Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout

Brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Missoula, Montana USA

Serve in Snifter

Pours dark and black but looks thin for imp stout. Big brown head. Nose is vanilla and starting to smell a little metallic. This is a 2010 bottle maybe it’s gone to far. Flavor is sweet and just a tad bitter. Big alcohol still. The bottle is definitely drinking better than the nose let on. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. Long aftertaste. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

My Bottom Line :
Blueberries and bourbon oversee this Imperial Stout’s chocolate and coffee flavors for an enjoyable, if not forgettable, sipper.

Further Personal Perceptions :
-A lingering head of foam stalls atop the blackness with dark brown edges.
-The nose is nearly all bourbon and oak.
-Roasted malts mostly turn into coffee bean impressions, providing soothing flavors.
-This is not really complex, but it is very flavorful.
-This is not poorly done at all; I’m simply not a fan of Imperial Stouts in which I taste more barrel and alcohol than malts and hops.

Bottle.

2008 bottle Vintage, #527/1152; Sampled January 2012
A steady pour produces an almost two-finger thick, light brown colored head. The beer is fairly black smelling and it is clear if you look through a thin sliver of it, but is opaque otherwise. The beer smells vaguely of toasted coconuts at first, but this gets quite a bit more pronounced in short order. Notes of Bourbon, touches of alcohol, lots of vanillin and a backdrop of toasted, brown malt, a touch of roasted malt (though not quite as much as I might have expected), lots of brown bread toasted grain character,.

Light sweet malt up front, gets sweeter as it rolls across the palate, the beer dries out in the finish with a slightly bitter, burnt, roast-grain character, and some warming, not quite hot alcohol and Bourbon. The roast character is quite prominent here with notes of dark chocolate, sweet coffee liquor, chalky roasted notes, and some bitter burnt character that isn’t really overly sharp. There is a touch too much heat and spicy alcohol in the finish; spicy oak notes also accentuate this, but also provide a touch of astringency. The body, while having a certain heft and viscosity, is a touch on the light side for a rich Imperial stout.

The body of this beer is actually a touch lighter than I would have liked; more malt richness would have supported the Bourbon Barrel notes better (despite the Bourbon character really not being over the top in this beer). Not bad, but I wish it was a touch richer and maltier.

Bottle 1915 of 3800, 2010. Dark dark brown with a mochar one finger head. Grains, vanilla, malt, oak, earth, brown sugar, toffee, chocolate. Too much carbonation, medium bodied / thin, somewhat prickly, foamy, alcohol and mild booze. Little thin on the finish, vanilla, oak, some smoke, chocolate. Very tasty but a little disappointing on the end.

’10 vintage bottle. Huge coco puff nose. Dark brown/black pour with a tan head. Lots of bourbon, rich roasted malts, dark fruits, raisins, vanilla, and oak notes. The body is a not super thick like DL or Huny, but still a fantastic freaking imperial stout.....

750ml 2010 bottle from my Tucson Crew Peeps! Bottle # 3352 of 3800. Fantastic black onix pour with a thin head. I knew u was in trouble when I poured this into a pint glass! Delicious sweet roasty chocholety goodness with a well balanced kick that will keep you smiling all night! Miss my AZ boys!

75cl, Vintage 2008, at 8.75%Vol, Bottle N° 659/1152, exclusive American brew, thx to Wimenels!, very complex Stout, roasted/fruity and slightly sweet/alcoholic, not too heavy, very balanced, hazy, nearly no head, very good brew, yet expensive!

2010. Pitch black color, medium creamy head. Aroma is organic and spicy with oak and bourbon and some red wine as well. Very oaky. Dark fruits and sweet liquorice with sweet chocolate as well. Fudge and cookiedough lace the depths of the aroma, followed by subtle coffee-notes. Taste is huge with chocolate, coffee, more roast, some alcohol (not too much). Slightly sour in the finish. Lots of vanilla and dark fruits, bourbon and more oak. Very smooth and silky.