Campeador - Rurik Ale (2010)
Cigar City Brewing

Campeador - Rurik Ale (2010)Campeador - Rurik Ale (2010)
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
11.25%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 25.41%
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
47
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 30, 2014
Added:
May 30, 2010
Wants:
  23
Gots:
  3
Two styles of beer comprise this blend, old ale and imperial stout. Rurik is the second beer in the Campeador series, a barrel-aged collaboration between Knightly Spirits and Cigar City Brewing.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cpetrone84:
Photo of cpetrone84
Reviewed by cpetrone84 from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A-pours a jet black liquid with a light brown head, creamy and robust with a thin lacing left.

S-the nose has some heavey bourbon and wood in it, dry sawdust, dark cherries, roasted to burnt malts, burnt coffee. the nose is different but not bad.

T-the taste has some light bourbon up front, dry sawdust and barrel behind and rather prevalent. notes of vanilla and chocolate come in showing some malt body. very sweet in the back with a hint of sour cherry. might have a slight infection.

M-good feel, medium body and creamy, strong carbonation with a full finish.

D-this may be slighlty infected as there is some notes of sour cherries in the back, I actually like that coupled with the dry woody sawdust. the bourbon fades and it sweetens as it warms. easily drinkable and interesting balance.
Dec 29, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of sendsilk
Rated by sendsilk from Florida

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
Infected or it would have been pretty good!
Nov 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by the_beerist from Massachusetts

Aug 31, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by DustinSWB from Florida

May 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by zestar from California

Oct 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by spycow from Illinois

Jan 14, 2013
Photo of Gobzilla
Reviewed by Gobzilla from California

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: poured a very dark brown in color that was almost black with a very thin head that almost left no lacing sticking to the glass.

S: pretty trippy pepper aroma upfront in the nose with chocolate molasses sweetness, signs of bourbon barrel booze, herbal notes, hints of caramel and some roasty character coming through.

T: Once again the pepper character was pretty overwhelming on the palate as well alongside herbal notes, caramel, molasses, brown sugar sweetness, bourbon barrel accents with a touch of booze, hints of vanilla, roastiness and subtle underlying char flavor.

M: the brew was medium to full in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a roasty, char, semi sweet, peppery, earthy herbal, mild boozy and chewy finish.

O: I don't think it was infected and didn't taste tart or sour but something did seem rather odd about this beer.
Jan 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by Bobbydigi from Kansas

Jan 04, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 05, 2011
 
Rated: 2.5 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Nov 22, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by bob727 from Florida

Nov 21, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by urwithdave from Florida

Nov 16, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by randomdanger from New Jersey

Nov 15, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
pitch black. Small tan head, maybe an inch hangs for a bit and then slowly fades into the abyss leaving a dark, ominous looking oil like liquid in front of me. As I lean in and try to get a whiff of this, I fall back, drowning in a sea of vanilla and butterscotch. It is bourbon overload, everything I have ever dreamed a barrel aged stout could be is coming to me now. Rich notes of vanilla, toffee, caramel, butterscotch are all surrounding a huge boozy middle. Its like some sick and twisted candy bar only I could enjoy. Each sip now becomes its own voyage into a realm of sweet boozy bliss, tons of dark and complex fruits work their way in and this is just a wonderful mix of everything, very impressed here.
Aug 19, 2011
Photo of Beerzebub
Reviewed by Beerzebub from California

4.8/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Big thanks to ktrillionaire! Bottle 125/204.

Very very dark brown. Thick frothy dark tan head, a solid two inches, gradually reducing to about half an inch. Thick tan lacing.

Aromas of dark chocolate, red apple, berries, bourbon and brandy, herbaceous scrubland... complex and delicious.

Tastes sweet, roasty, fruity, herbaceous, and mildly acidic but no signs of an infection having taken hold. Chocolate, caramel, red apple, pear, red grape, burnt raisin, toasty bourbon and brandy barrels. Utterly tasty. Long finish, complex herbs, chocolate, and caramelized oak.

Full bodied and creamy. Great flavor and balance make this quite drinkable.

A pleasure to drink, the best beer I've tried from Cigar city so far. Glad this was a good bottle.
Aug 01, 2011
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

2.63/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Bottle shared by Sean.

A - Bottle was slightly infected, with a slow gush coming. Black pour with an overly large tan head as the result of infection. Some lace left on the sides.

S - Some funk, caramel, winter warmer spices. Has some pepper coming through, with just way too much spice and some infection smell that is not good at all.

T - Taste is about the same as the nose, sad it's infected as I heard this was a good beer when it wasn't. Pepper and spice is a pour mix and some of the buffering molasses and choco that would hve been present has been soured by the infection making for a bad tasting beer.

M - Too much carbonation, full bodied, once again, infection spoiled.

O - Had potential, but the infection really killed it. Too bad, seems like the odds of getting an uninfected bottle are pretty slim now.
Jul 25, 2011
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampled at Redlight Redlight; January 2011
The beer is a bit of a gusher and pours with a brown-tinged foamy head that sits on top of a black beer. The nose has a fruity, green apple like note that starts to get funky with notes of dank-cheese and moldy wood that speaks to at least a Brettanomyces influence of some sort. The malt is certainly not surpressed here though as there is a rich notes of cocoa, and ample roast grain notes towards the finish. The ripe cheese-character seems boosted by diacetyl notes. The aroma is actually quite complex and fun to be smelling, this is certainly going in a completely different direction than intended; it makes me think of Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Reserve in that it is a funky, dark / roasted beer.

The taste is actually not nearly as funky as I had expected given the nose of this beer; flavors of brandy, caramelized candy apples, ample vanilla, and some toasted coconut all jump out at me and are much more in line what I would have expected of this beer. The finish has some astringent, burnt roast-grain character to it that provides some burnt acidity to it (the acidity is definitely more from the dark malt as opposed to from the funkiness). The funkiness does seem to have contributed some tartness to this beer though, and there is only a very light mustiness and a touch of over-ripe cheese character. This is still a big, rich, chewy beer with a dark malt sweetness and it hasn’t shown too many signs of drying out; this could become quite explosive over time though. The finish has a hot alcohol note to it and there is quite a bit of spicy oak in the finish as well; this definitely finishes with a belly warming character. I definitely enjoyed this beer quite a bit, it was definitely an experience and I like where the funkiness took this beer in the nose, even if it wasn’t intended.
Jun 10, 2011
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Alan for sharing this bottle at the Rosso release. Served in a SAVOR snifter.

Pours black with a thin mocha head that sticks around for a bit before falling and leaving a touch of lacing on the edges of the glass. The nose has quite a bit of bourbon and oak and, luckily, is not infected. Strong roast component with a bit of coffee. Taste is filled with roast and coffee and has a bit of the barrel character coming in behind. The feel is medium with good carbonation. Overall, glad this wasn't infected, but there wasn't all too much going on.
Apr 20, 2011
Photo of Gfunk720
Reviewed by Gfunk720 from Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Thanks to Casey for this bottle. Been holding out on this one for a while, hoping it was not infected... guess not.

A- No gushing, but just pours with a huge foamy head. The beer is pretty much black, but the head is a chocolatey color. They head doesn't really go away, it's just everywhere.

S- Smelled funky and off right away. The smell from the mouth of the bottle just smelled like a sour. I don't really get much else off of this.

T- It actually tastes surprisingly ok. Smooth and creamy at first, transitioning to a taste of funk and barrel. Some notes of chocolate, and some dark fruit. It then turns creamy, but finishes with a strong funky flavor. It almost reminds me a of a Cascade beer, as the funk blends quite well. However, I know it was not intentional.

M- Awesome, probably the best part of the beer. Is still quite complex despite the infection. Still no problem with body or carbonation though.

O- I wish I got to try this beer in it's glory, as it has obviously turned a bit. Despite that, it is still some what tasty. An interesting beer to say the least.

-Gfunk
Mar 26, 2011
Campeador - Rurik Ale (2010) from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 47 ratings