Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

Bottle. Thanks to Stine for sending me this. Pours a deep black with thin head. aroma is vanilla, chocolate, molasses. Flavor is full of vanilla, chocolate, coffee, caramel. I can see how some can say figs and dried fruit but I honestly didn’t taste any of that. A very mellow RIS. Meaning that this is kind of bland at first. Actually at first it is very horrid and I thought it was going to be my worst rated Imperial Stout. It’s possible that it is. Not a bad beer in any means but this really doesn’t know what it’s doing. At times it seems to be all over the place with many different flavors but not in a complex way, more of in a mess. Some fine tuning keeps it from becomming a great beer.

Pint Bottle $6.99 4-Pack Village Dell and Wine shop Bottle states 7.9%abv Sprecher’s RIS pours midnight black with only faint garnet highlights when directly backlit. A one-plus finger brown head formed on the pour and fell to a skimming rather quickly. Thicker ring around the collar. Leaves some wide webbed lacing that eventually slides back into the body. This RIS has a very unique nose and the deeper I smell the more I like it. The aroma on this beer is packed full of dark berries. The berries are the most prominent scent of this stout. There’s some roasted malts in the background along with a mildly citric hop finish but the berries are the showcase, a melange of blackberry, blueberry, and black raspberry all of which are slightly underripe. The flavor isn’t quite as good as the aroma. Solid but just not as good. I realized as I drank the first few of these from the 4-pack that they need to breath and warm up longer than expected. Lightly roasted malts start things off and a bowl full of the berries mentioned in the aroma, and still lightly underripe, are covered in cream. The sense of underripe berries give a nice tartness along with the citric hoppiness one the finish. It’s just enough to let you know it’s there. The body of this RIS is a little on the light side without the creamy smooth carbonation I expected. Body is closer to medium than heavy. Easy drinker that has it’s charming points here and there but nothing I could drink the night away with. Solid beer from Sprecher. I’d have to be in the right mood to pick this up again but I wouldn’t count it out. 10/17/07

Vanilla and chocolate aromas, roasted malts, burnt coffee. Pours black. Coffee and bittersweet chocolate flavors with vanilla notes and rich roasty flavors. Very smooth and good mouthfeel.

Pitch black with a good solid head. Rich coffee dark chocolate and roasted malt aroma. Similar Flavor profile of roasted malts and espresso, malasses and dark fruits too. Nice body not too heavy.

Very thick looking, pure black motor oil pour. Small, foamy, dark khaki colored head that fades to a patchy, wispy film with a prominent edge. Spotty, droopy lacing sticks momentarily but eventually returns to the body. The aroma shows big anise and stewed raisons over a chewy nougat and darkly toasted caramel body. Dark cocoa adds a layer of sweetness, completing what is a very appealing nose. The flavor is quite roasty, with bitter chocolate malts, drying grains, anise, and a bit of earthy oak. Medium-full body with a surprisingly bone-dry finish that is surprisingly chalky. Nice enough beer, but the odd finish detracts from it quite a bit. I much prefer the bourbon barrel version.

(Bottle 47 cl) Courtesy of Degarth. Pours black and opaque with a handsome, creamy, light brown head. Intens and somewhat vinous aroma with hard roasted malts. Quite full-bodied, notes of hard roasted but also sweet malts and a hint of prunes. Again very delicate vinous notes, some sweet licorice and a lightly burned edge with some malt astringency. Not a huge Imperial Stout, but quite nice and pleasant. 041007

Bottle from Beerlando? Dark brown body with a tiny tan head. Aroma is molasses, chocolate, alcohol, coffee and green apple. The flavor is moderately sweet with acidic roast, chocolates, molasses, run raisin and slightly medicinal herbs. Full body is rough with light carbonation and an astringent finish.

16 fl oz bottle. Pours dark brown, almost black with a lacing light brown head. Dried fruit and chocolate aroma. Chocolate and a bit of liqourice make it into the flavour. Ends bitter and chocolate smooth. Lacks some complexity to be really exiting.