Imperial Russian Stout
Brouwerij Emelisse

Imperial Russian StoutImperial Russian Stout
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From:
Brouwerij Emelisse
 
Netherlands
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #409
ABV:
11%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,550
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 10.15%
Reviews:
102
Ratings:
262
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 12, 2023
Added:
Jan 03, 2010
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  22
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by GoldenVIKE:
Photo of GoldenVIKE
Reviewed by GoldenVIKE from Illinois

2.59/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Had a bottle at The Publican, and paid $14!!

A: nice thick pour, creamy beige head that with nice retention and lace.

S: did not smell too great when it was served, but I think the restaurant served it too cold. probably around 40-45 degrees. smelled way more alcoholic than a 11% ABV been should. otherwise, standard coffee and chocolate notes came through, and it smelled much better and richer as the beer warmed.

T&M: first tastes were overwhelmed by alcohol and bitterness, which i didn't expect from a $14 12oz bottle of stout. tastes mellowed nicely as the beer warmed and become much more espresso like by the end. porter-like.

O: for the price there are much better beers out there. while this one did warm up nicely, it didn't offer anything that you can't find in other good stouts or porters.
May 24, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
April 2012: 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11%. Pitch black colour, low tan head. Lovely roasty and malty aroma, notes of coffee, liquorice, tar and oak. Low carbonation. Very roasty flavour, notes of strong coffee, English liquorice and malt sugar. Bitter finish, long bitter aftertaste. Not for the faint of heart.
Oct 12, 2023
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Served from the bottle in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Pours a deep midnight hickory topped by a half-finger of light tan foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, molasses, chocolate syrup, light prune, and a waft of what may or may not be salted caramel. The taste holds notes of toasted pumpernickel, caraway, plum, raisin, light Concord grapes, and cocoa powder. The body is a hefty medium (though still feeling on the thin side), with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Not a bat impy stout, though the Belgian influence - with the fruit characters - does put me off ever so slightly.
Mar 15, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by D-man20 from Pennsylvania

Jan 26, 2021
 
Rated: 3.94 by DvdP from Netherlands

Jan 04, 2021
 
Rated: 3.89 by Oleg85 from Russian Federation

Oct 24, 2020
Photo of josanguapo
Reviewed by josanguapo from Spain

3.91/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
De Decervecitas. En copa Teku. Jugando a MTG Arena y despues a Moonlighter. Una RIS bastante correcta, sin resultar excesivamente dulce ni alcoholica. Potente en aroma. En boca esta rica pero no aporta nada especial
Nov 09, 2019
 
Rated: 4.35 by DylanBrkhff from Netherlands

Aug 22, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.49/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
"Best before 9/2014"; drank 5/27/14 @ the Yarchives.

Black color, with tons of tan globules.

Minimal tan head; minimal lace.

Dark stone fruits, fresh jam & slight booze heat in the nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Milk chocolate up front, raspberry in the middle with a baker's chocolate finish. A fresh jam fruitiness manifests itself on the lips.

A complex, stunning brew. Bravo.
Mar 11, 2019
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.09/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Starts off as a standard RIS, with the accents in smell and taste being a chocolate covered coffee bean. But then as the beer warms up, some sweeter elements join the fun, figs, plum, and port. The leathery texture and taste also add another dimension when warmed. This is sneaky strong in abv, and sneaky good!
Sep 11, 2018
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

3.89/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from fridge temp. Pours jet motor oil black with good carbonation and nice head. Surprised by how much carbonation was on this one. Nose is black licorice, cherries, blackberries, toffee, and chocolate. Taste is really smooth. A bit sweet upfront and then bitter on the back end. Not getting a ton of depth, but really nice burnt malts, licorice, and coffee grounds on the taste. This is definitely what I expect from an RIS, but not the best of the style. Mouthfeel was a bit thin for a RIS, but good.
Sep 09, 2017
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Getting close to #850 I found this Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout that had been sitting at the back of the fridge since last year! I had been meaning to review it for so long however new beers kept popping up and it consequentially got pushed to the back. I’ve heard good things about this Dutch brewery, named after a village in one of the low-lying areas of the Netherlands that got flooded and disappeared off the maps, this Russian Imperial Stout being one of the most vaunted of their brews. I must admit the weather is primed for this 11% ABV RIS - being a chilly (for Brisbane at least) 16 degrees Celsius atm... so time to sit back, pop open a nice RIS and sip it slowly from my Duvel tulip, ahhh, life is good!

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Deep and rich mahogany body, hmmm, not bad, with a centimetre of dense khaki head. It’s a surprise that a beer this strong can even maintain a head, let alone one as luscious as this, excellent work. Lots of yeast clumps at the bottle of the glass, normal for a beer that has been in the fridge for about a year. 9/10.

S: Smells a treat too! Rich espresso, red coffee cherries, vanilla, dark chocolate and an almost floral perfume round out the aroma. Hint of earthiness in there as well, this brew has definitely benefited from a short cellaring in the back of my fridge - when an RIS aroma is this good you just want to tuck straight in. 9/10.

T: The above characters: Rich espresso, red coffee cherries, vanilla, and dark chocolate come through well. Then it takes a decidedly dark fruit slant and throws dates and raisins at you. Touch on the sweeter side - though nothing out of the ordinary given the style. Finish is has a sharp espresso bitter note, a slight detraction from an overall splendid flavour profile. The 11% ABV is hardly noticeable as well, though I suspect this would not be the case with a fresher bottle. 8/10.

M: Decent but not perfect, mid to heavy bodied with a thin carbonation - the only real room for improvement with this brew (oh and the bitterness in the finish). 8/10.

D: Top shelf stuff this! That bitter note, and the thin carbonation were the only things that let Emelisse down. As far as I’m concerned (aware) this is the best RIS I’ve ever had from the Netherlands - a country not well known for Stout styles, however one that I will revisit in future when I spot another Stout from there. Lol, some American reviewer noted that there wasn’t enough bitterness with this brew... maybe I need to get my tongue checked? 8/10.

Food match: Roasted red meats, also chargrilled, with veggies to match, and cigars.
Jun 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.46 by Its_Dipset_Eyy from California

May 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.02 by migleskun from Spain

Mar 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jan 03, 2017
Photo of MaltyPythonsHopCircus
Reviewed by MaltyPythonsHopCircus from Canada (BC)

4.74/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours a deep dark brown with dark tan head. Aromas start with a distinct doughiness followed by chocolate and coffee. Doughy flavour start followed by tobacco, leather and coffee roast. Quite smooth with some roasted malt astringency. Highly drinkable for such a high ABV beer
Nov 08, 2016
Photo of moose1980
Reviewed by moose1980 from Germany

3.86/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Review from a bottle that has been in the cellar for almost two years.

Opaque with a cappuccino-colored, one-finger head that dissipates quickly. Good lacing. Aroma is mainly of cocoa, but not unlike a milk chocolate drink as well. Malty, almost shake-like. Some additional mild coffee notes with caramel, lending to more of a sweet nose than bitter. Very inviting. Taste has more bitterness than the aroma led to believe. Dark, bitter chocolate and coffee grinds dominate, with some supporting liquorice notes. Very low carbonation and thin body, though this could be from the age. Overall, not a bad stout. I just prefer them a little sweeter.
Oct 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by SayBoom from Ukraine

Sep 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.85 by tottel from Netherlands

Sep 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.95 by BarrelAged1991 from Netherlands

May 11, 2016
Imperial Russian Stout from Brouwerij Emelisse
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 262 ratings