Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

16 oz. bottle - Poured black with medium tan head that faded quickly. Aroma - burnt smokey coffee, dark fruits and also slight merlot scent. Flavor - ashtray, licorice, pencil shavings and black currant. Palate - thin mouthfeel with little carbonation. Finish is very dry and aftertaste is like an ashtray. Overall - A decent Imperial Stout except for dry ashy taste. Probably would not purchase again!!

Pours a midnight black with a burnt coffee aroma. Smooth,complex flavor of the darkest malts. Finishes very well, without being bitter. Not to be taken lightly or for amateurs. Overall, very good russian stout and worth trying again. Thanks CB.

From the bottle, pours black with a thin foamy tan head. Aroma is of figs and chocolate and cocoa powder. Taste is silky smooth, with flavors of dark malts, cocoa paowder, currants, and finishes ever so slightly bitter. This is a very drinkable impy stout, and therefore potentially dangerous. I’d get this again.

Bottle pours black with light brown head. Aroma is roasted caramel, coffee, and some molasses. It does not seem to have the complexity in aroma that other imperial stouts have. Mouthfeel is a bit thin for the style. Flavor follows the aromas and is not very remarkable as an imperial stout. Overall a nice brew, just not one of the best.

Coldwater, chocolate, hazelnut aroma. It smelled nice, but it the aroma was a little light. Looks like burnt motor oil with a tan head. I really like the feel of the bottle - squat, potato masher grenades - I wish that they weren’t twist-offs. This is just strange to me -- I’ve been picking up pencil shavings in beers recently, and this one is apparently on that conveyer belt. Woody/cedar initial intake, dry nuts - toasted soy, carob, thin prune juice. Some chili powder in the finish. Interesting.

Completely pitch black coloured body with a muddy look and a nice dark brown head atop - pretty nice! Aroma of super roasted (burnt) malt, coffee (a la starbucks - again, burnt), caramel, toffee and a bit of deep macadamia nuts. Full-bodied; Suprisingly light grape taste up front, then masked almost entirely with the burnt malt tastes soon after, touched by a tiny bit of honey and caramel. Aftertaste is definitely bittered out by malt, molasses, figs and a touch of licorice. Overall, an overpowering, strong and agressive imperial stout - not my favourite, but showing character and impressionable. I sampled this bottle, aged about two years, purchased in December 2006 from Oliver’s Beverage in Albany, New York, sampled on 10-January-2009 at home in Washington. The bottle was 65 cL with a golden wax seal (that cracked a bit into the bottle)with a small notecard attached.

16 oz bottle. Pours a thick, black with a tan head that has nice retention and laces very nicely. Aroma is very malty with dark chocolate, roast, and a touch of coffee. Flavor is dark chocolate, a bit of caramel and a hint of coffee. It gets a bit sweeter as it moves across your tongue. The mouthfeel is very nice too. Rich and silky. I am very surprised how much I like this beer! If you havent tried it yet....do it. Its worth it.

Bottle shared by Robert at SL. Pour was pretty typical for the style, deep dark black color, choco-colored head that was not all that big in size. The aroma was cocoa-chocolate and light roast, some faint vinous notes, lacking hop aroma. The flavor followed the aroma, chocolate (milk chocolate at that) at the fore of the experience with only light roasty character. Somewhat boring and lacking bold character to be excellent, but it was decent. Mouthfeel was full and silky.