Leinenkugels Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at Leinenkugel Brewing Company (MillerCoors)
Style: Imperial Stout
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin USA

12 oz, much obliged to General Gao for this one! Opaque black brew with a two-finger creamy head that lasts forever and leaves sticky frosting behind. Aroma of red-eye gravy, molasses, mild cured tobacco, cocoa and coffee. Flavor is sweeter than the aroma indicates but that’s OK with me: chocolate, coffee, honey, hickory wood, whiskey, vanilla and light smoked meat. Tobacco and mocha coffee aftertaste, with occasional metallic notes. Medium-heavy body is smooth and slightly sticky with barely enough drying on the finish.

Bottle. Pours pitch black, like motor oil, and produces a small, dense mocha head that dissipates almost immediately to a thin swirl and collar leaving little bits of lacing. The smell is a massive malt bomb with coffee, chocolate, licorice and tons of dark fruit in the nose as well. The taste is as big as the smell with a more pronounced bitterness on top of the roasted malts. Semi-sweet chocolate and dark fruits are also in abundant supply in the taste. The mouthfeel is decadent, super creamy and sticks completely to the inside of the mouth. This is one of the better straight-up RIS’s I’ve had in recent memory. It’s a massive beer and definitely a sipper.

Pours pitch black with a small brown head. Aroma dominated by good dark roasted coffee and black olives. Super concentrated flavor with a lot of licorice to it.

On tap at Stub & Herb’s in Minneapolis, MN. Dark black pour with little head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate and coffee. Similar flavor, but much fuller. Flavor lingers. Incredibly smooth, malty mouthfeel.

(12oz. Bottle courtesy of Headbanger). Aroma is a big deep sweet roasted scent. Color is beyond black with nice carbonation and a tiny tight head. Taste is huge and complex. Starting with a thick full body it goes down with a rich feel. Finish bursts out with a sweet roasted malt that is full of caramel and resin flavors and a slight sour twang. After taste is more sweet and raisin with a little alcohol and red wine feel. Wow this is just fabulous, one of the best Imperial Stouts I have ever had.

Bottle shared by Eric. Pours a pure black body with a small beige head. The aroma was straight out of a bakers oven; tons of sweet plums, dark chocolate cake, and some super sweet candies. The taste was also very sweet; chocolates, brown sugar, some smoked candies, a touch of toasted malts, and overall a really dessert like brew. A great mouthfeel, rich and full. Very enjoyable.

bottles aplenty from at least half of the folks who have traded with me over the last year... thanks! pours as black as brown can be with a medium brick reddish brown cap. it stains pretty wickedly and leaves behind some decent drippy lacing. smells like malted chocolate ovaltine...really! also, black raisins, molasses, sweet grain and cream... smells like an amped up baltic porter. the flavor is a very robust though sweetened version of the aroma... arggh.... chocolate brownies and burnt black raisin bread with a light sourness and some astringency on the finish. medium body. it seems rather rich and creamy but i’m sure it’s just the sugar messing up my palate... bastards!...

Many thanks to hoppymeal for throwing in this as a wants list extra. It pours dark black with a thin layer of brown head. Nose is slight soy, tons of dark fruit, bitter chocolate, toffee, and alcohol. Great smelling beer and I could get a whiff from a few feet away. Taste is really similar with a ton of dark fruits, and a bitter roasty finish. Huge viscous mouthfeel. A great RIS, one of my favorites from all of the ones I have tried in the past few months.