Courage Russian Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at John Smiths (Heineken UK)
Style: Imperial Stout
Tadcaster, England

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle. [Vintage 1983] Dark black color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, beige head. Aroma is vintage, licorice, soy sause, coffee / chocolate, quit fruity. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and light to moderate bitter with a long duration. Very powerful and stille moderate. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. Very nice. ;o)) (300807)

The aroma is very stouty with smoked and roasted notes. The color is black and it has a fine brown head. The flavor is creamy smooth with strong notes of roasted and smoked malt - all in all very sweet. A great flavor and a great beer.

UPDATED: JUL 23, 2005 (Bottle 25 cl) Vintage 1983. Dark brown almost soy-like appearance, no head. Raisiny nose. Lots of dried fruit in the flavours and lots of roasted malt. Complex beyound belief - yummy. This really has aged gracefully. Thanks to Dixen for this unexpected gem. 170705

33 cL bottle, 1983 vintage, thanks to faeroeviking for bringing this - nice surprise! Pours dark brown to black with a fully diminished. Dense roasted malty and dark fruity. Very dense. Flavour and mouthfeel is oily. Dark hardroasted malty with a mild chalky note. Smooth and slight tarish. Dark roasted and tarish finish with a smooth alcohol presence.

Bottled. Pitch black colour, big brown head. Aroma is chocolate, roast and a lot of vinegary hints. Flavour is coffee, roasted malts, alcohol and chocolate. Some vinegary hints also. Enormously well aged (early 80’s vintage).

UPDATED: FEB 17, 2006 Bottled, 1992 vintage. Intransparently black. Sweet and very chocolaty. Salty, rich and thick with loads of licorice in the finish. Mature and intensely flavourful, the rawness of this beer when young is long gone.

1983-vintage. Bottled. Dark brown coloured with a beige head. Roasted aroma of chocolate, cheese and dried fruits. Flavour of dried fruits with roasted notes.

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2009
Name: Courage Imperial Russian Stout
Date: March 15, 2004
Mode: Bottle
Source: eBay
Vintage: 1983
Appearance: black gold, texas tea, pours like oil
Aroma: fills the surrounding area with a sweet licorice and molassis aroma, a bit thin
Flavor: flavor is slightly alcoholic at first but quickly fades, headless like an oil slick, rich malt flavor with lots of licorice, only a hint of ripe plum, a touch of lactic oaky sourness that turns to bitterness in the finish

Name: Courage Imperial Russian Stout
Date: August 26, 2006
Source: tasting
Vintage: 1993
Appearance: black, headless
Aroma: sweet licorish aroma
Flavor: good chocolate flavor, touch of sourness

Name: Courage Imperial Russian Stout
Date: November 29, 2006
Source: tasting
Vintage: 1993
picking up some hot alcohol

Name: Courage Imperial Russian Stout
Date: March 07, 2007
Mode: bottle
Vintage: 1993
a bit thin, light roasted, touch of sourness, held up well after all these years, not much character left,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 4/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 4/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Vintage 1992, 12 years old
Dark heart, thin brown head. Deep aroma of liquorice and roasted malt, sweet and mature; malt, caramel, Porto wine; light raisins, cinnamon and mace; very light phenol. Wonderful liquorice gum, notes of roasted malt, cinnamon, cookies; still well sweet but not cloying. Balanced final, a bit short and requiring a stronger bitterness.
Great for its balance; could be improved by a better hop touch.

Entered to celebrate my # 9100 Rating. 1992 Vintage. Thanks to Enjoyit. Pours black with bubbles on top. Nose is roast , soy and an evident oxidized note. Flavor is plum, raisin and chocolate. Helds up pretty well. Cheers Svend!