Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

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

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with about an inch of fizzy cola like head. Aromas are odd for the style... caramel and toffee... a little bit of dates. Flavor is also an interesting take. It starts off with a bunch of caramel sweetness but finishes with charcoal and peat, while still remaining fairly sweet. The base flavor is not nearly dark enough for my tastes on this style.

Appearance: Pours a suitable black body with a smallish, light tan-hued head. Smell: Malt-minded nose of chocolate, dark caramel, roast, and a light-handed pinch of anise. There’s a big whiff of dark fruits present as well. Taste: Flavors of roasted barley, semi-sweet chocolate, dark caramel, and even licorice greet the tongue on the first sip. A soft background dark fruitiness gently slides in. Fairly restrained hop presence only provides an ill-defined bitterness as you round the corner to the end. Then, it’s back to the roast and chocolate until the finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel. Drinkability: While it’s not the most exemplary example of a Russian Imperial Stout as it simply lacks the verve and gusto of the style’s stalwarts, it’s still enjoyable and worth a try. So, why not give it try?

Bottle. Dark black pour, little bit of carbonation. Aroma was bourbon, vanilla and plum. Flavor walt roasted malts, smoke a little chocolate and finished bitter and dry on the palate. Ok, but I wish they’d try updating the recipe to make it bolder.

16 oz. bottle - Poured black with medium tan head that faded quickly. Aroma - burnt smokey coffee, dark fruits and also slight merlot scent. Flavor - ashtray, licorice, pencil shavings and black currant. Palate - thin mouthfeel with little carbonation. Finish is very dry and aftertaste is like an ashtray. Overall - A decent Imperial Stout except for dry ashy taste. Probably would not purchase again!!

Pours a midnight black with a burnt coffee aroma. Smooth,complex flavor of the darkest malts. Finishes very well, without being bitter. Not to be taken lightly or for amateurs. Overall, very good russian stout and worth trying again. Thanks CB.

From the bottle, pours black with a thin foamy tan head. Aroma is of figs and chocolate and cocoa powder. Taste is silky smooth, with flavors of dark malts, cocoa paowder, currants, and finishes ever so slightly bitter. This is a very drinkable impy stout, and therefore potentially dangerous. I’d get this again.

Bottle pours black with light brown head. Aroma is roasted caramel, coffee, and some molasses. It does not seem to have the complexity in aroma that other imperial stouts have. Mouthfeel is a bit thin for the style. Flavor follows the aromas and is not very remarkable as an imperial stout. Overall a nice brew, just not one of the best.

Coldwater, chocolate, hazelnut aroma. It smelled nice, but it the aroma was a little light. Looks like burnt motor oil with a tan head. I really like the feel of the bottle - squat, potato masher grenades - I wish that they weren’t twist-offs. This is just strange to me -- I’ve been picking up pencil shavings in beers recently, and this one is apparently on that conveyer belt. Woody/cedar initial intake, dry nuts - toasted soy, carob, thin prune juice. Some chili powder in the finish. Interesting.