Captain Ivan DRAGO
Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.
- From:
- Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.93 | pDev: 10.94%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 16, 2017
- Added:
- Dec 20, 2013
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
3/5 rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
"Capt. Ivan rago." Russian Imperial Stout. OG 22. IBU 45. 10% ABV. Reviewed from notes taken at ABGB when I lived in Austin (~2 years ago).
Rotating offering. $5.00/10oz. On-draught @ ABGB served into a tulip. This was my first ABGB beer.
HEAD: 1.5 fingers wide. Lush, soft-looking, creamy, full, and of apt thickness for the style. Has a nice even smooth consistency. Leaves uneven lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes. Retention is nice (especially considering the high ABV) - about 4 minutes.
BOY: Opaque dark black. No yeast/lees or sediment is visible within. It could be darker; it isn't quite an ink black.
Overall, it's a pretty standard looking imperial stout. Nothing stands out as unique or special. I'm optimistic.
AROMA: Sweeter than anticipated, evoking almost a dessert beer vibe instead of a roasty Russian imperial stout proper. Lactose sugar, dark malts, chocolate malts/carafa, caramel, cream, milk chocolate, and muted vanilla. I don't find any char or burnt characteristics, which would bring a bit more harsh bitterness to balance out the sweetness. Hop presence is minimal (to style).
Aromatic intensity is mild - especially for the style. This evokes a simplistic example of a Russian imperial stout - almost a base beer intended for barrel aging (judging by the faint vanilla and sweet malt leanings). Attenuation of the yeast seems low. As it warms, light marshmallow emerges.
TASTE: Certainly on the sweeter side for an imperial stout; definitely a dessert brew. A simple dark and chocolate/carafa malt backbone lend it its dominant sweetness. Faint vanilla and cream are subsidiary. I find none of the other notes I' usually expect in a Russian imperial stout - no marshmallow, caramel, char, burnt character, dark fruit, et al. No unique spins on the style like coffee or legitimate chocolate/cacao either. Its simplicity and plainness is disappointing and leaves much to be desired. Has no subtlety or nuance. Very overt; some might even say boring.
To its credit, the alcohol content is well hiden. And it doesn't have anything egregiously wrong like an overt hop presence, bold yeast flavour, or off-flavours like diacetyl. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. A bit too sweet in terms of (im)balance. Roasted barley is sorely needed.
MOUTHFEEL: Smooth and wet, with insufficient creaminess and softness. Slightly overcarbonated. Thick and chewy; too viscous. Full-bodied as it shoul be. Unrefreshing (to style).
This texture fails to elevate the beer as a whole, but it suits the taste okay. Could use some fine tuning.
OVERALL: While the reticent vanilla (vanillin) is interesting, the beer overall comes off rather mundane, bringing ill enough intricacy to the table for a Russian imperial stout - a style which when executed properly can be one of the most complex styles out there. It's nice that ABGB recognizes many craft beer drinkers want imperial stouts, but at best this is on the high side of average and won't impress the discerning drinker.
High C (3.00) / AVERAGE
Jan 16, 2017Rotating offering. $5.00/10oz. On-draught @ ABGB served into a tulip. This was my first ABGB beer.
HEAD: 1.5 fingers wide. Lush, soft-looking, creamy, full, and of apt thickness for the style. Has a nice even smooth consistency. Leaves uneven lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes. Retention is nice (especially considering the high ABV) - about 4 minutes.
BOY: Opaque dark black. No yeast/lees or sediment is visible within. It could be darker; it isn't quite an ink black.
Overall, it's a pretty standard looking imperial stout. Nothing stands out as unique or special. I'm optimistic.
AROMA: Sweeter than anticipated, evoking almost a dessert beer vibe instead of a roasty Russian imperial stout proper. Lactose sugar, dark malts, chocolate malts/carafa, caramel, cream, milk chocolate, and muted vanilla. I don't find any char or burnt characteristics, which would bring a bit more harsh bitterness to balance out the sweetness. Hop presence is minimal (to style).
Aromatic intensity is mild - especially for the style. This evokes a simplistic example of a Russian imperial stout - almost a base beer intended for barrel aging (judging by the faint vanilla and sweet malt leanings). Attenuation of the yeast seems low. As it warms, light marshmallow emerges.
TASTE: Certainly on the sweeter side for an imperial stout; definitely a dessert brew. A simple dark and chocolate/carafa malt backbone lend it its dominant sweetness. Faint vanilla and cream are subsidiary. I find none of the other notes I' usually expect in a Russian imperial stout - no marshmallow, caramel, char, burnt character, dark fruit, et al. No unique spins on the style like coffee or legitimate chocolate/cacao either. Its simplicity and plainness is disappointing and leaves much to be desired. Has no subtlety or nuance. Very overt; some might even say boring.
To its credit, the alcohol content is well hiden. And it doesn't have anything egregiously wrong like an overt hop presence, bold yeast flavour, or off-flavours like diacetyl. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. A bit too sweet in terms of (im)balance. Roasted barley is sorely needed.
MOUTHFEEL: Smooth and wet, with insufficient creaminess and softness. Slightly overcarbonated. Thick and chewy; too viscous. Full-bodied as it shoul be. Unrefreshing (to style).
This texture fails to elevate the beer as a whole, but it suits the taste okay. Could use some fine tuning.
OVERALL: While the reticent vanilla (vanillin) is interesting, the beer overall comes off rather mundane, bringing ill enough intricacy to the table for a Russian imperial stout - a style which when executed properly can be one of the most complex styles out there. It's nice that ABGB recognizes many craft beer drinkers want imperial stouts, but at best this is on the high side of average and won't impress the discerning drinker.
High C (3.00) / AVERAGE
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