Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout Cedar Aged

750ml Bottle, filled at tasting room (special thanks to Wayne, Tim and the rest of the gents). Pours a viscous jet black with a faint leather brown head. Aroma of bakers chocolate, tar and molasses with just the faintest hint of alcohol. Flavor is fennel, coffee & chocolate with peppery-citrus notes (corriander -esque). Roasty malts give way to peppery, smokey tobacco leaf accents as it progresses on palate. Mouth-feel is downright incredible... oily yet silky smooth, like liquid velvet. I never fully understood the ratebeerian’s obsession with Imperial Stouts... now I do. Balance is superb & the alcohol warms in the body & not on the tongue. One of the best beers I have had..\

Sampled from growler. Black pour, thin dark tan head. Nice mix of cedar and roast aromas, chalk and cocoa also. Smooth taste, chocolate-forward, tannic, more roast on the finish. Very nice.

Draft @ OTH, CCB launch party. Blackest night style body with a brown head. On the nose cedar leads, chocolate, coffee, malty with hints of smoke and tobacco. Lots of chocolate, spicy cedar notes, coffee, semi-sweet. The cedar balances this huge stout very well. The alcohol is just barely present. Smooth and creamy, wonderful carbonation. Hop bitterness finishes this wonderfully.

CPLYFO 09. Growler brought by Retorp. Thanks Joey. Pours a very rich deep dark black viscous oily, with a thin beige head- and low carbonation. Aroma is roasted barley- chocolate malts, deep dark burnt toast among, a citrus and pine oily cigar box- cedar which works very well in this stout, tangy orange zest, earth and some dirt, almost has that shredded cedar character to it. Flavor is dark chocolate some coffee, licorice and tar- and a really nice dark wrap tobacco leaf on a cigar, which matches well with the nice spicy and orange oil cedar throughout- the cedar even had a slight reminder of a ponderosa pine shreddings. As it warms coffee comes through a bit more and has a very soft and smooth finish. Very nice overall.

Big thanks to Joey for bringing this to the Chunk and Patriot Throwdown at Bryan’s. Of the 80 or so beers I tried at the tasting, this one was my favorite!.............. Pours like some thick ass black motor oil from the growler. Thin khaki head with some nice legs on my snifter. If this was any thicker I could have ate it with a spoon……….. Damn I love the smell of fresh cedar and this didn’t disappoint. Starts of with some spicy cedar (like opening a fresh box of stoggies) followed by some chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt notes. There’s also a hint of vanilla along w/ some fresh hops. Wow, I need a car air freshener that smells like this!........ The taste doesn’t disappoint either. Similar to the nose with some chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and lots of spicy cedar. Really rich stuff here………….. Super thick, rich, and somewhat creamy mouthfeel w/ the flavors and spiciness from the cedar hanging for a bit……. Easily one of the top 10 beers I’ve ever had. Awesome mix of cedar, chocolate, coffee. I can’t wait to try this again and everything else that comes from Cigar City.

On draft at Oldsmar Tap House for the CCB launch party. Pours a pitch black color crowned by a foamy, tan head that shows good retention. Sheets of lacing coat the glass. Really great looking beer in the glass. The aroma shows rich chocolate notes along with toasted caramel malts, dark fruits, and a woody spiciness from the cedar wood. The flavors follow with the rich cocoa and caramel flavors blending with the dark fruits, and some roasted espresso. The cedar then shows its spicy pepper and woody profile adding different flavors in. The flavors are deep and complex and the cedar adds a nice variation that you don’t normally find in an imperial stout. The mouthfeel is thick and oily with perfect carbonation and really easy to drink. The finish is long and roasty with some black pepper bite on the back end. A really well crafted beer and an awesome imperial stout. I can’t wait to try this again.

Tap @ CCB Launch Party...Big strong Stout, that can hold it own in a battle of flavor. I loved the smoky taste. Nice beer to sip on.

Had on tap at Oldsmar Tap House at the CCB Launch Party. This beer smelled like grilled meat to me. Very strong aroma of pepper and worchestshire sauce! Flavor was similar. Woody. Pepper. Grilled meat. Some dark roasted nuts. Very nice as it warmed.