RateBeer
Sign Up or Login : Advanced Search


 No Score 

Requires
more ratings

Serve in Snifter

bottling
unknown

on tap
available

Local Distribution

Add Distribution Data
RATINGS: 6   MEAN: 3.55/5.0   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.15   SEASONAL: Winter   ABV: -
Share this beer with friends!
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Think of cold, Russian winters. Think of winter’s frigid temperatures. Now think of a rich, full-bodied, strong alcohol stout to warm that cold world. Russian Imperial Stout originated in England where it was brewed for Empress Catherine II of Russia. We brew our RIP traditional in style with massive amounts of barley and then loads of bittering hops to balance that richness. Not a hoppy aromatic beer, but more of a smooth coffee, bittersweet chocolate and creamy textured black beer. Our name comes from a historic label we found in the Durham library archives of Boars brand beer, bottled in Durham in the 1930s. The label depicts a boar carrying a tray of beer while wearing an apron.


3.2
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
durhambeer (2096) - Durham, USA - JAN 27, 2012
On tap at the brewery. I’m a big fan of this brewery, and I do love imperial stouts, but I think this is a rare misstep for BCBB. Pours dark brown with a thin light tan head. Nose is slightly roasty malts, a fair amount of chocolate, and some caramel and odd plastic notes. Something is off with this beer, and it tasted like average homebrew to me. Bummer.

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Drake (5231) - Charlottesville, Virginia, USA - FEB 22, 2012
Served on draft at the brewpub. Pours a dark brown color with a large creamy dark brown head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of big coffee notes. Almost peppery. Roasted malts and chocolate as well. The taste is rich roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, cocoa and faint fruit notes. Medium-full bodied, average carbonation. Nice beer.

3.5
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
emacgee (3000) - Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA - FEB 21, 2012
Opaque black pour with one finger of creamy dark tan head. Nose is a tad fruity/estery, light hop character, some burnt sugar and molasses. Very subtle smoke character. Hints of chocolate. Very slight off character that I can’t describe, smells like a yeast health thing. Flavor is interesting, notes of coffee and cherry skins with a hint of licorice. Bitter bakers chocolate and spent coffee grounds. Rich molasses. Slight off character at the end. Very burnt/acrid palate. Lots of bitterness on the back of the tongue and finish. Some alcohol.

3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
TURDFERGUSON (2753) - Carrboro, North Carolina, USA - FEB 14, 2012
Draught at the brewery. Dark brown with a thin tan head. Fairly non-existent nose, some light roast, booze, coffee. Flavor is fairly light and muted, some licorice, roasted malt, grainy.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
JCB (3100) - Durham, North Carolina, USA - FEB 12, 2012
On tap at the brewery, Durham. Underwhelming pour, kind of cola-like and lacking the heft (and filmy head) I usually appreciate in the style. But that aside, I enjoyed this RIS in some ways. The nose was heavily chocolatey but not in a by-the-numbers way necessarily. Smooth mouthfeel, and a flavor that’s quite fruity and not over-roasted. Pretty good.

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
DukeBrewDevil (648) - Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA - JAN 21, 2012
Draft at the brewery. Jet black with a huge, dense chocolate-milk-colored head. Excellent creamy feel welcomes a complex array of flavors, some cocoa powder, French roast, and leather. Sharp bitterness lingers in the mouth, along with tons of alcohol. A little too hot, but this was a very fresh Imperial stout, so that’s not unexpected. Great beer.


We Want To Hear From You



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

Join Us »

Tick this beer

for your profile
  • Currently 0/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5




Copyright © 2000-2012,
RateBeer LLC. All rights
reserved.
about us
About RateBeer
FAQ
Feedback?
New Beers
 add
Advanced Search
Add A Beer
Add A Brewer
Add A Place
membership
Log In
Edit Personal Info
Premium Membership
Your Messages
 the best
100 Beer Club
The Top 50