Russian Imperial Stout (2011)
(Batch of Russian Imperial Stout)
Courage in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England 🏴
Stout - Imperial Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.65
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Brewed to perfection only once a year, Courage Imperial Russian Stout enjoys a rich, espresso body with pear overtones and an intriguing fresh smokey, fruity finish.
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BlackHaddock (17284) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
275ml bottle (2012 vintage) at home on 7th April 2016. Poured into ’Gordons’ thistle shaped glass, it is very, very dark, the head a wispy light tan colour. Rich, smooth and boozy with coffee and dark chocolate esters oozing through the brew, raisin like flavours abound with a wild berry undertone. Very drinkable.
kajser27 (3009) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Dark brown to black colored, small tan creamy head, good lasting. Aroma is of chocolate, brown sugar, roasted malt, licorice, dark fruits, bit burnt. Taste is medium sweet chocolate, bit brown sugar, licorice, roasted coffee, medium bitter dark chocolate, dry finish, bit burnt. Medium to full bodied, creamy, soft carbonation. (bottle, Bor Bar, Samobor)
minutemat (16258) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
330ml bottle @ Shrewsbury Beer Share, Feb 16, courtesy of Mike. Many thanks! Pours black with small tan head. Aroma is dusty old dried fruits. Taste is quite lean with smooth light dark fruits and caramel, some chocolate malts, faint liquorice. Decent but rather thin. Would’ve loved to try the original.
ogivlado (19466) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottled 275ml. -from Pivoteka Zagreb. Vintage 2013. Deep black coloured, small to medium sized brown head, chocolate in the nose. Roasted malt, chocolate, distinct alcohol presence, some licorice and notes of prunes. Bitter and pretty harsh roasty finish.
cmacklin (5055) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
275ml bottle. (2012 Vintage) Pours an opaque black with sediment and a small, short lived, tan head that leaves spotty lacing. Sweet aroma of roasted malt, dried fruit, licorice, dark chocolate and alcohol. Sweet flavour of roasted malt, licorice, dried fruit, dark chocolate, soy sauce and warming alcohol with a dry, bitter coffee finish. Full body with a rich, oily texture and soft carbonation. Nice.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
2012 bottle (shelf), drunk 11/25/15.
Opened this at room temperature and it poured an ebony black with a dark tan head. Moderate retention, as the head eventually fades to cover. Clarity indeterminable, but I assume this is filtered.
Prunes, salted toffee, bittersweet chocolate and vanilla in the nose give a very true and classic rendition of the style. Like Harvey’s with some peanut brittle notes, tons of vinousness, light ash and well-controlled alcohol.
So I gotta admit, I was expecting a thin, filtered, fizzily-carbonated, mediocre beer. And I can’t help but say, this stuff is pretty god damned good. Rich flavors showcase a caramel and chocolate maltiness that is chewy and supple, despite being well-attenuated. Lovely prunes, cigars, raisins and salted toffee add tons of complexity and keep things dry but still add a wonderful bittersweet, lightly tart edge. Carbonation is low, but ample and not fizzy or seemingly force carbonated (though I’ve got to imagine it is). Espresso, prunes, cigars, salt and more fruitiness lingers long. Very impressed. Will be buying another bottle soon.
Alengrin (11609) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bottle bought at the Great British Beer Festival. I have tasted the previous John Smith version on several occasions, but always vintages of considerable age, and I was curious to find out how it tastes (relatively) fresh, assuming Charles Wells has maintained the same recipe, which I cannot assess at this point. In any case I find it very useful that this stout is still continued albeit by someone else as, after all, this is a beer with an impressive pedigree, in representing a direct lineage to the first Russian imperial stouts in history (at least in England - I read Ireland used the phrase "imperial stout" even before the export to Russia started). Pale greyish beige, irregular, very creamy head leaving membranous lacing on the edge of the glass, colour is a very dark reddish mahogany but this is only visible on the edges, otherwise this beer is ink black. Powerful and enticing aroma of all the classic ingredients: cold black coffee, bitter chocolate, toffee, bayleaf, pipe tobacco ashes, cinnamon, dry cocoa, damp earth, ’haemoglobin’ iron, freshly ground black pepper, dried leaves, subtle hints of soy sauce, smoked pork, burnt wood, vanilla and beef jerky. Intense and rich in the mouth but very well ’controlled’, with a restrained dried fruit sweetness (raisin, dried plum) at first glance, surrounded by a deep basic grain sourishness for balance and a light meaty umami flavour; soft carbo, thickly oily body, deep and rich, layered maltiness, caramelly and nutty, but very (bitterly) chocolatey as well, with coffeeish roasted bitterness towards the end, filling the mouth cavity in a soft, mild but thorough way; finish is a wave of this toasted and roasted bittersweet maltiness, gliding down the throat like warm chocolate sauce, along with warming, faintly rhum-like alcohol built in very cleverly and providing only structure, which goes for an earthy, slightly peppery hop bitterness as well. Delicious, bittersweet chocolate maltiness is the last thing that remains along with the alcohol warmth. Clearly this has remained as noble and classic as I remember it - this is the archetypical RIS everyone venturing into the style, should start with. Absolutely lovely.
Tinus (5080) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Dark brown colour, off-white head. Aroma of caramel, chocolate, soy sauce, brown sugar, hint of coffee. Sweet flavour, caramel, coffee. liquorice and brown sugar. Finish liquorice, roasted malts and caramel.
(from 275mL bottle @ ZZT XII, ’Getting Joes’d to this’, Oirschot. Thanks for sharing, joes!)
Benzai (24515) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle @ ZZT XII. Opaque pitch black color, medium sized brown head. Smell and taste malts, some liquorice, dark chocolate, nice bitterness. Quite good! Nice one!
hohops (2663) reviewed Russian Imperial Stout (2011) from Courage 10 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
2013 vintage. Appearance- black, opaque, a 2-3 finger thick and creamy light brown head. Looks the business. Aroma- milk chocolate to the fore, liquorice hints, molasses, raisin, coffee, roast malt, hint of smoke and leather, caramel malt. Taste- lots of coffee, brown sugar, cocoa powder, treacle, molasses, big roast malt. Chewy and silky mouthfeel, with a lengthy very bitter finish. Becomes more intensely roasted as it warms. Impressive.