Catherine III
Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria West

 

 

4pack bought at Liquor Shed for under $9. No dating.

It pours a pitch black with a great head of tan foam. Lacing is very good.

Smells of bakers chocolate, cocoa, dark chocolate, a mix of them? Roasted malt, overall nose is bitter sweet.

Taste is splendid. Dark chocolate/cocoa bitterness along with a lactose like sweetness, oaky, woody, light whiskey, roasted malt. Lots of enjoyable complexity. Even a smidgen of fruity tartness that doesn't inflict any damage.

High end of medium bodied, just the right amount of carbonation.

So good and fun to drink. The abv doesn't come into play...much.

Pours black with an eager head foaming up to over three fingers of dark caramel foam. Head retention is good, with a pillowy fluff of khaki foam sitting on top for a long while. Aroma is roasted and toasted malts. Malts bring about a dark, hearty aromatic presence. Its darkness is furthered by bourbon and char. Unfortunately, it's all undercut by a light, lactic sourness that diverts the aroma from a big, noteworthy stout to a miss. Flavor profile is big toasted and roasted malts. Caramel, toffee, and chocolate swirl together with smooth whiskey and char. It's big and bold, especially for being under 10%. Like the aroma, the flavor profile carries a light, tart cherry sourness at the back of the tongue. Mouth feel is big and viscous, with a velvety, grainy texture. Overall, a sublime stout, especially for being just under 10%. Unfortunately, a little lactic cherry burn after each sip suggests something is off here. I wouldn't put any age on these cans. Otherwise, it's a really great beer.

Served in a 12oz snifter from a 12oz can.

12 ounce can. Pours black with a decent brown head. Aroma of malt, chocolate, and coffee. Taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, and a touch of whiskey. Very good.

 

Starts out with a nice dark tan head that leaves behind great lacing. Smell is a mild sweet chocolate and whiskey. Taste wise dark chocolate, malts, and just a touch of coffee steal the show right off but they're following up by a pleasant and noticeable whiskey and oak flavor. Overall this is a home run from WBC, a bit different from other Russians but still ranks up there with some of the better stouts I've tried.

 

 

Whiskey, Viscous, Malty, Roasty

Catherine III was apparently aged in foeders pre-treated with a small batch whiskey from Leopold Bros. It pours pitch black with a creamy dark tan head. Straight up whiskey in the nose. Catherine III is a full-bodied, viscous, and creamy Stout. Roasty malts of coffee, chocolate, and some toffee are followed by big whiskey notes that bring some light peat, oak, earth, char, and a hint of vanilla with an underlying spicy heat. The edges are rounded out by dark fruits and a lightly floral bitterness with some citrus notes. Dry, bready, and woody in the finish. A boozy linger with a wisp of smoke. Whiskey is really the highlight here, and I really dig it.

As reviewed in BeerAdvocate magazine #120 (January 2017).

 

Pours a oily thick, opaque black with a fluffy one finger mocha color head. Aroma Is dark fruit, plum, raisin, licorice, dark and bittersweet chocolate. Taste follows with plum, dark licorice, and a bit of earthy/rubber like notes upfront, followed by more dark fruit, and the bittersweet and dark chocolate from the nose. It also shows some big roast, smoke and peat notes on the finish as it warms. Mouthfeel is thin and viscous, with a touch of mouthcoating oilyness. Overall, this is a very good RIS from an up and coming brewer that definitely has a decent barrel, and aging program already going (this one is aged in oak barrels). A very good regional brew.

Draught in a tulip.
L - Darkest brown body with one finger of dark creamy head, which left good lacing.
S - Weak. Malt, coffee.
T - Coffee, roasted malt, dark fruit, a hint of anise.
F - Medium body with moderate sweetness. Alcohol presence.
O - Easy to drink. Not as much body as most Russians.