Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

nice beer. nicely balanced; pretty much as expected. good head an lace. fragrant with rich juicy fecund roasty aromas. not much lace tho. long finish. I’ll have another, dammit. Oh this one is from a bottle at the Bodega Brew Pub downtown La Crosse, Wis.

Count Chocula goodness! The burnt malts bring out a chocolate taste that is insatiable. The pour is pitch black, as expected. Completely opaque. Great crisp flavor. Some coffee tones with the choco. Burnt flavor comes out a bit more as it is drank. Little carbonation, as is normal with a stout. Crisp, robust, not too heavy. Quite good. One of the better stouts out there.

Bottle (500ml). Via trade with Degarth. Poured opaque brown-black with a solid foamy brown lasting head (4+). Solid roast malt aroma, light molasses, sour cherry, chocoalte, herbal, almost celery-like hops, hint of tea and milk, not much alcohol - smooth and balanced. Taste is heavy with molasses, cherry syrup, herbal hops and more alcohol than the aroma - really syrupy and thick, mild carbonation, roast in the aftertaste, sweeter up front, a bit tongue-coating - pretty solid imperial, not too strong but full-bodied. Big thanks to Degarth for sending me a bunch of "Stoutie" eligible brews!

Pours dark dark brown with very little head. Fairly complex aroma with berries, coffee, chocolate, and some smokiness. Flavor is decent. Decent beer, but not great for an imperial stout, nor is it my kind of imperial stout.

Initial aromas of pineapple and flowers. Obsidian black, dense, shiny and oily. Gritty coffee grounds and buttery graham cracker crust arrive in the nose with time. Tastes a little sour to start. Molasses, lemon, and coffee past its prime. A domineering but courteous mouthfeel, certainly assertive but not violently so. A strange hint of hollow acidity fades into the thick body as it warms. An unassuming, quality imperial stout.

Yeah this is good. One thing it has going for it is the English style. I’m pleased it isn’t filled with coffee or hops. Black, syrup like texture. Nearly no head at all. Flavor has merlot and roasted grains. Flavor is more vinous character and more roasted malt, with almost a popcorn taste but not quite there. Some salt. Good palate, but not especially good for the style.

Dark color. Smell of hops, roasted malt, coffee, berries, chocolat, caramel and a hint of smoke and vanilla. Tastes the same. Very smooth and rich. Nice lingering bitterness makes this a great Imperial stout.

From a wax-dipped bomber. Pours with a nice brown head that is a little too cola-fizzy for me. The palate in general is quite the same. Not too heavy a drinker, but this doesn’t call you back for more, either. Also seems a little thin and unassertive for the style, seemingly bridging the gap between an RIS and a normal stout. The brits would probably call this a Double Stout, but I digress...

I’m not writing specific notes for this because it pretty much tastes like any other IS, just in lesser and less exciting quantities. I certainly wouldn’t use the words "tremendous," "profusion," "massive," "thick," and "rich" as they have in their description.