Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout

Brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Missoula, Montana USA

Bottle #125 (of 1152). Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with a thin, off-white head. Smell: Rich, fragrant melange of roasted maltiness and downright delectable bourbon aromas. The Yankee Candle Co. needs to knock it off with candle fragrances like Plumeria and Blue Hydrangea and release a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout series of votive and jar candles. Taste: Sweet, roasted malt flavors of dark chocolate, caramel, Breakfast Blend coffee (with cream and sugar, natch), and licorice sticks. Oh, but here come the bourbon tastes: brown sugar, vanilla beans, wood, coconut. Mmm-mm! Round and round the flavors go, my friends. A light, earthy bitterness peeks out through the heavy layers of malt and bourbon flavors. No more than a minor hint of booze. Finishes with a pleasant mixture of bourbon barrel hints and sweet roastiness. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: There was a time, if you can scarcely believe it, that I had little faith in Big Sky’s offerings. In fact, it was any day prior to 3/28/09. But I was blown away by this one, it is one very tasty, highly enjoyable barrel-aged Imperial Stout that would pair remarkably well with Sergei Eisenstein’s films on the subject, provided you have those Criterion disks conveniently lying around.

A. Dark fruit, caramel, malt, bourbon, oak App. Opaque dark brown color, Thin light brown head F. Dark fruit ,caramel, choc., bourbon, oak. Fruity/Bitter lingering finish O. Flavorful, rich barrel aged Impy Stout

Bottle 125/1152 thanks to ditmier: Pours an oily opaque black with a thin ring of light tan head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel and chocolate with nice bourbon oaky complexity. Starts with good fullness and rich sweet dark caramel malt with some molten dark chocolate and black cherry notes along with smooth bourbon balance before a bittersweet finish with a touch of roasted malt and chocolate. A very nice barrel-aged imperial stout.

Thanks sebletitje for the share. Frickin amazing beer. Where to begin? Pours deep black with tan head. Nose is toasted malt, coconut, bourbon, vanilla, some oak, overripe dark fruit, and lots of alcohol. Flavor is toasted malt, deep bourbon, magic, strong vanilla, roasted malt, coconut, a ton of depth, a few secrets, and a finish of bourbon, roasted malt, and coconut that makes this beer truly unique. A well-hidden gem that could stand with GI BCS, FFF DL, and Surly Darkness in my opinion. Well-hidden alcohol and well crafted all around.

Bottle #626, courtesy sebletitje. Black pour, thick cocoa colored head, thick lacing. Lots of oak and bourbon in the nose, vanilla, dry grain, slight smoke and ash. Flavor is big on oak, chocolate, bourbon, creamy vanilla. Full-bodied, balanced, quite good.

Bottle: Poured a dark oily black with a tan color head. Aroma is vanilla, chocolate, with wood hints. Taste is chocolate along with vanilla and boozy bourbon wood throught.

750ml bottle. Bottle # 242 of 1152. Aromas of vanilla, bourbon, woody, roasty, and some chocolate. Tastes of vanilla, bourbon, brown sugar, dark fruits, chocolate, and ligher wood. Definitely bourbon in both aromas and tastes (for me that’s not necessarily bad).

courtesy of screamforme. Bottle#626 Pours pitch black with thick lasting mocha head, leave some golden lacing. Aroma had bourbon written all over it, notes of vanilla and wood and light roasted malts. It is primarily bourbon that comes thru and not too over the top. Taste, quite boozy for 8.5% and glad it wasn’t any higher. Starts sweet with notes of vanilla then bourbon topped with roasted malts and chocolate and some light notes of dark fruits.. All is just well balanced. That was some yummy beer.