Leinenkugels Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout

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

12oz bottle. Poured a dark black color with an averaged sized tan head. Aromas of chocolate, roast, dark fruits, and caramel. Tastes of dark fruits, vanilla, chocolate, roast, and some coffee.

12 oz bottle served at cellar temperature. Thanks to Joey (iowaherkeye) for importing this one from Wisconsin. Poured thick and oily. Opaque black color. Head was light brown and reduced slowly to a clingy film that hung around and left some tattered lace on the glass. The aroma was dominated by raisin, molasses, and alcohol, but there were also dark chocolate, cherry, and coffee notes. I detected a whiff of banana as well. Rum soaked fruit cake came to mind. Sweet on the tongue, but not cloyingly so. The sweetness was mitigated to some degree by a mild bitterness. Full bodied and chewy with carbonation on the low end of the spectrum. There was more roastiness in the flavor than in the nose, especially up front. I tasted dried fruits (fig, raisin, cherry), chocolate liqueur, and a splash of espresso. Delicious.

Poured an opaque black color with a tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of roast, molasses, caramel malts, chocolate, and smoke. Taste of roast, dark chocolate, anise, vanilla, smoke, and alcohol, which left a huge mouthfeel in its wake.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of a trade with oglethorp. Pours an opaque black with a moderate chocolate brown head that completely faded away before mid-glass. The aroma of this beer is awesome with lots of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, and malt with notes of brandy as well. The coffee is more dominant in the flavor while the chocolate backs off a bit. Dark fruits and malt were also present. Some heat from the alcohol, especially as the beer warms. Moderate bitterness at the finish, a bit more than I care for in a RIS. Not quite as dense or luscious in the mouthfeel as I would expect in a RIS either. Very good, just not quite top shelf.

Thanks for the sample, Kyle. Black body with a light brown head. The aroma is pancakes with some coffee. There are also prunes and milk chocolate. The taste has raisins, milk chocolate. and brandy. The mouthfeel is medium with a little coffee. This is light on the carbonation. The roast character is fairly mild and there is a tannic finish that gets a little more annoying as you drink. Solid effort.

12oz bottle. pours black with very minimal tan head around the rim. the aroma is loaded with sugars, almost in that 07 Dark Lord sorta way, lots of caramel and sweet chocolate, and loaded with raisins. a nice sweet nose. flavor profile is very sweet, molasses, espresso flavors and bittersweet chocolate, caramel, and a strong raisiny finish. the body is oily and a bit thin. alcohol is well hidden though. carbonation is a tad fizzy from beginning to finish. i can’t help but think 07 Dark Lord when I drink this. ages well? It’ll need several years and who knows if a Leinenkugel beer could age that long.

Poured pitch black with a nice sized brown head. Has a lots of dark fruits in the nose, chocolate, molasses, caramel. Flavor at first was too sweet, but opened up really well after swishing this around a bit. Chocolate, and sweet caramel, a bit of spice and smoke as well. A bittersweet finish, very thick and oily. At first taste I thought I might hate it, but it warmed up really well. Very complex, hope it ages well.

Thanks for sharing, Ken! Pitch black, thick creamy tan head. Sweet vanilla cream rides over waves of dark fruit, coffee, and chocolate caramel. Sweet port-like flavor rests on roasted coffee and vanilla bean tones. Rounds out with further sweet buttery caramel notes and faint hints of hops. Full bodied, pillow soft carbonation, lightly bittersweet finish. Good rendition here, but a touch too sweet for me personally...