Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout | Otter Creek Brewing
Brewed by:
Otter Creek Brewing
Vermont, United States
ottercreekbrewing.com
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Every so often we brew this tasty treat that clocks in at 10% ABV. A silky smooth, motor-oil black pour reveals rich, roasty notes of caramel, chocolate and coffee. Like the first stouts brewed for Russian Czars, this offering is big, bold and built to last. Grab a few for the cellar, a couple for your comrades and enjoy because—like those Czars of yesteryear—this beer may be gone soon.
Added by Brad007 on 01-09-2009
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 617 | Reviews: 299
4.03/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.3/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was poured into a snifter. The appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a thin wisp of tan foamy head. Gentle thin lacing slides into the beer. The smell had a nice sweet to roasty blend of coffee, cocoa and a light amount of vanilla. Light bitter coffee grounds slide in underneath. The taste was mainly sweet with a nice roasty to sweet blend of the coffee to cocoa once again. A light dry sweet to roasty coffee aftertaste leads into the finish. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a fairly decent sipping quality about it. Carbonation seemed good as an RIS, as there’s enough dry and bitter roastiness on my tongue. Overall, I say this was a pretty good RIS that I would have again.
730 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was poured into a snifter. The appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a thin wisp of tan foamy head. Gentle thin lacing slides into the beer. The smell had a nice sweet to roasty blend of coffee, cocoa and a light amount of vanilla. Light bitter coffee grounds slide in underneath. The taste was mainly sweet with a nice roasty to sweet blend of the coffee to cocoa once again. A light dry sweet to roasty coffee aftertaste leads into the finish. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a fairly decent sipping quality about it. Carbonation seemed good as an RIS, as there’s enough dry and bitter roastiness on my tongue. Overall, I say this was a pretty good RIS that I would have again.
730 characters
4.15/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
P- Poured from a 12 oz bottle,into a large Funky Buddha snifter.No date on the bottle.
L- Thin brown head with low retention,and minimal lacing.Jet black body with no light showing through the glass.Low on carbonation.
S- On the nose I get roasted malt,with some trace noted of coffee,dark chocolate,and caramel.
T- The palate follows the nose with roasted malt and coffee up front,caramel in the middle,and dark chocolate and roasted malts on the back end.A little bit of alcohol flavor,but not bad.
F- The mouth feel is full bodied,with minimal oxidation on the tongue.Smooth on the finish,with slight alcohol warming.
O- This is a pretty damn good RIS.Not one of my favorites,but definitely up there.I would absolutely drink this one again.And if you are a Russian Imperial Stout lover like myself,I suggest you give this one a try.I just wish it had more dark fruit characteristics.Still a really good one.
915 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
P- Poured from a 12 oz bottle,into a large Funky Buddha snifter.No date on the bottle.
L- Thin brown head with low retention,and minimal lacing.Jet black body with no light showing through the glass.Low on carbonation.
S- On the nose I get roasted malt,with some trace noted of coffee,dark chocolate,and caramel.
T- The palate follows the nose with roasted malt and coffee up front,caramel in the middle,and dark chocolate and roasted malts on the back end.A little bit of alcohol flavor,but not bad.
F- The mouth feel is full bodied,with minimal oxidation on the tongue.Smooth on the finish,with slight alcohol warming.
O- This is a pretty damn good RIS.Not one of my favorites,but definitely up there.I would absolutely drink this one again.And if you are a Russian Imperial Stout lover like myself,I suggest you give this one a try.I just wish it had more dark fruit characteristics.Still a really good one.
915 characters
4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Classic Russian Stout - black, dark roast coffee and chocolate - nice bite on the finish
88 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Classic Russian Stout - black, dark roast coffee and chocolate - nice bite on the finish
88 characters
3.75/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.08/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an opaque black. Coming out of the bottle there is no visible head, however, once all contents have been emptied, a nice tan foam head suddenly materializes. It soon disapates into a very thin collar with some lacing.
The nose is predominantly sweet and comprised of chocolate, vanilla and dark fruit. There is a roasted malt, toasted dark bread, and subtle coffee presence that compliments things nicely. There are also hints of liquorice and alcohol.
The taste mostly aligns with the nose in terms of the chocolate and dark fruit sweetness. Despite the 10% ABV, the alcohol flavor is so well masked, thus making it unique amongst other Russian Imperial Stouts I've had that can be downright boozy. There is even a nice touch of hops that provides slight bitterness, herbal qualities and balance.
Full bodied but not too thick. A cross between a sipper and something that is easy to drink. Viscuous but not too heavy. A great balance. Smooth and velvety to boot, with a soft carbonation.
A real fine RIS that is tasty, not over the top boozy and balanced.
1,064 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an opaque black. Coming out of the bottle there is no visible head, however, once all contents have been emptied, a nice tan foam head suddenly materializes. It soon disapates into a very thin collar with some lacing.
The nose is predominantly sweet and comprised of chocolate, vanilla and dark fruit. There is a roasted malt, toasted dark bread, and subtle coffee presence that compliments things nicely. There are also hints of liquorice and alcohol.
The taste mostly aligns with the nose in terms of the chocolate and dark fruit sweetness. Despite the 10% ABV, the alcohol flavor is so well masked, thus making it unique amongst other Russian Imperial Stouts I've had that can be downright boozy. There is even a nice touch of hops that provides slight bitterness, herbal qualities and balance.
Full bodied but not too thick. A cross between a sipper and something that is easy to drink. Viscuous but not too heavy. A great balance. Smooth and velvety to boot, with a soft carbonation.
A real fine RIS that is tasty, not over the top boozy and balanced.
1,064 characters
4.5/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.29/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.71/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Bought in Vermont at the Cold Hollow CIder Mill in Waterbury. The beer pours with a thick black appearance, brown creamy head, and eventual good, bubbly retention with some thick lacing on the sides. The aromas are attractive, though restrained, with coffee, chocolate, nuts, maybe a hint of spice like cinnamon. The taste variable included more vocal flavor attributes. This included a bitter, but buttery, chocolate flavor with a slight burnt sugar aftertaste. Mouthfeel is great with a creamy body that envelopes the ingredients and alcohol into a warm blend. Overall, not too bad, especially in terms of appearance and mouthfeel.
633 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Bought in Vermont at the Cold Hollow CIder Mill in Waterbury. The beer pours with a thick black appearance, brown creamy head, and eventual good, bubbly retention with some thick lacing on the sides. The aromas are attractive, though restrained, with coffee, chocolate, nuts, maybe a hint of spice like cinnamon. The taste variable included more vocal flavor attributes. This included a bitter, but buttery, chocolate flavor with a slight burnt sugar aftertaste. Mouthfeel is great with a creamy body that envelopes the ingredients and alcohol into a warm blend. Overall, not too bad, especially in terms of appearance and mouthfeel.
633 characters
4.22/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.79/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.2/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This beer poured nicely into my glass - the black liquid rolling out and bringing a little beige froth that ends in a thick ring. The rign easily grows thicker with a little agitation. The body itself seems black, but later in the glass, it does appear to lean a little more brown with a fair amount of clarity.
Nose is quite nice, powdered cocoa cocoa and dark roast brewed coffee. Subsequent whiffs bring the chocolate the brewers' notes talk about, mainly in brownie form, maybe with walnuts, even. Other notes include a little licorice spice and a little tang. Some of the scents turn a little woody later in the beer.
The taste is mostly expected. Bitter, bitter chocolate and coffee notes hit me first. These seem very harsh, and add to a rough feel in my first sips. The strong bitterness is really the dominating sensation throughout the pour. It takes on slightly different variations as the beer warms, from chocolate to unsweetened coffee to dark-skinned nuts to cut wood resin. These aren't distinct, but all impressions I get.
I wasn't thoroughly enjoying the rough bitterness feel of this beer, but appreciated the flavor sensations it brought. The nose was very nice. If you like strongly bitter stouts, I think this will be to your liking. If you like a little malt sweetness and a smoother feel, this one may be one to be cautious about - and definitely let it warm a bunch.
1,407 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This beer poured nicely into my glass - the black liquid rolling out and bringing a little beige froth that ends in a thick ring. The rign easily grows thicker with a little agitation. The body itself seems black, but later in the glass, it does appear to lean a little more brown with a fair amount of clarity.
Nose is quite nice, powdered cocoa cocoa and dark roast brewed coffee. Subsequent whiffs bring the chocolate the brewers' notes talk about, mainly in brownie form, maybe with walnuts, even. Other notes include a little licorice spice and a little tang. Some of the scents turn a little woody later in the beer.
The taste is mostly expected. Bitter, bitter chocolate and coffee notes hit me first. These seem very harsh, and add to a rough feel in my first sips. The strong bitterness is really the dominating sensation throughout the pour. It takes on slightly different variations as the beer warms, from chocolate to unsweetened coffee to dark-skinned nuts to cut wood resin. These aren't distinct, but all impressions I get.
I wasn't thoroughly enjoying the rough bitterness feel of this beer, but appreciated the flavor sensations it brought. The nose was very nice. If you like strongly bitter stouts, I think this will be to your liking. If you like a little malt sweetness and a smoother feel, this one may be one to be cautious about - and definitely let it warm a bunch.
1,407 characters
4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
snagged a bottle locally. big roastiness with a sludge chocolate undertone. nose leads with crisp chary roast...a bite of winter. flavor follows but leads with chocolate...chocolate speaks more as the brew warms. good beer.
224 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
snagged a bottle locally. big roastiness with a sludge chocolate undertone. nose leads with crisp chary roast...a bite of winter. flavor follows but leads with chocolate...chocolate speaks more as the brew warms. good beer.
224 characters
3.89/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout from Otter Creek Brewing
Beer rating:
4.02 out of
5 with
617 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
Explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.