Karl Strauss Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Deep brown-black body, slight head. Small amount of espresso roast wafts off the glass, but overall, it’s hard to tease off substantial smells. This one rolls over the tongue with desserty chocolate espresso liquor notes, but the sweetness is restrained. Oaty mouthfeel and underpinning.

On tap. Pours with a near black body with brown highlights, with a lasting tan head of foam. Aromas are of brown sugar, chocolate, tobacco, esters, dates, smoke, dark fruit, anise and molasses. Flavors are roasty, toffee, treacle, toasty, caramel, plum, medium brown sugar. Roast isn’t oppressive. Medium bubbles, fuller bodied and medium warming.

11 mar 2012, tap at Costa Mesa brewpub. Ruby brown. Treacle and Carmelites sugar and dark roast coffee nose. Med body and mildly fizzy. Tastes of latte head, creme brûlée, roast coffee and licorice. Nice ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Poured from a draft into a snifter? Color was pretty much black. Minimal head once I got it. Light lacing on the top. Nice amount of film spread evenly throughout the sides. Smelled chocolate malts up front. Also some citrus and mint in there. Big alcohol bite up front. Also roasty and toasty malts. And did I taste marshmallow? Medium body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Smooth finish. Pretty disappointing considering all of the other Karl Strauss beers I’ve had. I thought this one would have been pretty good, but it was just OK.

Pours dark brown with a medium sized, light brown head. Smells of roasted malts and light sweetness. Tastes the same with just a hint of chocolate. Medium body, good carbonation.

On tap at The downtown location. Pours black with a creamy tan head. Lots of cocoa and ground coffee on the nose. Flavor holds some dark fruits, coffee, and some bittersweet chocolate. A little one dimensional, but tasty.

On tap at Carlsbad location. Black color with nice tan small-bubble head. Small amount of roast in the aroma. Leans dry. Low in flavor. Some hop bitterness. Pretty good, but needs some more sweetness.

From some old notes I found. Sampled at the downtown Karl Strauss from their Firkin taping. Pours a rich deep dark chocolate brown with a very thin brown head. nose is rich with roasted malt and dark chocolate. Flavors are good strong in the malt department, chocolate doesn’t come through as much on the tonger., Some nice dried fruits too. Mouth is full bodied and a little hot. A solid IRS.

On tap at the Cosa Mesa, CA location. I assume this is the listing - listed as the Holiday Beer, Russian Imperial Stout with a twist. Poured a dark, dark brown color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, vanilla, some lactose, roast, and licorice. Tastes of chocolate, vanilla, caramle, light roast, and a trace of dark fruitiness. Sweeter.

The aroma is mild chocolate with a bit more coffee and a hint of licorice. The body is full black and holds a thin mocha head. The flavor is caramel, licorice, dark fruit, chocolate and coffee, but at fairly low intensity. Mouthfeel is not bad really, but the flavor concentration could be more intense.