iStout
8 Wired Brewing Co.

iStoutiStout
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From:
8 Wired Brewing Co.
 
New Zealand
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #344
ABV:
10%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,960
Avg:
4.06 | pDev: 9.36%
Reviews:
120
Ratings:
340
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 21, 2024
Added:
Nov 06, 2010
Wants:
  23
Gots:
  53
Beware, this is a BIG beer. Brimming with luscious roasted coffee and chocolate malt flavours which are balanced by a brisk bitterness and bold freshness from the hops.

If you’re feeling politically incorrect try it with your favourite cigar, or a dram of your best single malt whisky. Or, if your tooth is sweeter, why not jump in at the deep end with the most decadent dessert of all; half a bottle in a glass with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top (beer geeks like us know it as the Imperial Stout Float). Or simply enjoy it on its own as a decadent dessert or night cap - the perfect winter warmer!

If you don’t already know the history of Russian Imperial Stouts please check it out on the internet, it’s a good story. But remember, although based on that century-old classic style, this beer is a very modern interpretation, like all our beers!

70 IBU
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by joemcgrath27:
Photo of joemcgrath27
Reviewed by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)

4.27/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A - jet black, two fingers of tan head, respectable retention with plenty of lacing
S - semi sweet chocolate, burnt coffee beans, dark fruit and alcohol sweetness
T - starts with dark chocolate and candied cherry sweetness, light roast coffee, very mild piney hops
M - chew but lightened by the high ABV%, creamy smooth, roasty bitter finish
O - very tasty and extremely sneaky 10%, if you are a stout fan this could be sessionably dangerous
Jan 19, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by VaporDome from New York

Feb 21, 2024
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
14.9oz undated can poured into a Spiegelau stout glass at fridge temp 10% ABV. The beer pours pitch black with no light penetration and medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Slight lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring dark chocolate, coffee and earthy notes. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt notes of coffee, very dark chocolate and black licorice. Moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with just less that medium carbonation and a mostly dry finish. No hint of the ABV in the aroma or taste. Overall, very good to excellent.
Oct 02, 2023
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.19/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From the can in a snifter. This excellent brew pours a coal black with a
nice head of khaki foam that settles to a thick ring, thin dusty layer, and
sports some very nice lacing. Nose of smoke, char, dark cocoa, dark coffee,
and subtle dark fruits. Flavors nail it for the style. Smoke and char waft around
layers of bakes chocolate, dark coffee, and dark fruits of blueberry and blackberry
lightly touched by brulee. Mouth feel is full, rich, coating, smooth, lightly warming,
and finishing with a perfect balanced bitter malt note.

Overall----near perfect for the style!

Cheers
Aug 12, 2023
Photo of tradershmulie
Reviewed by tradershmulie from Connecticut

4.06/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Great pour, as good as any. Deep black color with carbonation visible. Nice thick head that slowly dissipates.

Smells like a RIS. Nothing special comes through.

Tastes like a pretty typical stout. Nothing bad, but nothing outstanding.

Overall, fine beer, but expensive.
May 11, 2023
Photo of hman43
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

4.49/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Look: It pours very dark brown with a brown head. Head retention is low.

Smell: It has aromas of chocolate and alcohol. It also has strong prune notes with some coffee and roast. Additionally that are some light sherry elements.

Taste: The roast is forward in the flavors with coffee and chocolate. There are some prune and cherry notes with some light sherry elements.

Feel: It has strong, but smooth alcohol warming with a medium full body. It also has quite a smooth texture.

Overall, for such a strong beer, it is quite smooth in the finish. The bitterness is a tinge harsh, but really doesn't take away from the other complex flavors.
Mar 17, 2023
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1874
Name: iStout
Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing
Location: Warkworth, NZ
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 15%
Date: Unknown
This is my second beer from this brewery. The first was Latte stout of storts, and it fell short. I am hoping for some redemption with this stout. Using a tulip glass, I served this beer at around 52 degrees. The pour created a frothy, creamy light tan two-fingered head with excellent retention. The slow dissipation left some lacing on the glass. I am charting the dark brown beer around SRM 34, almost nearly black. The appearance is above average for this style.
Nosing the glass, I smell dark chocolate, medium-roasted coffee, molasses, caramel, bready, dark roasted malts, a slight char, a hint of smoke, a touch of earthiness, and some floral esters.
I tasted dark chocolate, medium roasted coffee, molasses, figs, caramel, raisins, toasted bread crust, bready, a hint of char, some Maillard, and earthiness.
The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. The body is heavy, has low carbonation, and finishes long.
I was expecting a hot beer but only got some alcohol warming. The stout is well made, and I prefer it over the other stout I had from this brewery. The beer is above average, and I would drink it again.
Mar 13, 2023
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Best By: 07-14-23

A - Pitch black pour with a moderate ring of dark caramel, no visible carbonation.

S - Dark roasted chocolate malt and coffee aroma dominate the aroma on this beer. Overall, this smells great!

T - Chocolate malt roast up front followed with a wave of coffee beans and a slight bit of smokey char and alcohol presence with some pine bitterness. Ends with a lingering coffee chocolate bittersweetness with some hop resin buried underneath.

M - Full bodied and silky with minimal warming on the way down.

O - Definitely noteworthy, not a stand out. But would definitely buy this again. Worth a try.
Jan 25, 2023
Photo of WillieThreebiers
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

3.89/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a shiny black with a finger of tan foamy head that slowly settles to a cap with ample lacing. Boozy, bourbon, and some chocolate sweetness. Medium body.
Jan 14, 2023
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
"Best before 1/7/29" (!); drank 12/25/22 @ Pokemon Communion.

Black appearance. Nice tan head; a thick curtain of lace.

Bourbon, oak, dark chocolate & black pepper notes in the nose.

Creamy, medium thick mouthfeel.

Marshmallow, bourbon, oak & dark chocolate flavors.

A nice stout! Tastes more like an American than a Russian in my opinion, though.
Dec 28, 2022
 
Rated: 3.94 by guzzleacoldone from Ohio

Oct 30, 2022
 
Rated: 4.09 by Hopweiser from Korea (South)

Sep 10, 2022
Photo of RonaldTheriot
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana

4.85/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
iStout has a medium, beige head and a dark-brown appearance, with minimal lacing. The aroma is of dark brown bread crust, black cherries, and possibly prunes. The flavor is of those elements, with deep char and strong bitterness. iStout has a medium body, a slightly-velvety mouthfeel, and a mostly-dry finish.

RJT
Aug 14, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Mar 07, 2022
 
Rated: 3.8 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 27, 2022
Photo of Snowcrash000
Reviewed by Snowcrash000 from Germany

4.24/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a pitch-black coloration with a large, creamy. mocha-colored head. Smells of roasted, caramel malt, chocolate and coffee, with hints of licorice and herbal hops coming through as well. Taste is an excellent balance of quite roasted, caramel malt and strong notes of coffee and dark, bitter chocolate, as well as some red berries, tobacco, licorice and hints of herbal, bitter hops. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some caramel malt, coffee, chocolate and licorice lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

This is a Stout right after my own heart, with its dry, roasted and bitter flavor profile, although the caramel malts add a bit of sweetness to this as well, which feels rather light and just adds to the balance here though. There's a hint of acidity as well, probably from the quite roasted malts, which again integrates itself well into the overall flavor profile though. The intense notes of roasted, slightly acidic, dark and bitter malts, coffee and chocolate really stand out here, with some red berries, tobacco, licorice and herbal hops adding depth and character to this.
Feb 03, 2022
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

4.21/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
14.9oz can. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, bubbly, light brown head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of rich, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, toffee and toasted caramel. Great roasted coffee, molasses, dark chocolate and toffee taste with a sharp bitterness.
Jan 12, 2022
 
Rated: 3.71 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Mar 17, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
330 ml bottle, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 10.0%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, exotic woodwork. Rich mouthfeel. The medium sweet flavour is roasty with notes of strong coffee and dark bitter chocolate, some vanilla, and distinct bittering hops. Impressive.
Feb 16, 2021
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L- Inky black, pours with 2Cm fat dark tan head.
S- Deep, fireplace embers.
T- Cocoa, coffee, chocolate, milk-chocolate. Big.
F- It's clear what the proposition is.
O- Well it's lovely. It's absolutely ideal for a cold New Year's Eve. A massively complex yet clever and balanced Imperial Stout.
440ml can. Bought from TremblingMadness/York for home delv. to London BB: 17/06/23 £6.45. Ouch, but worth it.
Dec 31, 2020
iStout from 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 340 ratings