Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout

Sample at GABF 2009. Pours a menacing black color with tan head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, wood, hints of smoke, cherries, and toffee. Flavor is about the same. Full body with a bourbon, chocolate, malt finish. Very nice.

750mL bottle, #263 of 1152, poured into a tulip. Pours an opaque black with an enormous creamy tan head, at least 3 inches tall, that goes nowhere and leaves massive lacing. The aroma is dominated by dark roasted malts and cocoa with the bourbon coming in very faintly. The oak and vanilla are present as well. The taste has a bit more bourbon character and there is a sweet bourbon kick up front before the dark chocolate malts take over in the middle. There is actually a hint of citrus hops in the finish along with a powdered cocoa finish which comes off a little dry. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a ton of carbonation, maybe a little too much, but it’s still a solid feel overall. This is a very good impy stout and extremely drinkable. It’s definitely on the sweeter side of things with the chocolate playing a major role and the bourbon staying largely out of te way. Very drinkable for the style and recommended overall.

Pours thick dark chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate aroma mostly. Above average mouthfeel of course and its chocolate and coffee. On the sweet side, drinkable to a point. Good though not th best RIS I have had.

This beer broke my cherry on imperial stouts and now I’m a big stout hound-dog. Served at Seattle International Beer Festival in 2008.

sample from the pitcher at GABF on 9/26/09... this was one of my favorites at GABF this year... really nice BA Imperial Stout from a solid brewery. pitch black pour with a tan head... really nice bourbon nose... extremely smooth medium to thick body... bourbon throughout with a long presence on the finish. I need some bottles of this now!

Sampled at GABF 2009. Pours black with a tan head. Raisin, prune, and chocolate aromas. Dark fruit, coffee, and baker’s chocolate flavors. Good but not great.

750ml Bottle. Bottle 125 of 1152.
Black/ dark brown pour. Dark brown head. Aroma of HUGE vanilla, wood, nice chocolate. Yum, Macciato. A hint of bourbon as it warms. Flavor is lots of creamy chocolate with a nice blend of bourbon. Some wood, and mellow vanilla. I love that sweet bourbon. Creamy and Heavy bodied. A+
Rating #2250.

Time to catch up before BCTC. Bottle at PilsnerPeter’s Spring Throwdown. Thank to everyone who brought great beer and ribs and pickles and everything! Black with ring head. Woody chocolate bourbon aroma. Woody chocolate dark fruit bourbon flavor. Clean woody finish. Excellent.