Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

11/15/2007: Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout looks black and opaque and has a dense and lasting brown head. Chocolate, roasted malt, and a hint of smoke are contained within the aroma. The flavor has roasted malt, chocolate, caramelized sugar, and a nice meaty smokiness. This full-bodied beer feels soft on the palate and is super smooth.

16 fl. oz. bottle (7.9% Alc. by Vol. / 17778 FL 070320954). Rating #255 for this beer.

Pours pitch black with thick, creamy tan head. Aroma of soured fig emanates from the glass as its poured with a light chocolate, some toasted malts and a light sweet licorice note. Flavor starts off with a light chocolaty and roasted flavor, moves into a fig/prune middle with light notes of licorice and ends with a smooth roasted malt. Brew has an oily feeling to it and is very smooth with low carbonation. Not a bad brew by any standards but not one that is overly fantastic in an one area. A bit too much of the fig and dark fruit notes for my taste.

16oz bottle. Burnt buttery chocolate coffer aroma with some discernable heat. Opaque black with an off-white head. The taste is relatively true to style, with some burnt fig underlying pungency. Sort of like the macro version of the Siberian Night. Certainly comes off stronger than it’s actual ABV. Some nice toffee moss nuances as it wams. Tolerable, but a sub par effort.

Light toast aroma with a buttery chocolate scent as well as notes of leather and peat moss. Opaque brown body with a sizable fluffy brown head and heavy lacing. Medium bodied stout, fairly sweet with a bitter aftertaste. Roasted malts with a nutty flavor. Milk chocolate and toast as well as dry cocoa. Good stout, but nothing imperial about it.

16 oz bottle courtesy of the brewery (Glendale, WI) picked up on my February trip up there. Pours a thick black pour, pretty much opaque, with moderate brown head, darker, bubbly, laces some. Aromas are noticeable a fair distance away: roasted malts and cocoa, milky chocolate, cream, light coffee, caramel, minor anise feel. Initial is thick, a decent body, creamy with chocolate and coffee, roasted malts help through bitterness, some light burnt, caramel, and a good creamy smoothness. Well balanced, for sure. Smokiness is more burnt ash, not BBQ. Light, but there. This is pretty good overall, could use a touch more bitterness in the finish. Not bad at all though. Cheers!

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with about an inch of fizzy cola like head. Aromas are odd for the style... caramel and toffee... a little bit of dates. Flavor is also an interesting take. It starts off with a bunch of caramel sweetness but finishes with charcoal and peat, while still remaining fairly sweet. The base flavor is not nearly dark enough for my tastes on this style.

Appearance: Pours a suitable black body with a smallish, light tan-hued head. Smell: Malt-minded nose of chocolate, dark caramel, roast, and a light-handed pinch of anise. There’s a big whiff of dark fruits present as well. Taste: Flavors of roasted barley, semi-sweet chocolate, dark caramel, and even licorice greet the tongue on the first sip. A soft background dark fruitiness gently slides in. Fairly restrained hop presence only provides an ill-defined bitterness as you round the corner to the end. Then, it’s back to the roast and chocolate until the finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel. Drinkability: While it’s not the most exemplary example of a Russian Imperial Stout as it simply lacks the verve and gusto of the style’s stalwarts, it’s still enjoyable and worth a try. So, why not give it try?

Bottle. Dark black pour, little bit of carbonation. Aroma was bourbon, vanilla and plum. Flavor walt roasted malts, smoke a little chocolate and finished bitter and dry on the palate. Ok, but I wish they’d try updating the recipe to make it bolder.