Catherine The Great
Brouwerij Smisje

Catherine The GreatCatherine The Great
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From:
Brouwerij Smisje
 
Belgium
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #458
ABV:
10%
Score:
78
Ranked #26,881
Avg:
3.4 | pDev: 19.41%
Reviews:
109
Ratings:
173
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 25, 2022
Added:
Apr 06, 2008
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  10
No description / notes.
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Ratings by DrDemento456:
Photo of DrDemento456
Reviewed by DrDemento456 from Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Apparently everyone says this is an Imperial brown ale so I shall review it as so. Picked up an old bottle for 4 bucks at the House of 1,000 beers.

T - Well right off the bat I could tell it's not a RIS. The head is all wrong just mildly opaque and it's barley even black. Color is good for a brown ale giving a hazy shade of chestnut brown with mild sediment bits.

S - Lightly soured mash with cherries upfront. In the glass I get more brown ale notes of hazelnut and caramel malts. Yeast still smells rather fruity and vibrant.

T - Really dig the chocolate malt in this one. Like a dry cocoa that never gets too sweet. Soured doughs and mashed pecans take mid palate and the finish is dry and kind of chalky. Mid glass the chalky yeast and what can only be a bitter hoppy/chemical taste is kind of off-putting.

M - Well it says it's 10% but it hides it well. Kind of underwhelming fizzy flavor.

Overall not worth picking up again and not even close to either a Imperial brown or RIS. More of a Belgium ale with brown malts added.
Nov 19, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sludgeman
Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

2.04/5  rDev -40%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.75
Not a Russian Imperial Stout. Not by look, smell, taste or feel. A pleasant tasting beer with a Belgian yeast taste. More dark Belgian saison or light tasting dubbel.
Aug 25, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by bigred89 from Maryland

Mar 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by paulish from New York

Dec 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.12 by brandonld23 from Massachusetts

Jan 17, 2017
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
330 ml bottle served in a Belgian snifter. $5.50 at Total Wine.
Bottle released considerable pressure when the cap was unsealed, suggesting it might gush, but it was well behaved. It did raise a very tall head in the pour. This reduced to a complete top coat fairly quickly.
A cross between a Belgian strong, a Belgian stout and a RIS, the Belgian character is particularly evident in the aroma. No points deducted for style: this is delicious and, besides, the "Imperial Stout" on the English label may be due to the US distributor. Very good balance and complexity.

Overall: recommended.
Oct 20, 2016
Photo of papposilenus
Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire

2.99/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
From an 11.2oz bottle, undated - actually, there's an 11:15 code stamped on the cap which might be the date, the time of day, or something else altogether, so let's just ignore that. Served in a tulip.

Pours a... what the hell? Is this a stout? It looks like a brown ale or black IPA or something. A really pretty brownish-red colour which, while it looks very nice, looks not at all like a stout, let alone an impy stout. Big, beautiful off-white soft creamy head with excellent retention and gobs of lacing. I have no clue how to rate the appearance.

Smells of sweet caramel malt and milk chocolate.

Tastes like a Three Musketeers bar and... that's pretty much it, right there: tastes like a Three Musketeers.

Feel is creamy, light-to-medium-bodied and well carbonated.

What the hell did I just drink?!?! Looks like a black IPA, tastes like a candy bar.
Oct 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.85 by Aoyoc from Nebraska

Feb 22, 2016
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.52/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a huge fizzy bubbly 3 finger head that fades at a med pace, light spotty lacing, dark murky mahogany maroon brown color.

Nose fluffy dark malts, nougaty like, some caramel brown sugar molasses notes, hint of toasty cocoa, but lots of fruity esters, big Belgian yeast characters, some apple and pear, caramel apples.

Taste brings more malts, dark malts, lots of nougaty caramel with caramel fudgey notes, brown sugar, candi sugar, a big ester profile again, Belgian yeast really goes to town, more apple pear esters, caramel candy apples, mild phenols and a hint of booze. Then oxidation, a little wet paper, into biscuity coca notes too. Finish is sticky, no real booze, candy caramel chewy nougat thing, with more candy apples and oxidation lingering.

Mouth is med to fuller bod, sticky candy feel, decent carb.

Overall not bad, it had promise, a little too much yeast ester profile, not much for dark malts, but still pretty good, aside from the oxidation.
Nov 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Oct 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.44 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Sep 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.09 by unclekeith from Alaska

Sep 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by brandoman63 from Illinois

May 04, 2015
Photo of Ryften
Rated by Ryften from Pennsylvania

3.97/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Roasty, toasted malts, vanilla, smokey.
Mar 30, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Nose coffee, light roast. Pours dark brown with a slight haze under a 3” foam cap that slowly dissipates while producing good lace. The palate has chocolate with some light coffee notes with some caramel and a little sherry. The beer is highly carbonated with a medium body. The carbonation is a little harsh and the beer is a little solventy and the alcohol is a little hot.
Mar 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by FaradayUncaged from Michigan

Nov 06, 2014
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

4.27/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I popped the cap and there's a slow oozing of the beer.

For an imperial Stout, it has more of a colour of a barley wine. A murky rust. The foam does a good job of shrinking from the initial pour leaving lots of lacing in its wake.

It smells like an aged barley wine. Caramel malt with a very noticeable Port like aroma. Marvelous.

The taste holds no surprises. Rich malty goodness with the Port flavourful I mentioned in the smell. I notice some oxidation which probably explains the Port.

Very nice and smooth mouth feel.

I guess I am digging this more than most, judging from the reviews. Oh well.
Oct 29, 2014
 
Rated: 2.6 by mattfancett from England

Sep 02, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 24, 2014
Catherine The Great from Brouwerij Smisje
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 173 ratings