Courage Russian Imperial Stout (2011+)

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: Imperial Stout
Bedford, England

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle from midway mart. Poured dark brown with a nice tan head. Aroma was chocolate, dark roast, slight licorice, and some raisin. Flavor was hoppy, dark roast bitter, pine resin, and alcohol. Body was full with low carbonation.

Sampled from a 9.3 oz brown bottle this beer poured a black color with a very large creamy dark tan head that lingered and left decent lacing. The aroma was chocolate, malted milk and vanilla. The flavor was very bitter roasty malts, cocoa, malted milk, vanilla and faint notes of licorice and wood. The finish was long and bitter with lingering cocoa, malted milk and roasty malts. Thick and creamy body. Initially I really liked it but my enjoyment diminished with the more that I had.

Very nice RIS that was nicely layered and really came alive as it warmed up. Enjoyed this very much and looking to bet some for the cellar. Nothing new, but very well done and appreciated as such.

Pours a four-fingered light tan head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving a good lace. Black color, no highlights. Medium carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Light chocolate nose and flavor is chocolate, sweetness then burnt chocolate finish. High ABV is hidden. $7.49 for a 275ml bottle from Julio’s Liquors Westborough, Ma.

275ml bottle from knightly spirits. FL VC # 12. solid english style impy stout. nicely layered. well done within its style. makes a great cigar beer.

Black in color... so dark in fact light barely penetrates. Thick caramel colored head. Lovely roasted coffee and dark cocoa nose. Fig and raisin flavors upfront followed by an immediate taste of dark chocolate liquer, smoke and espresso. Overall, this is fairly tasty. I probably should have let this age a bit more but I really wanted to tase it.

12 ounce bottle poured a dark black color, aromas of roasted malt, some dark fruits, chocolate, and coffee. Flavors are the same, nice thickness for this stout, nice mouth feel, and a touch of booziness on the back end.

Bottle 275 ml. Black with a medium beige/brown fluffy head. Good lacing. Nose is roasted/burnt malt, espresso, chocolate and slight notes of dark fruits. Taste is rich with roasted/burnt (smoke) malt and dark fruits. Slight notes of chocolate. Medium bitterness. Warming alcohol. Mouthfeel is creamy at first, but oily and dry at finish. Medium duration of the aftertaste. Overall, this is a good complex beer. There’s a “little something” missing to this beer to be on par with the best of the style.

Bottle. Very dark pour with cola coloured highlights and some light getting through plus a large fluffy tan head that lasts ages. Aroma is rich and very roasty with notes of liquorice, dark chocolate, plums, raisins and vanilla. Flavour is very much like the aroma but with less fruit and more chocolate as well as hints of caramel, oak and smoke. Very light, creamy mouthfeel with particularly fine carbonation and a lingering roasty finish. I had been wanting to try this for a long time and although I am still keen to try an older vintage, this was a particularly fine Imperial Stout, very tasty and surprisingly delightful on the palate. Will be very interested to see how it ages.

Poured into a snifter. Brewed in May, 2011. 5.0 A: Dark brow color. Aggressive pour gave two fingers of creamy/frothy tan head. Retention is very good as it settles down to a very creamy half finger, which persists quite long. Lots of lacing. Damn fine looking. 3.0 S: Surprisingly earthy. Smells like a forest stream that someone dumped a bunch of roasted barley in. Mineral, moderate roastiness, anise, "woodzy freshness", light burnt notes, and moderate herbal hoppiness. It’s not bad, it’s just not what I’m fond of in an RIS. 3.0 T: Tastes as it smells for the most part. Earth tones of mineral, mountain stream, moss, burnt wood, char. Moderate roastiness, anise, a touch of smoke, and herbal hops. 3.0 M: Heavier medium body. Carbonation level is fine, but it feels strange. It’s like a creaminess, but it isn’t. Too hard to explain, so I won’t anymore. 3.0 D: Earthy, "farmhousy" RIS. Not a big fan, but it might interest those looking for a "natural tasting RIS," whatever that means. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 04-09-2012 21:31:41

Velvety black pour with a coffee head that lingers long after the poor. Sweet coffee smell. Smooth, silky and warm. Over all very rich and deep in taste.