Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

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.

Shared by artusory. Pours a moderately dark brown color, lighter than most imperial stouts, with some burnt amber colors underneath the head and also at the bottom of the glass. Nose of muddy roast, light bourbon and heavy yeast, with a bit of a lactic “cheese” funk to the yeast, something I’ve seen before in other stouts and I find unpleasant. The nose also has some oxidized sherry and port scents, even though it’s a fresh bottle. Taste is mildly hoppy, mildly coarse, with heavy cocoa and milk notes. Overcarbonated, and a little too lactic, but it finishes well with an amaretto and cherry tobacco note.