Grandfather Raven
Black Raven Brewing Co.

Grandfather RavenGrandfather Raven
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From:
Black Raven Brewing Co.
 
Washington, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #141
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,420
Avg:
4.24 | pDev: 8.02%
Reviews:
44
Ratings:
180
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 24, 2024
Added:
Dec 11, 2010
Wants:
  53
Gots:
  24
2016 NABA - Silver Medal (Category: Imperial Stout)
2016 WABA - Bronze Medal (Category: Imperial Stout)
2013 WABA - Gold Medal (Category: Imperial Stout)

In the creator role, and in the Raven's role as the totem and ancestor, the Raven is often addressed as Grandfather Raven. With this stately sense of pomp and tradition we bring you our Imperial Stout. This robust black ale is full with rich dark caramel, unsweetened chocolate, and hints of coffee aromas and flavors. Stately indeed, but at 9.5% ABV, perhaps it is just a vain attempt to encourage the trickster spirit to act respectably. Released annually in the winter.

Alcohol
9.5% ABV

Bitterness
75 IBU

Malts
2-Row Barley, Crystal, Chocolate, Carafa, Roast

Hops
Magnum, Mt Hood, CZ Saaz
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ford0626:
Photo of ford0626
Rated by ford0626 from Washington

4.74/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Jun 18, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.24 by Hendrick24 from Wisconsin

Jan 24, 2024
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.24/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Im pouring a 16 oz can at cellar temp into my snifter. The can is date stamped 1/17/2023. The beer pours a very dark coffee black color.
A spongey tan head of about 3 cm foams up in my glass. This foam fades slowly in my glass and is eventually only an edge layer. Some windowpane lattice as it fades or if I swirl the glass.
Aroma is roasted malts, dark chocolate, a bit of caramel and some unsweetened coffee grounds, although no coffee was used in the making of the beer. No hop presence and the 9.5% ABV is hidden on the nose.
First sip reveals a medium body with smooth texture and fine tingly carbonation. Drinks easier than anticipated, which combined with lack of booziness makes this a dangerous beer.
Flavor is similar to the nose, no sweetness to be found here. Roasted notes dominate with dark chocolate, high cacao stuff. Not boozy and no hop presence. the flavor is sort of one dimensional, but is appropriate for the style and gives the beer an olde school impy stout presence.
I find my glass empty pretty quickly and pretty happy to have tried this beer. id drink another.
May 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by shigg85 from Japan

Mar 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dope from Massachusetts

Feb 19, 2023
Photo of Whyteboar
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan

4.27/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Received from @Colts9016 as part of NBW BIF #15
Poured coffee black and was opaque black in the glass. The dark brown head showed up and dissipated, but not before leaving a positive impression.
The aroma, roasted malts, French roasted coffee.
The taste followed, along with some burnt sugar, into an excellently balanced imperial stout. No sweetness whatsoever, this is all about dark roast and solid hops bite.
The feel is slightly less viscous than expected, but as it isn’t BA, I think it’s spot on for the style.
Nice RIS - quite enjoyed trying it.
Dec 25, 2022
Photo of jonphisher
Reviewed by jonphisher from New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Sent to me from @colts9016 via BIF 15

A perfect pouring beer, poured slow and shows just a hint of viscosity. Beautiful slowly forming but dense and thick head with some beautiful lacing. A looker if a beer.

Nose is licorice, wood, some smokiness, rich rich chocolate and some watered down coffee.

The taste is a rich combo of chocolate with licorice and some noticeable hops.

Big body, drinks very smooth due to a lower creamy carbonation; it has just the perfect touch of thickness to it. Bitter roasty hoppy finish. There is really not hint of 9.5%, you know it’s a big beer but there is no warning sign.
May 21, 2022
Photo of WunderLlama
Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Can received in Bif14 by @snaotheus

Saved this for the birth of my third grandson , Hardison Michael WunderLlama who joined the party this Tuesday . A black raven is a heraldic emblem of my Scottish surname . It’s only appropriate that I open a can of Grandfather Raven by Black Raven Brewing

Brewers Notes: 2016 NABA - Silver Medal (Category: Imperial Stout)
2016 WABA - Bronze Medal (Category: Imperial Stout)
2013 WABA - Gold Medal (Category: Imperial Stout)

In the creator role, and in the Raven's role as the totem and ancestor, the Raven is often addressed as Grandfather Raven. With this stately sense of pomp and tradition we bring you our Imperial Stout. This robust black ale is full with rich dark caramel, unsweetened chocolate, and hints of coffee aromas and flavors. Stately indeed, but at 9.5% ABV, perhaps it is just a vain attempt to encourage the trickster spirit to act respectably. Released annually in the winter.

Alcohol
9.5% ABV

Bitterness
75 IBU

Malts
2-Row Barley, Crystal, Chocolate, Carafa, Roast

Hops
Magnum, Mt Hood, CZ Saaz

Pitch black liquid crowned by a two finger brown foam cap . Recedes and leaves spotty lacings .

Aroma is roast malts , whiff of chocolate

Taste is roast malts, char, hint of chocolate

Sudsy , char taste lingers

Good stout beer

Hardi is a good stout fellow
Mar 26, 2022
Photo of DarkLordScott
Reviewed by DarkLordScott from Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours pitch black, with a wonderful four finger head of nicely sculpted foam. Aroma is subdued, but coffee is noted, along with dark roast. Taste is not complex, but coffee, chocolate and roasted malts are present. The profiles all fade quickly, though smooth at all times. No bitterness or bite noted. A simple but well done brew.
Feb 09, 2022
 
Rated: 4.24 by Abstractspirit from Rhode Island

Feb 08, 2022
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.06/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pitch black body capped with a light cocoa hued head, thick and semi-creamy in texture. Strong dark roasted grain infused with dark chocolate sweetness and a faint sense of dark roast coffee. The taste follows along the line of the aroma; soothing sweetness; a bit charred grain bitterness. Heavy body; soft and smooth on the palate; dull sweetness offset with minimal alcohol heat.

Rich and flavorful, complex and balanced.

Pouring temperature: 53 °F; canning data: pretty blurry, something 11/??/??
Jan 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.13 by Scotchboy from Idaho

Dec 31, 2021
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.84/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can from Hops & Bottles. Black pour, thick brown head settled out to a small creamy cap. Rich roasty malt aroma, notes of chocolate. Taste is bittersweet, roasty, dark chocolate, coffee. Nothing fancy here, a simple stout done very well.
Dec 30, 2021
Photo of backblast
Reviewed by backblast from Alaska

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours black with a nice tan head.

Tastes of heavy dark roasted malt and bitter espresso with bakers chocolate. Has a lingering bitterness in the finish and aftertaste.
Apr 08, 2021
Photo of Pivopijak
Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
draught
Head looks like cappuccino froth and is light brown with a bit of rockiness. There is no light getting through the blackness of this brew. Heavily roasted barley & a note of French roast coffee in the aroma. Flavors of the dark roasted barley with a hint of French/Italian roast coffee with a firm but not sharp bite that trails off with the heavily roasted barley flavor with a bit of charred wood at the very end. Medium heavy sharp mouthfeel.
Apr 02, 2021
Photo of Cashbail
Reviewed by Cashbail from New Hampshire

4.51/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
2019 Vintage. Poured a few ounces into a snifter. Inky black body. Boozy nose. First sip is very smooth chocolate with roast in the background. A slight bitterness/alcohol bite at the end. Delicious smooth sipper.
Mar 25, 2021
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Thick black body, topped by a sizeable dark brown head. Excellent production, retention, and lacing.

Big, smooth, roasty nose. Not overly bitter or roasty for an RIS, more featuring tones of chocolate, molasses, licorice, and char.

More bitter roast on the palate, especially on the finish, but it's overall fairly balanced and smooth, with a mild, dark fruit sweetness. Plenty of toast and caramel; bitter chocolate; espresso tones.

Smooth and thick; nearly chewy; a nice boozy heat, but not challenging to the palate. It's a beer that embraces the high ABV.
Apr 04, 2020
Photo of jrc1093
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut

3.97/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled on 11/19/19

Pours an inky brownish black body capped with 1.5 fingers of nearly creamy dark hazelnut froth; good head retention fades slowly to a thin but creamy cap, hefty collar, and a comprehensive walling of moderate lacing.

Aromas of earthy caramel and milky dark chocolate open subtly and with quiet contrast as fluffy raw vanilla bean melds with charred barley further along the bouquet; wisps of underlying smoke, coffee grounds, and dark berries course delicately in the background and deepen into the close.

Taste shows a balance of milky chocolate and slight caramel transitioning tones of dark berries navigating through a bitter coffee char accented with a familiar, almost nondescript smoke.

Mouthfeel brings a silky medium body enhanced with a moderate, soft carbonation; a hyper-slick mid-palate guides easily into a building yet minor alcohol presence steadfastly integrated into a roasty malt bitterness which highlights a manageable edge on the swallow.

This is an incredibly steady Russian imperial stout, remaining balanced in its pronounced bitterness and soft sweetness throughout. A remarkable consistency in every facet across the palate, this one is, while hearty, an easy pleasure to drink.
Mar 16, 2020
Photo of Cylinsier
Reviewed by Cylinsier from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
22 oz bottle

Pours opaque black, tan lacing for a head.

Aroma of toast, cocoa, coffee, vanilla and hazelnut.

Flavor is of smoke, toast, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, coffee bean, and walnut.

Full body, stinging carbonation. Warms a bit going down.

Pretty great stout. The flavor is very roasty and ends with some nutty bitterness. Slow drinking, very enjoyable.
Dec 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.27 by Blcookies from Nevada

Nov 20, 2019
Grandfather Raven from Black Raven Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 180 ratings