Cricket Hill Brewmaster’s Reserve #16 Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Cricket Hill Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Fairfield, New Jersey USA

Serve in Snifter

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Pours black with brown head and the taste is mostly chocolate with a slight vanilla underneath. Very drinkable but much lighter than what I expect from a 10.5% Imperial Stout.........thus, I have a hard time believing it’s really 10.5%.

Aroma- nice chocolate, coffee, caramel, woodiness Appearance- blackish-brown, decent head, some lacing Taste- incredibly smooth chocolate, oak, slight hops, massive roasted notes Palate- full-bodied, very nice mouthfeel Overall- This one caught me off guard. While it doesn’t really do anything exceptionally, it is incredibly smooth and well-blended. Very nice.

22 ounce bomber. Pitch black with a thin white head. Chocolate and light coffee. Smooth, well made,

22oz. Bottle: Aroma of malt, chocolate, roasting, and vanilla. Poured pitch black in color with large, creamy, dense, brown/beige head that diminished but lasted throughout. Opaque. Sparkling. Excellent lacing. Flavor is medium sweet and slightly bitter. Tastes of malt, roast, and chocolate. Medium body. Slick texture. Average carbonation. Malt, chocolate, roast finish is slightly dry. 10.5%ABV is completely hidden throughout. A very nice RIS.

UPDATED: APR 5, 2012 Bottle from James - thanks! Black pour with a solid dark tan head that fades into an even froth of foam. Aroma is roast, oat, slight bitter chocolate, and a bit of dry grain character. Taste is oat, roast, chocolate, some hop bitterness, coffee, some alcohol, a slightly muted off flavor I cannot quite place, and some lingering malt sweetness. Mouthfeel is even if not a bit creamy. Vast improvement over the bourbon barrel aged porter but slightly below average for the style. 7/4/6/3/16 - 3.6 I left the unfinished half of the bomber in my fridge for a few days. The beer tastes a lot better now with a more pronounced roast and cleaner presentation of coffee and chocolate. There is even a bit of chocolate milk type flavor and the hop bitterness seems more organized. I’d put this closer to a 3.8 as it is drinking out of my glass at the moment. 7/4/7/3/17 - 3.8

22 oz bomber. Pours a pitch black color with a medium sized tan head. Aroma of mild roasted malts, chocolate and hints of coffee. Taste of light coffee, chocolate, lightly roasted malts, hops and a hint of piney citrus.

Pour is jet black, with a rather large tan head, which quickly dissipates to small ring with strong lacing. Nose is of coffee, lots of coffee. Taste is interesting, like roast coffee. A bit much on the roast.

22 oz bottle. Dark brown with a thick and foamy tan head. Nose is cola, nuts, chocolate and coffee. Medium body with flabby carb. Taste is cocoa, coffee, grapefruit peel and sour mash, finishing mostly bitter. Some off-notes but still an interesting brew.

Bottle thanks to Dallas. Pours a black color with a medium brown head. A sweet nose of cocoa and dry chocolates. The flavor is mellow easygoing light roast, big milky chocolate, light fruit, dry. Light caramel. Enjoyable.

Bottle shared by Dallas
Appearance: Black with a medium sized tan head and some lacing
Aroma: Roasted malts, coffee, metallic and chocolate
Taste: Roasted malts, coffee, chalky and woody
Ok

22 ounce bottle. What a nice beer. There was chocolate, roasted malts, some caramel. Dark black thin off white head. An enjoyable beer.