Michigan Brewing Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Michigan Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Webberville, Michigan USA

Slight aroma of chocolate and coffee, a touch of vanilla lurking behind that. Pours a wonderful black with a full tan head. Nice thick, creamy mouthfeel. Coffee and chocolate in the taste as well, just a bit of alcohol burn in the back of the throat. Overall, a very tasty beer.

On tap at the Pizza Plant. Followed up the Rogue Imperial Porter with this, which may not have been fair. Still, an exceptional tap brew, and I can’t say anything bad about it. Choclatey finishe, deep and dark... what’s not to like?

Full flavored.. roasted chocolates balance perfectly with citrus notes; alcohol content is quite high but well masked by robust flavor, although tends to linger on palate. Consistency in appearance, holds well and maintains rich aroma throughout. One of the better Imperials.. sophisticated.. not for beginners or faint of heart.

deep black body with a tan head. smells of orange and pineapple in a not good way. flavor is alcohol with a strong citrus hop and bitter chocolate. roasted caramel and spruce. there is a lot of burnt notes, but they don’t come together that well. alcohol bite with mean plums. chocolate lingers. this does not work for me.

Draught sample at MBG 2006 Summer Festival. Deep brown-black with a small tan head. Sweet, roasty, malty aroma. Soft, creamy body. Flavour is sweet and roasty - chocolate & coffee, bit of smoke - with a long, warm finish with booze and a hint of hops. Very good.

Draught. At 2006 Michigan Brewers’ Guild Festival. Black with ruby highlights, very small tan head. Deep dry roast aroma, nutty, with bitter hops and some alcohol - bang-on. Taste of booze, nut/coffee deeply roast malt, plenty of hop and alcohol bitterness, some dark fruit and molasses character, possesses a wickedly long oily bitter alcoholic finish. Lovely thick mouthfeel, syrupy, very lightly carbonated, bitter and complex on my palate - other than being a little "hot" this is a superb imperial.

Michigan Brewers Festival 2006. Black body with a wee head. Oily palate is quite sweet and roasty. Mild sweet roast in the aroma with just a touch of dark malt. Palate is smooth with its medium oily mouthfeel. Solid but lacks depth and complexity. 7+/3/6/4/14

Hand-bottled sample: Pours a viscous oily black with dark brown edges and a thin dark tan head. Young earthy dark roasty malt aroma has some mild smoke and green hops. Starts with sweet sticky maltiness, some dark fruit complexity and a bittering hoppy finish. A nice, but young imperial stout. This should age really well. Too bad they don’t bottle it.