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Thumbsucker
Magic Hat Brewing Company
- From:
- Magic Hat Brewing Company
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 7.8%
- Score:
- 93
- Avg:
- 4.18 | pDev: 11.96%
- Reviews:
- 75
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 03, 2020
- Added:
- Mar 14, 2003
- Wants:
- 55
- Gots:
- 2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerResearcher:
Reviewed by BeerResearcher from Massachusetts
4.12/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.12/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cool 16.9oz Champaign-like corked bottle. No freshness date.
It pours a black tar with a dark tan head and a fair amount of lacing.
A big sweet malt aroma blasts forward at first pour. The smell of barnyard wet hay mixes with licorice, coffee and hops.
The sweet toffee malt has tastes of rye dough and coffee with cream and sugar.
Highly hopped with grapefruit and lemon bitterness and a peppery spiciness. An astringent camphor taste sneaks through. Alcohol is noticeable. It's a bit too sweet for my liking, but it should be noted that this is a very well-crafted brew.
Apr 27, 2004It pours a black tar with a dark tan head and a fair amount of lacing.
A big sweet malt aroma blasts forward at first pour. The smell of barnyard wet hay mixes with licorice, coffee and hops.
The sweet toffee malt has tastes of rye dough and coffee with cream and sugar.
Highly hopped with grapefruit and lemon bitterness and a peppery spiciness. An astringent camphor taste sneaks through. Alcohol is noticeable. It's a bit too sweet for my liking, but it should be noted that this is a very well-crafted brew.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire
3.91/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
750ml bottle from 2005.
Pours almost opaque dark brown with some large, brown bubbles with a stretch pour. Zero retention or lacing. Shades of Kahlua, tootsie roll, and chocolate syrup in the nose. Medium bodied with a slick, oily mouthfeel. Chocolate with hints of espresso and char on the palate. Finishes with lingering chocolate and a mild boozy undertone.
Jan 03, 2020Pours almost opaque dark brown with some large, brown bubbles with a stretch pour. Zero retention or lacing. Shades of Kahlua, tootsie roll, and chocolate syrup in the nose. Medium bodied with a slick, oily mouthfeel. Chocolate with hints of espresso and char on the palate. Finishes with lingering chocolate and a mild boozy undertone.
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)
3.8/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle purchased at Max's and shared with Thorpe429. A bourbon barrel-aged RIS from Magic Hat, - intriguing. Bartender said this was from 2004.
A - Pretty nice looking beer, and still adequately carbonated after over seven years in the cellar. A finger of tan foam settles to a collar, some wisps, and a few specks of lace. Solid, opaque black body that might be brownish in better lighting conditions.
S - Plenty of roasted malts, vanilla, oak, fudge, and chocolate. I didn't confirm this was barrel-aged until I looked up additional info on the beer, but I surmised as much from the heavy oak presence. Not much overt bourbon or alcohol at this stage, and a hint of vinous port-like oxidation. Still - pretty enjoyable stuff.
T - The taste isn't quite as good, as it's more faded and understated, with perhaps a hint of minerality and astringent oak in the finish. Still, plenty of vanilla, oak, roasted, and chocolate flavors even after extended aging. Probably more of a 3.75 at this stage.
M - Medium body, with more the sufficient heft for the listed 7.8%. Dry, roasty, oak, and tannic, pleasant lower carbonation, and a sticky persistent finish. A hint of warming alcohol actually shows up to remind you this was bourbon barrel-aged.
D - Considering the lower ABV and age this is still a pretty good beer. However, it's probably approaching novelty status, and I'd be wary of pre-2004 vintages and bottles of uncertain provenance. Still, we managed to put down most of the bottle between the two of us.
Apr 06, 2012A - Pretty nice looking beer, and still adequately carbonated after over seven years in the cellar. A finger of tan foam settles to a collar, some wisps, and a few specks of lace. Solid, opaque black body that might be brownish in better lighting conditions.
S - Plenty of roasted malts, vanilla, oak, fudge, and chocolate. I didn't confirm this was barrel-aged until I looked up additional info on the beer, but I surmised as much from the heavy oak presence. Not much overt bourbon or alcohol at this stage, and a hint of vinous port-like oxidation. Still - pretty enjoyable stuff.
T - The taste isn't quite as good, as it's more faded and understated, with perhaps a hint of minerality and astringent oak in the finish. Still, plenty of vanilla, oak, roasted, and chocolate flavors even after extended aging. Probably more of a 3.75 at this stage.
M - Medium body, with more the sufficient heft for the listed 7.8%. Dry, roasty, oak, and tannic, pleasant lower carbonation, and a sticky persistent finish. A hint of warming alcohol actually shows up to remind you this was bourbon barrel-aged.
D - Considering the lower ABV and age this is still a pretty good beer. However, it's probably approaching novelty status, and I'd be wary of pre-2004 vintages and bottles of uncertain provenance. Still, we managed to put down most of the bottle between the two of us.
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois
3.72/5 rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.72/5 rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bottle from Max's in Baltimore. Shared with Masterski.
Pours near-black with a thin head of tan-ish bubbles that doesn't hang around for too long. Perhaps a thin collar for at least a bit.
The nose is really nice, bringing some oak and vanilla along with some roasted malt. Some chocolate in the background as well. Really nice and integrated, though no real bourbon character; instead, just the oak.
The flavor adds in a good bit of booze. There's roast and chocolate there as well. The oak and vanilla aren't as prevalent as in the nose. The heat certainly takes it down a notch from where the nose was, which is surprising given the age and the fact that this is fairly-low in alcohol.
Body is medium with light carbonation and a bit of booze through the finish.
Overall, pretty good and I'm very glad I finally got to try this one.
Apr 03, 2012Pours near-black with a thin head of tan-ish bubbles that doesn't hang around for too long. Perhaps a thin collar for at least a bit.
The nose is really nice, bringing some oak and vanilla along with some roasted malt. Some chocolate in the background as well. Really nice and integrated, though no real bourbon character; instead, just the oak.
The flavor adds in a good bit of booze. There's roast and chocolate there as well. The oak and vanilla aren't as prevalent as in the nose. The heat certainly takes it down a notch from where the nose was, which is surprising given the age and the fact that this is fairly-low in alcohol.
Body is medium with light carbonation and a bit of booze through the finish.
Overall, pretty good and I'm very glad I finally got to try this one.
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
4/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle courtesy of Lubiere: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a small dark brown foamy head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma of fruit cake with light port notes. Taste has probably lost some of the characteristics related to an imperial stout due to aging which have been replaced with nice notes of port and fruit cake with light dry roasted malt notes still perceptible. Description mentions bourbon aging though I can’t say that I could taste any notes of bourbon. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Still good after all those years but I have to wonder what I fresh version would taste like.
Oct 31, 2011Reviewed by woosterbill from Kentucky
3.78/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
3.78/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
04 bottle into a Weyerbacher tulip. Big thanks to Tony for sharing this antique oddity.
A: Black body with a quarter inch of frothy short-lived tan head. Ok.
S: Weird, musty, organic basement. Vegetal funk, yeasty spice. Lichen. What?
T: Opens with bizarrely spicy, musty vegetal funk, and then closes with clean chocolatey booze. Strangely clean finish. I actually kind of like this. Is this wrong of me? Do I need help?
M: Slick medium body with light carbonation. Not bad.
D: Unceasingly interesting, and very clean despite its weirdness.
Notes: I've certainly never had anything quite like this, and it was fascinating. Bizarre is the surely the best word to describe it, but that doesn't even begin to convey the sheer wackiness of the flavors contained in this one.
Cheers!
Mar 08, 2011A: Black body with a quarter inch of frothy short-lived tan head. Ok.
S: Weird, musty, organic basement. Vegetal funk, yeasty spice. Lichen. What?
T: Opens with bizarrely spicy, musty vegetal funk, and then closes with clean chocolatey booze. Strangely clean finish. I actually kind of like this. Is this wrong of me? Do I need help?
M: Slick medium body with light carbonation. Not bad.
D: Unceasingly interesting, and very clean despite its weirdness.
Notes: I've certainly never had anything quite like this, and it was fascinating. Bizarre is the surely the best word to describe it, but that doesn't even begin to convey the sheer wackiness of the flavors contained in this one.
Cheers!
Reviewed by srandycarter from California
3.71/5 rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.71/5 rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - No pop out of the bottle. Dark flat beer. No head, no lacing, no nada.
S - Wonderful rich boozy malt.
T - Boozed malt starts, finished by sour off 'corked' flavor.
M - Sux. Flat.
D - Sux. Flat.
It's really hard to appreciate a beer when it is meant to be carbonated and it is flat as a pancake.
Bummer.
Mar 22, 2009S - Wonderful rich boozy malt.
T - Boozed malt starts, finished by sour off 'corked' flavor.
M - Sux. Flat.
D - Sux. Flat.
It's really hard to appreciate a beer when it is meant to be carbonated and it is flat as a pancake.
Bummer.
Thumbsucker from Magic Hat Brewing Company
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
88 ratings
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