Imagine
Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery

ImagineImagine
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From:
Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #103
ABV:
15%
Score:
95
Ranked #1,785
Avg:
4.29 | pDev: 8.86%
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
113
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 08, 2024
Added:
Nov 14, 2011
Wants:
  193
Gots:
  22
Matured 9 & 21 months in bourbon barrels.

40 cases produced, released at the pub every other year, most recently November 2011.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Azurescens:
Photo of Azurescens
Reviewed by Azurescens from Washington

4.7/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle poured into snifter reviewed on 11/28/11

A: Pours black with thin light brown head that dissipates fairly quickly into a frothy collar that leaves spotty lacing around glass. Clear dark brown when held to light.

S: Lots of chocolate with tons of oak, vanilla and bourbon from the barrel aging. Some dark fruit notes and plenty of alcohol, but not so much that it overpowers the other aromas like many beers this big.

T: Huge, rich and packed full of flavor. A decent amount of dark fruit from start to finish from the Belgian yeast, raisins, molasses with lots of distinct bittersweet chocolate. Oak, vanilla, roasted malt and some bourbon are present along with a slight smokiness. Definitely some alcohol but it is really mellow with next to no heat, very impressive.

M: Amazingly smooth, medium body that is quite a bit lighter than most imperial stouts. Velvety smooth semi-sweet finish.

O: So smooth and flavorful, the belgian yeast adds a great dark fruit character that complements and balances the chocolate and barrel flavors really well. This is unbelievably easy drinking for 15% ABV, 12oz goes down way too easily. Very unique beer, I can honestly say I haven't had anything quite like it before. Definitely worth seeking out!
Nov 29, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.37/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
500 ml bottle into a snifter. The 2023 edition, had 2/2/24.

Pours near black and opaque, with a half inch foamy head and light, foamy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, malt, oak, vanilla, some chocolate and licorice, a little Belgian yeast. Flavors of bourbon, roasted malt, oak, vanilla, some chocolate, a little licorice. Tastes herbal. Smooth, a very good fuller body, well carbonated.

I didn’t find this to be very Belgian, seemed more like a foreign export stout or a Baltic porter. But why nitpick? There’s delicious and prominent barrels, and it’s flavorful and aromatic overall. This is well executed and very enjoyable. Best fully warmed.
Mar 08, 2024
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Dec 21, 2023
Photo of janosbaci
Rated by janosbaci from California

4.87/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
beautiful finish, right out the get-go. No bitterness, slight bit of viscosity. A True Dessert beer to share with good friends.
Sep 23, 2023
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
14.5% either 22 or 23

On tap. A lot of barrel and char here. Light roast. Nice bourbon and chocolate. I don’t think I’d have guessed this to be a Belgian imperial stout.
Jul 13, 2023
Photo of bitterandstout
Reviewed by bitterandstout from Oregon

4.46/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L: diabolically black
S: oaky, cocoa, toasty malt, dark fruit, a wee bourbon smell.
T: toasted malt,dark chocolate,bourbon, dried plums, & cherries.
F: full bodied mouth feel, very warm
Only wish I'd got more than one bottle
Jan 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4.16 by CraftFan5 from New Jersey

Nov 18, 2021
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.49/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a thin brown head that dissipates to a film with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, woody oak, light bourbon, cocoa and vague dark fruit. Flavor is dark toasted malt, licorice, dark chocolate, bourbon, dried plums. Finishes with woody oak, bourbon and a mild astringency. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. A rich, bourbony, dark stout with distinct woody oak character. It has some mild dark fruitiness of Belgian stout yeast, but that profile is subsumed into the other, deeper flavors of chocolate and dark malt. The overall taste profile reminds me more of an American strong blended ale, with that style's melding of stout and barleywines (here represented by the Trappist yeast fruit notes). Fine balance, great depth and complexity. I'm not getting the cherry notes and mild tartness that other reviewers have noted, which is good because the latter is not something I like in stouts. Beautifully brewed, aged and blended, as expected from Block 15.
Jan 18, 2021
Photo of Lingenbrau
Reviewed by Lingenbrau from Oregon

4.17/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2019 version from the bottle. 13.5%

Hard to knock much on the appearance here. It's diabolically black, mirror clean, and boasts a thin tan head which remains as just a ring around the glass.

The aroma is sweet and slightly tart. Heavily handed with milk chocolate, plum, and maraschino cherries, with a generous dose of damp oak staves. The booze is definitely present but is masked quite well.

The flavor is substantially unique. It says right there on the label "Belgian-Style Stout", but what the hell does that mean? Well, in this case it means exactly what the aroma indicates: a milk chocolate covered maraschino cherry, complete with a nutty almond caramel drizzle and a smooth woody finish.

Slick and rich textures are competing to the death against the mildy tart and wood derived drying finish. The elevated abv is barely noticeable if it weren't for the woods dead giveaway. It has a uniquely bubbly feel to it too. I'd say it fits somewhere right between a Flanders Red and a "stout".

Very impressive and curious brew we have here. Overall, despite what it dictates on the label, I'd call this a wonderful bridging of styles and think it just might benefit greatly with some time, forgotten under the staircase.
Dec 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.2 by fthegiants from California

Dec 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by NickThePyro from Washington

Nov 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.15 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jun 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by VashonGuy from Washington

May 21, 2019
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.34/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On tap at ABV. 11.5%

Black with a dark brown head that falls off rapidly leaving little lacing this looks solid. The nose is a wonderfully complex with spicy Belgian stout and a strong bourbon note. Chocolate, bitter chocolate, chocolate ganache, buckwheat honey, dark caramel, toffee. A mild booze note is present as well. The palate opens bittersweet with dark chocolate, honey, butterscotch, honey, dark toffee , spice. Dark caramel. Licorice and a mild leather. Full in body and softly carbonated, mildly boozy on the finish. Excellent.
Dec 13, 2018
 
Rated: 4.23 by Samact from Vermont

Nov 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.8 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Sep 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by jwat from Pennsylvania

Mar 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Jan 22, 2018
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours fudge brown and flat; bubbles form from the strength of the pour but fade away presently

Smell: Chocolate, dark fruit, smoke, Bourbon and oak

Taste: Bourbon forward, with chocolate, dark fruit and cherry tones prominent; hints of vanilla, smoke and oak, through the middle, with the Bourbon dominating the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and flat; warmth in the gullet

Overall: Received from a forgotten BA in a trade some time ago and aged, due to the high ABV; likely 2013 (or earlier, but no way of knowing); the lack of carbonation is not all that surprising for a high ABV beer but, even if the carbonation were better, I am not sure that I would have warmed to this beer
Jun 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.24 by South2NW from Oregon

Sep 06, 2016
Imagine from Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 113 ratings