Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout - Bourbon Barrel-aged

Brewed by Cigar City Brewing
Style: Imperial Stout
Tampa, Florida USA

Serve in Snifter

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Tap at the brewery. Pours jet black with a chocolate colored head. Huge bourbon, chocolate aroma, just wonderful. Chocolate, tobacco, bourbon all coming out in the taste, very complex. Super thick body, lots of oily legs in the glass. Just a world class ale.

Huge thanks to Shep for bringing this one back from Tampa. Pours completely black, like an oil slick, leaving a brown film along the glass after each swirl. There is a tiny mocha head that recedes quickly leaving oily legs. Aroma is huge and really bourbon-forward with the barrel character showing up right of the bat with bourbon, vanilla and oak. There is also cocoa powder, heavily roasted black malts, coffee and a hint of tobacco. The taste is slightly less bourbony with the dark chocolate and malts coming through more prominently. The finish is oaky, dry with a little bit of smoke and tobacco. More roast and less sweetness than the aroma. The mouthfeel is unbelievable, completely decadent. Full bodied with a low, soft carbonation which just completely coats the mouth after each sip. After my experiences with the fairly flat bottles of Zhukov and DBA Zhukov, this one really impressed me. I can’t wait to try the Brandy Zhukov as this one sets a very high bar. Wonderful beer.

Bottle courtesy bret27. Pours black as ink with a super-dark brown head, might even be darker than regular Zhukov. Aromas of chocolate cookies, oak, and molasses, with a bourbon character that doesn’t take over but rather complements everything else. Flavor is still very roasty and bitter but it’s toned down compared to the base beer, which is exactly what the base beer needed. Unsweetened chocolate, oak, smooth bourbon. Mouthfeel is still rather astringent. Thick and oily on the palate. A huge, huge beer.

On tap at CCB. Pours a sinister looking pitch black color with massive dark chocolate head that settles slowly and laces the glass. Aroma is bourbon, chocolate, roast, toffee, caramel, molasses, some slight smoky and woody notes. Flavor is sweet and roasty with notes of bourbon, burnt coffee, chocolate, cocoa, molasses, light earthy notes, light notes of floral hops in the background. Generally full body, creamy, silky mouthfeel and a roasted sweet malt finish. Not as much bourbon on this as I would have expected but an amazing beer.

Entering old rates. 75cl bottle courtesy of degarth. Similaire à sa version normale, mais ici aide par un ajout énorme de bourbon, qui me convient parfaitement. Reste épaisse et complexe en bouche, le tout sur un profile immense de bourbon, à la fois doux/vanille, note boisée de chêne et le tout sur le bourbon. Complexe avec ce qu’il faut de malt grillé, caramel et torréfie pour des notes subtiles de café.

22nd April 2011
Opaque black beer, small chocolate coloured head. Silky smooth soft palate. Smooth dark malt, not bitter or roasty. Smooth bourbon with a strong cherry streak and lesser strawberry! Mild vanilla oak. Subtle coffee and a trace of dark chocolate. Smooth finish with a little bitterness kicking in - marries up to the coffee. Superbly balanced and integrated. A belter of an Imperial Stout.

Huge thanks to Geoff (craftbeerdesign) for bringing this from Hunahpu’s Day to a recent tasting. Growler, labeled as the Four Roses Zhukov. Poured black with an absolutely gorgeous dark brown head, great retention. Aroma was big, lovely hints of sweet bourbon, roasted malt and light coffee. Flavors were oh so smooth, big malt and bourbon mixed together for a huge viscous mouthfeel. Carbonation was light and rather fitting. Just fantastic. Thanks again Geoff.

Growler. Pours pitch black with no lace. Aroma is sweet roasted coffee mocha chocolate vanilla dill, nicely fruity. Flavor is fullbodied velvety, good oily mouthfeel, well balanced between the roastiness maltyness and bitter. Long finish of malts sweet roastiness with nice bitter touch.

Tasty stout. Looks and tastes like chocolate milk. Surpasses old rasputin in class. If you like imperial stouts this is the winner

Draft. Pours a black body with an off white head. Creamy rich vanilla notes with a light bourbon tone. Roast y chocolate with a nice modest etoh warming. Roast y dry coffee tones, some silky chocolate hints, with a drying finish. Very light barrel, fantastic recipe tho i’d rather the cedar, thats the shit!