Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout - Apple Brandy Barrel-aged

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

Serve in Snifter

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Draft. Medium brown head atop black body with brown edge. Aroma is moderately sweet, chocolate, some Brandy, light roast. Taste is moderately sweet, chocolate, Brandy, light dark fruit. Smooth medium-full body.

[Draft @ Village Whiskey] Opaque black with a small, dark tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted malts, burnt wood, dark chocolate, some vanilla, dark fruitiness, and some alcohol. Taste of smoked malts, roast, bitter dark chocolate, a bit of vanilla, and light brandy, with more alcohol in the finish. Oak presence was so light it’s almost as if they used Brandy chips instead of a barrel.

RBWG. Dark thick pour. Aroma is bug right away. Alcohol, candy, plums, cherry and some wood. Hints of vanilla and roasted malts. Flavor shows the brandy more. Some alcohol but still pretty smooth. Sweet molasses and vanilla with some plums and berries with some wood. Overall pretty nice and big. A sipper.

Aroma is soy, alcohol (spirits), dark fruits, chocolate, tobacco, Definitely a little hot and oxidized. Appearance is thick, viscous motor oil and a muddy, molasses head that quickly disappears, and flat. Taste is brandy hotness, lots of dark fruit, soy, chocolate, red fruit, and a little dirt and red apple. Finish is hot, some bitter cocoa, and sweetness. Very solid, considering the condition.

Pours with a large tan head. Body is inky and coats the glass. Aroma is chocolaty, tons of fusel alcohol and a bit of brandy if searched for. Taste is earthy, chocolaty, vanilla bean, alcohol, vinous, wood. Tons of alcohol burn and palate assaulting flavors. Good, but I am not sure I really get anything worth while from the brandy, just burning. I think I might like the regular one better. Creamy carbonation. Full body. Not the most drinkable beer ever made, but solid none the less.

Another 32oz growler from Shep, a seriously generous dude. Pours pitch black with a nice active mocha head that leaves decent lacing and shows stubborn retention given it’s coming out of a growler. The aroma is heavy on the apple brandy. In fact, I can definitely smell the red apple rinds and booze from the brandy. There is a roasted malt and dark chocolate presence underneath with some other dark fruits, like raisins. The taste is more of the same with the initial apple brandy character dominating for a while though the chocolate, tobacco and leather of the underlying Zhukov comes through increasingly as it warms. The mouthfeel is full bodied and decadent, like most of the CCB imperial stouts. Really good carbonation for a growler. Another impressive brew from CCB though I do think it’s a notch below the 4 Roses version. The apple brandy is very unique and there’s no doubt it’s the dominant character in this one.

Entering old rates. 75cl bottle courtesy of degarth. Similaire à sa version normale, le Brandy donne une dimension autre que le bourbon, peut-être plus boozy et alcoolisé qui a tendance à un peu empiéter sur le reste de la bière. Au nez, je note ce bouquet fruité de pomme et grains avec le malt épais de ce stout; chocolat, caramel, grillé et café. Cette dernière reste néanmoins une belle réussite, complexe avec un gros taux de malts chocolaté, soyeux et caramélisé et une fine note de feuille de tabac. Brandy donne cet arôme plus frais alcoolisé voire de pomme caramélisée qui prend un peu le dessus sur le malt. Reste néanmoins une bière solide et complexe. Digne d’un produit de qualité.

UPDATED: MAR 20, 2010 The beer pours dark brown to black with a brown head. The aroma is oak with some roasted malt, soy sauce and chocolate. The flavor is oak, smoke, chocolate and soy. Oily, thick mouthfeel and low carbonation. Really happy I got to try this beer.

Growler thanks to urwithdave. Poured pitch black with a dark brown head that dissipates very slowly to the edges. Aroma has a strong crab apple note with roasted malts and a bit of dark bread. Flavor started with roasted malts and a bit of dark chocolate and bread with a growing tart apple note. A bit hot but good.

Draft @ CCB. Incredible apple cider nose stands out clean and fresh. Hard to believe how well the apple comes through on the nose of this otherwise powerful imperial stout. In the flavor the apple and sweet roastiness of the stout sit side by side. Amazing beer but I’m not entirely sure how well the apple and roast mesh or complement each other.