Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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Name: Ivan the Terrible
Date: March 28, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: black, wispy tan head, bits of lace
Aroma: sweet dark chocolate aroma, touch of dark caramel sweetness, sweet bourbon and vanilla
Body: rich creamy body
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, touch of roasted, rich bourbon, lots of sweet dark caramel and vanilla enrichens the chocolate, balancing earthyness
Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4

This poured a medium brown color with a tan head. Aroma was lots of milk chocolate, light to medium bourbon and some tannic barrel notes. Flavor was much the same a little astringent, some dark fruits and chocolate, faily sweet with not much roast and some light bourbon. Ok beer.

Bottle shared with my buds Mike and Phil. Had a nice aroma of apple brandy with a slight oaky presence. Flavor/mouth feel was a bit watery but it was still a damn good stout.

Bottle from a trade with cbkschubert. 2010 vintage. Bottle 3339/3800. Pours dark brown color with tan head. Aromas of roasted malts, bourbon, oak, vanilla, and chocolate. Subtle bourbon flavor with roasted malts, sweet caramel and vanilla, chocolate and some oak. Full body with pretty high carbonation for an impy stout. Very nice. I’ve been impressed with their barrel program, this and the Olde Bluehair have been very enjoyable. Thanks Craig.

Sampled Jan. 7, 2012. Sent from Glouglouburp (thanks Dany!), pours dark brown / black with a small beige head. Aroma of loads of caramel, bourbon, oak & chocolate - intensely rich. Flavour of rich roasted malt, heaps of caramel, oak, vanilla, chocolate and wood. Extremely rich and complex with a perfect amount of barrel aged qualities. Extremely rich and well-crafted. Delicious.

Originally reviewed: 6/7/11. Vintage 2010. Bottle# 1581/3800. 10.00% ABV. Bottle courtesy of yeahnatenelson (BA). This one was cracked open for the fourth installment of "A Beer Observed" with ClarkPinnock. Poured my allotment into a standard snifter. This beer pours slowly a dark black with a stunning thick tan head. Excellent retention with this one. Light lace left behind. The nose is sweet with notes of vanilla, pancake syrup, wet oak, toasted chocolate. The mouth is weaker than I’d have hoped for such a big beer. Thin at times, and the carbonation becomes a little spritzy in the absence of a full body. I’d love this one to be a bit heavier. The bourbon is wonderfully integrated in this beer. Sweet vanilla tannins washed out with bitter dark chocolate and heavy roasted malts. Booze character is mild here. Surprising really. Wonderfully executed. I really dig this beer. A bit thicker and this one is one of the best.

Poured from 750 ml bottle. Pours nearly black with a good amount of foamy head. Aroma is tons of chocolate, bourbon, some vanilla and coconut. Taste is great, with lots of nice sweetness in there. This reminds me quite a bit of Green Flash Silva Stout. Really tasty beer.

2010 Bomber - Pitch black pour with a ton of mocha head that hung around for a long while. Nose of roasted malt, vanilla and bourbon. Taste was ssimilar but with a hint of coffee. Both my drinking buddy and I felt it tasted similar to Silva Stout. The downside for me on this beer was the over the top carbonation for the style. Otherwise some good stuff.

750ml bottle from savvy1982. Thanks Kyle !

Appearance : Pitch black with small brown head.
Aroma : Great bourbon with nice vanilla. Light roasted malt, light coffee.
Taste : Bourbon and vanilla. Some chocolate and coffee. Great lingering bourbon finish with great coffee.
Overall : Really nice one. Great bourbon notes mixed with nice chocolate and coffee malt flavors. Very nice persistent finish. This is not the same caliber as the Darkness, Speedway, Abyss and Czar Jack of this world but still very honest and savory. I’d have this again anytime.

Thanks to akorsak for bringing this one to Imminent Liquidation II. A - Pours pitch black with a dense one finger tall tan head leaving light lace down parts of the glass. S - Smells of charred oak, dark roasted malt, vanilla, caramel, chocolate and plenty of warm bourbon. The booze does grow a little bit as it sits in the glass. T - Starts off with some chocolaty sweetness and some dark charred wood slowly giving way to hints of dark roasted malt, vanilla and warm bourbon. The booze is pretty consistent from start to finish. Finish has more roast than sweetness, combining with a little booze burn to linger on the pallet long after consumption. M - Smooth body with plenty of dark roasted flavors and moderate carbonation. Light booze burn at the end of each sip with plenty of lingering roast. O - All things considered this one is very good. It has plenty of flavor, good overall balance and is pretty easy to drink. One of the better stouts I have had on the day.

750 ml bottle shared at Jackie O’s (i think it was an 08). Pours dark brown to black in color with a medium sized beige head. The nose had cocoa powder, roasted malts, hints of dark fruits, a well integrated bourbon with a slight earthiness. The flavor had roasted malts, dark chocolate, mild bourbon notes, some dark fruits with a dry slightly bitter finish. This held up pretty well and I found it to be enjoyable.