Courage Russian Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at John Smiths (S&N, Heineken)
Style: Imperial Stout
Tadcaster, England

1983: Pours with a black body topped by a medium thick head with some lacing. It’s slightly sweet and malty yet sour and vinious with a slight roastiness. Medium to full bodied and smooth.

Vintage 1983: Succulent vinious aroma, outrageously vibrant with an atmosphere reminiscent of damp basements lined with old books. Waves of cork, wood, and grapes swirl in the air. Vinious, sour, grapey flavors imbedded in a complex composition of damp & woody matured malts that amazingly allow you to feel the taste of time. it’s inconceivable how this beer is 22 years old and in such perfect shape.

Here it is, my 1000th rating on my 1 year anniversary! Bottle shared with egajdzis (thanks!). Vintage 1981. Poured a dark, dark reddish brown color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, smoke, and light coffee. Tastes of dark fruits, coffee, chocolates, and brown sugar. Light vinous quality as well. Sweet and smooth body. Lightly spicy. Couldn’t think of a better beer to celebrate my 1000th!

OK - this being retired, no reason to do things half-way. Opting for a 1983 bottle. Wenn schon, denn schon. Fully ink-black beer with small amber brown head (stable, after 25 years!). Overpowering dark malts, concentrated portwine, and - sorry - urine, as well as quite fruity (grapes). Ink taste (too!), walnuts, tannines, woody, dark fruits, sweet & mild bitter. In the finish, some very nice pastry-like sweetness emerges. Syrupy, oily, slick MF and super-condensed. When this was relatively recently brewed, I didn’t think much of it. Time has worked wonders - but did it for the beer - or for me?

Massive beer with only medium complexity. roasted coffe notes with a touch of bitter chocalate. Dry almost chalky finish of roasted malts.

1972 6oz bottle drank in 2005: Murky dark brown with a very small persistent large-bubbled tan head that leaves a stain on the inside of the glass while drinking it. Aroma consists of sour cherries, rich plums, roasted malt, bitter chocolate and tobacco is noted after tasting it. Full bodied with an oily texture, it starts bitter, sharp and acidic and ends bitter sweet with a very dry aftertaste and warms the throat. It a way it is sad that this beer was kept in great shape for 33 years and I drank it after owning it for less than 3 weeks; let this be a lesson to the rest of you beers.

1981 sampled 5/6/05... Poured an opaque black color with a small tan head, light lacing on the glass. Aroma of roast, lots of chocolate, caramel malts, and light soy sauce. Much fuller than the 93 (surprisingy!), was very smokey, more chocolate, roast, nuts, and caramel, very light alcohol as well. 4.5
1989 / 1993 sampled 7/05 & 10/04... Poured a dark brown borderline black color with no head, tan bubbles, large yeasties. Dark chocolate and roasted coffee, lightly fruity . Taste was oxidized, tart cherries and grapes, roast, tobacco, and alcohol. Medium mouthfeel. Interesting, though rather old. 3.9
The vintages from the early 80s, are better than the later 80s, and into the 90s.

Sampled at the Kulminator in Antwerpen, Belgium. Vintage 1983. Black. Mellow and pleasant, obviously effected by its age, with notes of blackberries, dark malts and molasses. Lovely. Aged and molded. The flavor profile mainly consists of chocolate, cocoa and coffee. Dark fruits as well with notes of purple grapes, red apples and maple.