Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

16 oz. twist off bottle, has a good black pour with just a bit of dark ruby seen at the edges when held to a light, there was one finger high coffee / chocolate shake colored head, effervescent bubbles are seen flowing up the sides of the glass, leaves decent lacing, aromas of intense caramel, earthy licorice, dark fruit, chocolate, dark roasted malt, coffee, flavors of coffee, licorice, roasted malt, oily burnt dark berry / fruit – Blueberry, raisin, some bitterness at the finish, also, there is some burnt malt and / or malt astringency at the finish to, mouth feel is thin, about the only real disappointing thing about this beer is the mouth feel, and it could use some more dark malt flavor, this beer looks and smells bigger than it tastes, adding some flavor depth and mouth feel to this beer would be a big plus.

bottle at Houston BA Tasting in October. Pours black with a thin, brown head. Nose of chocolate and toffee. Taste is of chocolate and roasty malt. Mouthfeel is thin for an Imperial Stout. Not impressed by this.

Bottle purchased from the brewery. Pours black with a dark tan head. I don’t get the appearance ratings here so I guess a 4. I get some chocolate and roasty notes in the nose and in taste. Taste also has some coffee notes. The malt dominates this beer and it’s not quite as big as other RIS. Overall, this is a decent stout, has a few dimensions to it.

Dark black pour with a thin brown head. Aroma of roasted malt and licorice. Seemed thin for a RIS. Roasted malt flavor, some sweetness. Leaves a nice roasted malt taste in your mouth.

Had at the brewpub after a tour of the place. Not a bad brew at all, big sweet and caramel notes.

Pitch black with a medium brown head. This is not a strong imperial stout. Maybe a sweet stout but not an imperial. Dark chocolate and roasted coffee. The aroma on this one is horrible. Massive nasty vodka aroma. The actual flavor is much better than the aroma. An odd vinegar tinge to the overall flavor.

Pours pitch black with fully receding light brown head. Notes of dark chocolate, licorice, anise, and black pepper. Full to heavy bodied with soft carbonation.

A deep dark stout of intense flavor. Nutty and roasty and just a hint of coffee. I noticed licorice in the description and I think that is accurate. Not as full bodied as I would have expected from an Imperial stout.