Courage Russian Imperial Stout

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

1993 bottle from Goldtwins sampled 5/08 - Thanks!. Completely still. Body is more of a murky deep brown than black. Nose is similar to Sam Adams Triple Bock, as mentioned in previous reviews. Sherry & soy dominate. There is a roastiness behind that, albeit very subtle. Tobacco and port-like fruits also make an appearance. There is a slight sour twang when it first hits the tongue, then sherry, nice bitter malt, alcohol and raisin. Chocolate and alcohol become more prominent in the finish along with tart raisins. Plenty of body left on this at 15 years. Glad I got a chance to try this but I don’t believe I would seek it out again.

1993 vintage shared by Jason. The beer pours to a flat dark brown body with no head. The aroma is very much like Sam Adams Triple Bock. Rich leathery dark malts, soy sauce, boiled down and concentrated gastrique of molasses and salt, rich barley, and maple syrup. The flavor is rich chocolate, maple syrup, soy sauce, chocolate syrup, Sam Adams Triple Bock. Rich malty woody palate.

1993 bottle. Poured deeper brown with just about zero head sticking around. The aroma picked up rich vinous notes, soy, and mild, sweeter maple with no hoppage left.. light roast and mostly sweet. The flavor had rich soy and maple syrup with some dark vinous notes and chocolate.. more vinous notes toward the back and some sweeter chocolates joining in on the finish.. a touch of herbal notes as well. Medium or slightly heavier bodied with no noticable carbonation.. sweeter finish with chocolate, soy, and vanilla.. tasty stuff!

Re-rate 9/5/09: Bottle sample at Kulminator in Antwerp after LCRBM. 1983 bottle. black-colored. Aroma of chocolate, sherry, coffee and dark fruits. Sweet chocolate flavor with some nice bitterness - licorice, alcohol, plums, raisins and some oxidation. Full-bodied. 8/4/7/4/15=3.8

1973 bottle from eBay. Dark brown to black color - not totally opaque. No real head but a bit of light-brown bubbles. Great aroma of dark chocolate, some milk chocolate, a bit of coffee, some licorice, light fruitiness and notes of alcohol. Wonderful sweet flavor with malt, roastiness, bitter chocolate, caramel, some saltiness, dried fruits notes and some roasty bitterness that’s getting stronger by the almost completely dry finish. Medium to full body, a bit syrupy. Really great at this age of 35 (!) years.
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I just poured the end of the bottle to the snifter and now it’s a bit sour and astringent. 8/4/9/4/17=4.2

1983 vintage sampled at Kulminator. Pours a pitch black color with a thin light brown head. Interesting aroma chocolate, coffee and mild madeira. The roasted malt and chocolate are still nicely present in the mouth, there’s also a mild madeira feeling and mild bitterness in the end. The body is light with a vinous texture and low carbonation. Pretty good for a 25 years old beer.

Poured from a 170 ml bottle, thanks to Larry. Cap pops with no carbon hiss but rather an awkward squirting sound. Pours still and oily sienna brown with some golden tan around the rim. Aroma suggests chocolate and sherry for the most part, very vinous and deep, with a definite presence of sour, vinegar and wood oxidation underneath; hints of pineapple, caramel, and alcohol. First flavor is of molasses and a dried out, woody soy sauce; lots of burnt honey, vinous plums and ashy tobacco, all mildly soured with age. Oily palate is still and wet; finishes with some mild cheesiness, honey and caramel. Cool to try this, and looking forward to older vintages.

170ml generously shared by stine. Slightly oxidized on the nose... not in a bad way at all. Smells and tasted more like a sherry than a beer. Rum soaked raisins, charred toffee and alcohol. Some alcohol soaked wood as well. Pours nearly opaque brown. Absolutely still. Lots of raisin, fig and date flavors. Alcohol soaked dark fruit. Slightly nutty. Slightly sour from oxidation but not all that bad. Oily and flat on the tongue with a lasting alcoholic fruity finish. Not bad, but definitely past its prime.

Absolutely still when poured, no head and a very dark brown nearing black in the middle. Nose is full with tobacco and lots of sweet sherry notes. Barely resembles a beer, way more like a liqueur. Some oxidation is present but it’s not bad considering this has lost all its CO2. Some burnt sugar and molasses and maybe a bit of chocolate.