Awaken The Despot
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Awaken The DespotAwaken The Despot
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From:
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #1,081
ABV:
11.3%
Score:
93
Ranked #4,044
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 8.33%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
60
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 02, 2023
Added:
Feb 18, 2015
Wants:
  26
Gots:
  14
Coffee + Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout
11.3% ABV, 78 IBU
Only 500 Bottles Produced
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by markgugs:
Photo of markgugs
Rated by markgugs from New Jersey

4.09/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Jul 04, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
750ml bottle at share. Another release that was probably much better fresh than cellared. Dark brown pour with short-lived beige head. Aroma is roasty malts, multi-grain bread, bitter, nutty. Taste is earthy nd woody, roasty malts and some coffee. Full feel.
Jul 02, 2023
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.21/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2016 Vintage
750ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that reduces to a ring

S- earthy and peppery coffee on the nose, followed by a steady hit of oaky bourbon barrel. Undertones of vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, chocolate and charred malt

T- herbal and earthy coffee is quickly followed by bold barrel flavors of bourbon, wet oak and vanilla. Mid-palate brings out notes of chocolate and some nutty undertones. The finish gives more peppery coffee and bourbon that continue into the linger

M- medium body with moderate-low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that continues into a warming finish

O- equal parts coffee and bourbon barrel take the lead on this variant
Nov 25, 2020
 
Rated: 4.21 by dbrauneis from North Carolina

Jul 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.07 by Mikexw from New York

Nov 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Jun 09, 2018
Photo of avalon07
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown / black color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, tan-colored, long-lasting head. Not a whole lot of lacing, though.

S: A very nice aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, bourbon, coffee, hops, and vanilla.

T: Tasted of a fair amount of bourbon (and the accompanying oak barrels), lots of roasted malt (not overpowering), a tinge of vanilla, some coffee (not as much as expected), a hint of hops, and some chocolate as well. A super smooth, subtly good flavor. Quite well-balanced and focused.

F: A decent amount of carbonation with a silky finish. Medium- to full-bodied.

O: A well made and enjoyable stout. Definitely worth a look.
Apr 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.27 by Jason_cs from Florida

Apr 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Raziel313 from California

Feb 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.23 by brocktune from Virginia

Jan 25, 2018
Photo of gibgink
Reviewed by gibgink from Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From bottle on 1-13-18. Pours a nice black with a smidge of tan head. Everything else about the beer was fairly underwhelming. The smell was not inviting, just a hint of a roast. The flavor was also blasé. There was a bitterness on the tongue, but I wouldn't really call it coffee. Also did not pick up any barrel.
Jan 16, 2018
Photo of TheSixthRing
Reviewed by TheSixthRing from California

3.89/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2017 Edition

Appearance - Pours black with cola brown edging. Tan, one finger width head displays great retention before peeling back to a thin, consistent layer of suds. nice lacing, with broken lines and small spotting covering the glass.

Smell - Almost a maple-ish or molasses sweetness to the aroma, with lesser notes of chocolate, coffee roast, vanilla and oak.

Taste - Follows the nose. Very sweet upfront with syrupy molasses and chocolate overtones. Light coffee roast comes through mid-taste and rides beneath to the finish. Hints of vanilla sweetness and earthy oak appear near the back end. Light bourbon booziness in the finish, with a bit of sweetness and astringency lingering in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Full-bodied; thick and syrupy texture with moderate carbonation. Dry, boozy finish. Not the smoothest BA brew, but drinkable enough.

Overall - A bit too sweet and syrupy for my liking. I was expecting a deeper, roastier brew with the coffee addition. It was actually kind of bitter and abrasive at first, but smoothed as it warmed. It's good, but not something I'd trade for again.
Jul 16, 2017
Photo of yesterdayfaraway
Reviewed by yesterdayfaraway from Missouri

3.83/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
L: dark pour with a inch of frothy mocha head
S: coffee first and foremost, black pepper-maybe black licorice & molasses. Almost no barrel presence...it maybe adding to the sweetness, but not a typical bourbon presence in a Ba stout.
T: the black pepper finish is not good. The coffee is lighter than in the aroma, hardly any barrel.
F: medium thickness, pretty easy drinking, and coats better than average.
Jun 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.83 by krl2112 from Illinois

May 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by Jamison85 from Indiana

Apr 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.02 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Mar 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.31 by NickyDee21 from Pennsylvania

Mar 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Jan 21, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by ipc2000 from New York

Sep 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by fredmugs from Indiana

Sep 13, 2016
Awaken The Despot from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 60 ratings