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Big Daddy Vlady's Russian Imperial Stout
Terrapin Beer Company
- From:
- Terrapin Beer Company
- Georgia, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 10.25%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.71 | pDev: 14.29%
- Reviews:
- 149
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 05, 2017
- Added:
- Nov 05, 2010
- Wants:
- 38
- Gots:
- 58
Side Project #13
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bamadog:
Reviewed by bamadog from Ohio
3.91/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
PIcked this one up a couple of years ago and read that it was a pretty hop-forward stout so I let it sit for a while to hopefully let them mellow out and allow the malts to come to the front. Review is from notes taken on 5/17/2013 and poured from the bottle to a snifter.
Appearance: Pour looks about like it should, but I was hoping for a slightly thicker looking body. Starts with a one finger deep, nice, rich and dark brown head that looks creamy. Head has decent retention, which leads me to believe that the hop resins are still lingering quite a bit, and the head eventually dwindles down to a complete, but uneven skim. Body is, of course, opaque and shows signs of moderately strong carbonation in tiny streams creeping up along the sides of the glass.
Smell: Hmmm... definitely still quite a bit of earthy and bitter hops, first thing I notice, but that's perhaps because I'm looking for them. Bit of a metallic and dirt-like twinge to it, but not awful or anything like that. Definite bitter roastiness and some bittersweet chocolate as well. Decent, but I really like some rich, big and roasty malts up front with more of a sweeter edge in the nose as opposed to the hops.
Taste: Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky. While there are definitely some hops right up front (still), there is more a balance than I thought there would be with what I like in a big stout -- the bitter roastiness belies it all and hangs out underneath the hops, but there is a really nice, chocolate covered cherry and vanilla aspect in there, and a nice blast of alcohol which is entirely masked in the nose and makes a loud and proud appearance on the back of the tongue. I was a little disappointed with the nose, but the mouth is definitely making up for some lost ground.
Mouthfeel: A little thin, but not like it's watery or anything. A nice, fairly sticky coating is left on the palate and slight grittiness on the teeth. Warm booziness left lingering on the breath and it keeps the belly warm as well.
Overall: Not mindblowing or anything, but definitely solid. Probably not worth any extra amount of cash but I like Terrapin and I'm glad they didn't disappoint.
May 18, 2013Appearance: Pour looks about like it should, but I was hoping for a slightly thicker looking body. Starts with a one finger deep, nice, rich and dark brown head that looks creamy. Head has decent retention, which leads me to believe that the hop resins are still lingering quite a bit, and the head eventually dwindles down to a complete, but uneven skim. Body is, of course, opaque and shows signs of moderately strong carbonation in tiny streams creeping up along the sides of the glass.
Smell: Hmmm... definitely still quite a bit of earthy and bitter hops, first thing I notice, but that's perhaps because I'm looking for them. Bit of a metallic and dirt-like twinge to it, but not awful or anything like that. Definite bitter roastiness and some bittersweet chocolate as well. Decent, but I really like some rich, big and roasty malts up front with more of a sweeter edge in the nose as opposed to the hops.
Taste: Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky. While there are definitely some hops right up front (still), there is more a balance than I thought there would be with what I like in a big stout -- the bitter roastiness belies it all and hangs out underneath the hops, but there is a really nice, chocolate covered cherry and vanilla aspect in there, and a nice blast of alcohol which is entirely masked in the nose and makes a loud and proud appearance on the back of the tongue. I was a little disappointed with the nose, but the mouth is definitely making up for some lost ground.
Mouthfeel: A little thin, but not like it's watery or anything. A nice, fairly sticky coating is left on the palate and slight grittiness on the teeth. Warm booziness left lingering on the breath and it keeps the belly warm as well.
Overall: Not mindblowing or anything, but definitely solid. Probably not worth any extra amount of cash but I like Terrapin and I'm glad they didn't disappoint.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.61/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.61/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sat on this one for a few years before I cracked it open a few years ago. Pours black, above average thickness to it. Brown head on the top, 3/4" deep. Aroma kicked down substantial roasted malt and not much else. Seemed to be leaning on the Russian Imperial Stout side of things, and I guess that would make sense given what appears to be Kruschev on the label. Or maybe its Lenin. Its definitely one of those Russian assholes.
Taste isn't bogged down in a hefty dark fruit bitterness like some Russian Imperial Stouts go all in on, this thickness and heft of the roasted malt seems to temper that a little bit with the chewiness. The alcohol is strong, but its all relative and for being over 10% it does a good job of making it tolerable. A mix of mild licorice and roasted chocolate malt, coffee from the malt does a good job minimizing that licorice dark fruit aspect. Held its own after being aged for around five years.
Nov 05, 2017Taste isn't bogged down in a hefty dark fruit bitterness like some Russian Imperial Stouts go all in on, this thickness and heft of the roasted malt seems to temper that a little bit with the chewiness. The alcohol is strong, but its all relative and for being over 10% it does a good job of making it tolerable. A mix of mild licorice and roasted chocolate malt, coffee from the malt does a good job minimizing that licorice dark fruit aspect. Held its own after being aged for around five years.
Reviewed by einman from Minnesota
3.97/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Cellared for five or six years. I guess that's the way to do it because I thought it was way better that the rating it has received here. Shared with a friend and it was excellent.
Nov 05, 2015Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania
3.99/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bomber into a snifter. Man...have I really cellared this beer for 5 years? I remember when it was released and I bought a bottle, then subsequently had it on draft and figured id tuck the bottle away for aging. Here we are now drinking the bottle: black in color with a pleasant looking mocha head.
The smell includes licorice and pleasant coffee-like roastiness and earth with alcohol imparting something like raisons across the back. The tastes is equally bitter with roast and raisony alcohol, earth and a suggestion of some molasses-like dark smoky sweetness.
This is medium to fuller bodied with a light yet enjoyable amount of carbonation. For having been aged for 5 years, this is drinking pretty good and not really showing any signs of degrading. Worth checking out.
Feb 12, 2015The smell includes licorice and pleasant coffee-like roastiness and earth with alcohol imparting something like raisons across the back. The tastes is equally bitter with roast and raisony alcohol, earth and a suggestion of some molasses-like dark smoky sweetness.
This is medium to fuller bodied with a light yet enjoyable amount of carbonation. For having been aged for 5 years, this is drinking pretty good and not really showing any signs of degrading. Worth checking out.
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
4.02/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle, 2010 vintage
appears pitch black, with thin dark tan colored head that fades fast. smells roasty, a bit of bitter espresso and bitter cocao. nice aroma. tastes of charcoal, a bit ashy, roasted grain. dry bitter aftertaste. thicker mouthfeel, but could be more viscous. lower carbonation, smooth. overall a pretty good RIS
Dec 14, 2013appears pitch black, with thin dark tan colored head that fades fast. smells roasty, a bit of bitter espresso and bitter cocao. nice aroma. tastes of charcoal, a bit ashy, roasted grain. dry bitter aftertaste. thicker mouthfeel, but could be more viscous. lower carbonation, smooth. overall a pretty good RIS
Big Daddy Vlady's Russian Imperial Stout from Terrapin Beer Company
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
249 ratings
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