable brew nonetheless. Try

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 04:35:07 | More by gcamparone

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a lightly transparent black color thin a one finger tan head. The head has moderate retention but fades to give a lighter level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is a mix of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee and some dark fruits and caramel smells which sweeten up the aroma. It is light overall, but pleasant.

Taste – The taste begins with the roasted malt and some more bitter coffee flavors up front. Soon a sweeter caramel and chocolate flavor come to the tongue. There is a light hop flavor that also enters the profile, helping balance both the sweet and roast. In the end the sweetness fades some again and a very light alcohol flavor comes into the taste, giving a light warming feel on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the creamier and thicker side with the carbonation level being lower. Both are rather standard for an imperial stout and good for the roasted flavors of the brew.

Overall – Not a bad brew to give a try. It has some nice roasted flavors as well as a complementing sweet taste that create a rather pleasing taste. Well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 01:50:34 | More by Darkmagus82

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a reluctant 1/16" mocha head which faded fast. The body is dark as coffee. There's really very little smell, even as it fully warmed, just some roasted malt. The taste really isn't much different from the smell, subtle and mainly the roasted malt. The label says it's 8% alcohol but even that seems less. For a "Russian Imperial Stout" this beer really falls short. Don't go shipping this off to Russia, you might start a war.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 11:55:28 | More by MoreThanWine