Courage Russian Imperial Stout

Rating no. 400. 1983 bottle at Kulminator, Antwerp. Oh my god! Pours pitch black with a brown long lasting head. After 25 years in the bottle I was very surprised to see this beauty in the glass. Aroma is dark fruits, liquorice and a bit sourness. Flavour is raisins, coffee, prunes, vanilla and chocolate. The aftertaste is amazing. Just like an aged port. Fantastic brew!

1983 bottle, had 6/19 at Kulminator. Pours pitch black with no head to speak of. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, and wine. taste mixes all thos elements together. A great treat to have this rare beer, but the beer, in all honesty, was past its prime.

Bottle. Another blast from the past beer. 1992 vintage. Dark fruits and light booze greeted the nose upon pouring. Opaque black color with garnet colored highlights. Full bodied with raisin, vanilla, chocolate, toasted bread, and alcohol flavors. Carbonation was on the lower end of the spectrum. Good beer that held up surprisingly well over the years.

Surprisingly ,still a touch of carbonation from this 1992 batch aroma is an absolute heavenly vanilla, maple,oak barrel, much like Sam Adams Utopia without the fingernail paint alcohol,by far the most satisfactory all encompassing malt aromas I have ever experienced. The biggest compliment I can give it , is that I regret opening it up when I was by myself. This needs to be shared,because I will not be able to put into words what I am experiencing. Stunning. Taste---a very smooth,no,the smoothest of smooths, caramel and maple vanilla, with tones of oak and whiskey alcohol,without all the whisky hotness,strange because its not barreled aged. a rich succulent taste,impossible to express in words,now I see what cellaring a beer can do for a choice brew, as impressive as any fine wine I have ever had. I sipped it under ideal conditions, i had just come back from a hard walk ,and was very dry. I wasn’t in the mood for an Imperial Stout,but my palate was just right to taste it. I’m just about done with my glass, I have a celestial warm glow in my tummy ,all those wonderful flavors are still as alive and exciting as the first sip,there is none of that lingering bitterness you get in many big stouts. Lord, I thank Thee, for bringing about all the circunstances that led my son to be in a position to purchase this wonderful masterpiece of brewing excellence,and may I suggest that when we dine in the heavenly banquet as promised in the book of Revelation,that some of us can pass on the wine ,and instead order a bottle of Courage RIS,92

nip, 1993 vintage its been in the cellar for a while, pretty sure it came from a trade. Pours brownish black wiht a little bubbly ring. Nose is full of burnt sugar. Taste is sweet with notes of sweet liquor and a few other notes. It has a nice taste and a good mouth feel.