Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

16 fl oz bottle. Pours dark brown, almost black with a lacing light brown head. Dried fruit and chocolate aroma. Chocolate and a bit of liqourice make it into the flavour. Ends bitter and chocolate smooth. Lacks some complexity to be really exiting.

Shared by artusory. Pours a moderately dark brown color, lighter than most imperial stouts, with some burnt amber colors underneath the head and also at the bottom of the glass. Nose of muddy roast, light bourbon and heavy yeast, with a bit of a lactic “cheese” funk to the yeast, something I’ve seen before in other stouts and I find unpleasant. The nose also has some oxidized sherry and port scents, even though it’s a fresh bottle. Taste is mildly hoppy, mildly coarse, with heavy cocoa and milk notes. Overcarbonated, and a little too lactic, but it finishes well with an amaretto and cherry tobacco note.

12oz bottle, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a very dark cherry-cola color; thin medium tan head with patchy lacing. Creamy nougat and leather in the aroma; slightly metallic at first. Fluffy, medium mouthfeel: caramel, nougat; similar to the aroma, but with a metallic presence that doesn’t leave here; slightly dry chocolate and caramel in the finish; some cocoa.

Sprecher is a great lager brewery. This, tragically, is an ale. Little head. Dark. Thin malts, a muddy melange of generic imperial stout flavors, not much flavor in general.

Dark beer with a big foamy brown head. Nose of roasted Cocao Puffs cereal. Flavor is initially dominated by the burnt, roast grains. Ash, molassess, licorice, chocolate and sweetened coffee are also in there. The coffee bitterness lingers the longest in the finish. The alcohol is well integrated. Gets more burnt as it warms.

Aroma is heavy with dark fruits, a hint of chocolate, and a bit of alcohol hiding behind it. It pours an opaque black, with about half a finger of tan head. Interesting roasty flavor, hints of coffee and chocolate, with both wrapped around your standard dark fruits. Fairly long sweetish finish. Not bad, but not something I’m going to run after again.

16 oz Bottle; nose of chocolate, raisins, and coffee; opaque black, brown edges, with a big rusty brown, that earns it a five; prettiest beer I’ve had in a while; flavor of chocolate, fig newtons, and a lot of raostiness, and fruitiness; finish is like figs covered with chocolate and a hint of bitterness in the back end. I liked it! Underrated!

Black, brown head. Aroma is kind of like blackberries covered in dark chocolate. Really smooth and creamy. Really appealing flavors of coffee, tobacco, prune, plus some chocolate and other mild fruity flavors. Very little alcohol noticed. Very satisfying.