Double Barrel Aged Marshal Zhukov's (Rum and Bourbon)
Cigar City Brewing

Double Barrel Aged Marshal Zhukov's (Rum and Bourbon)Double Barrel Aged Marshal Zhukov's (Rum and Bourbon)
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
12%
Score:
97
Avg:
4.43 | pDev: 5.87%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
66
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 17, 2021
Added:
Aug 08, 2017
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  7
El Catador Club Exclusive.

This Russian Imperial Stout is dedicated to Georgy Zhukov, arguably one of the finest generals of World War II, and to the barrels of the weapons used by Zhukov’s 1st Belorussian Front of the Red Army to push through the German-occupied territory of East Prussia in early 1945. We’ve aged this monolithic imperial stout in both rum and bourbon barrels to add a legendary depth of character and flavor including flavors of vanilla, dried fruit and baking spices to the dark chocolate and fresh-ground espresso qualities of the base beer.

Tasting Notes: Molasses, bitter chocolate and raisin-like fruit aromas give way to vanilla and rustic woodiness on the nose of this complex Imperial Stout. A palate of espresso, toffee and treacle is balanced by an assertive bitterness and a tannic and spicy texture imparted by extensive aging in both rum and bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thebeers:
Photo of thebeers
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Ruby-tinted dark brown with a finger-and-a-half of dark-mocha head. Modest retention gives way to a wisp and some short-lived lacing.

Dark malts and dark fruits in the nose: chocolate, ash, vanilla, prune, alcohol and a hint of umami stand out the most.

Great depth of flavors, too. Some vanilla, chocolate, dried cherry and prune show again, but the nice, ashy-tobacco aftertaste stands out the most.

While the beer comes across somewhat thin at first, the feel is still very creamy, slick and even chewy, with modest carbonation.

I like the ash and fruit play-off in this one. A thicker body and some more time in the bourbon barrel could kick it up even higher, IMO.
Jan 09, 2021
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.24 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Nov 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.3 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

Apr 18, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Nov 08, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Oct 06, 2019
Photo of macrosmatic
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

4.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from the 750 mL bottle into an El Catador teku glass. Consumed on 10/30/17.

A: Very, very dark brown and nearly opaque. Low, if any, visible carbonation - this is dark and thick looking. Forms a thin tan head that sticks around pretty well.

S: Bourbon and rum, chocolate and coffee all together. Dark cacao, tobacco, oaky tannins. Milder vanilla. Big dark roasted malts with notes of caramel.

T: Chocolate, bourbon, and oak. Rum and dark roasted malts. Coffee, with some bitterness from the roasted malts, hops, and maybe touch of barrel char. Tobacco-like dryness. The sticky sweet flavors mix with some additional dark fruit and blend into the rum spiciness and bourbon sweetness – then the dry tannins and roasty dryness take over. Bitter mocha impression in the hang after the bourbon fades away.

M: Very thick, sticky body – but what else would you expect? Low but befitting carbonation sensation. Alcohol presence is quite well-balanced with the other flavors.

O: A really good beer. This strikes an excellent balance between both liquor types, the barrel itself, and the base beer. Perhaps there's nothing unexpected, but it's all very well constructed and balanced. Excellent.
Aug 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by vfgccp from New York

Apr 07, 2019
Photo of Jeffo
Reviewed by Jeffo from Netherlands

4.97/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Got this one from desp a while back. Cheers!

From a 750 into a snifter
Bottled 1 August 2017
Stout age in Rum and Bourbon barrels

APPEARANCE: Thick, viscous pitch black pour yields a three finger, thicker looking, creamy, slightly crackly, dark tan head with excellent retention. Pitch black body with no carbonation evident. Head slowly recedes down to a thick, creamy cap.

SMELL: Lots of bourbon, oak, sweet vanilla cream, coconut cream, caramel and butterscotch aromas, milk and pure dark chocolate, hints of coffee beans and some spicy alcohol from the rum barrels. Bold and enticing. Chocolate covered candy in a glass.

TASTE: Just like the nose. Bourbon, oaky and wood flavors, spicy rum, with sweet vanilla cream, butterscotch, pure dark chocolate and some light coffee flavors at the swallow. Flavorful and lovely. Big, bold and lingering finish of bourbon and spicy rum, oak, sweet vanilla and coconut cream flavors, milk chocolate, sweet butterscotch and caramel, with some nice pure, bitter dark chocolate and coffee flavors as balance. Decadence in liquid form.

PALATE: Fuller body with medium carbonation. Creamy and smooth on the palate, enough weight, goes down smooth and finishes sticky on the palate. A bit of heat lingers. Big and menacing.

OVERALL: Yes. I had insanely high expectations going into this and I was actually nervous. Yes. Nervous. I figured it can’t fall short of expectations if I hadn’t opened it yet. As far as I am concerned, this is as close to perfection as I have ever drunk. This creation is proof of everything you've ever doubted, and is an explanation for everything previously unexplained. We should no longer worry about such trivial matters as the warming of the earth and its potential consequences, laying secular morality on a foundation of the well-being of conscious creatures, or the potential pitfalls of an artificial intelligence that is unconcerned with man's best interests. These are now irrelevant. Instead, making more of this beer should be humanity's first priority. Thank you desp and thank you Cigar City for doing what you do.
Mar 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.69 by 7irondave from Massachusetts

Mar 02, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by rspauldi from Texas

Feb 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.56 by Eziel from Ohio

Dec 26, 2018
Photo of Ciocanelu
Reviewed by Ciocanelu from Romania

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Black color with really dark khaki head. Aroma has sweet dried fruits, umami, intense roasted malt and rum. Taste is roasty, a bit astringent, spicy, really tasty with rum, rye whiskey and light roasty bitterness on the finish. Heavy body, smooth mouthfeel. Really complex, tasty and smooth.
Dec 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.53 by LloydDobler from Indiana

Sep 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.24 by 22Blue from Kansas

Aug 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.94 by Lochnessmonster from Florida

Jun 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.38 by imperialking from Illinois

Jun 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by jschott75 from Illinois

May 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.44 by cd34 from Illinois

May 23, 2018
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

4.23/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
750ml bottle. Pours dark black body, standard Zhukov base body. One finger brown head. Fair retention. Smell is tobacco leaves, oak, fair bit of rum, milk chocolate, astringent cocoa. Flavour is more rum, sweet molasses, milk chocolate, light whiskey, tobacco, touch of smoke. Cocoa. A fair bit of tobacco/cigar leaves on the finish. Mouthfeel is full bodied, good carbonation. It sounded great, and it is a very good beer, but not what I was hoping for- I would have liked a bit less of the ashy tobacco oak and a little more balance on the rum which was somewhat overpowering.
May 21, 2018
 
Rated: 4.44 by MTKATL from Georgia

May 20, 2018
Double Barrel Aged Marshal Zhukov's (Rum and Bourbon) from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 66 ratings