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Enlightened Despot
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #189 - ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #3,241 - Avg:
- 4.2 | pDev: 10.95%
- Reviews:
- 34
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 15, 2022
- Added:
- Feb 21, 2014
- Wants:
- 92
- Gots:
- 48
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Notes:
The Enlightened Despot is an amazingly rich, complex and surprisingly drinkable Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, and of course the delicious flavor of Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon round out this robust stout. Aged for 100 days in 15 Year Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Barrels, made with 10 specialty grains and containing over 78 IBU of American Hop flavor, this truly is a one of a kind beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland
4.28/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2022 Version. Had from bottle (#466).
Poured black/rich deep brown. Tan head quickly to halo. Very nice ruby red accents to light. Nose is dark malts, hops and vanilla. Taste mirrors with more prominent barrel, wheated bourbon and corn sweetness coming out. Vanilla stands out. Roastiness arrives as well as chocolate. Nicely rich flavor that remarkably different from other BBA Imp Stouts. Body is an excellent medium smooth lightly carbonated sipper. There is some booze harshness. But not really a distraction from an otherwise enjoyably soft and easy brew.
Overall , I really liked the brew, and with so many BBARIS’s out there these days it’s still easy to rate this one as extraordinary.
Dec 15, 2022Poured black/rich deep brown. Tan head quickly to halo. Very nice ruby red accents to light. Nose is dark malts, hops and vanilla. Taste mirrors with more prominent barrel, wheated bourbon and corn sweetness coming out. Vanilla stands out. Roastiness arrives as well as chocolate. Nicely rich flavor that remarkably different from other BBA Imp Stouts. Body is an excellent medium smooth lightly carbonated sipper. There is some booze harshness. But not really a distraction from an otherwise enjoyably soft and easy brew.
Overall , I really liked the brew, and with so many BBARIS’s out there these days it’s still easy to rate this one as extraordinary.
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia
4.25/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2016 Vintage
750ml bottle poured into a tulip
A- pours jet black in color with a two-finger foamy khaki head that has good retention
S- plenty of oaky barrel juice on the nose, adding layers of caramel, vanilla and toasted coconut. Brownie batter, dark chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, a hint of char
T- as with the aroma, the barrel is immediately noticed; barrel juice, oak, vanilla, caramel and toffee. Mid-palate brings out some chocolate undertones that add notes of brownies and prunes. The finish brings out some faded hop notes, evidence that this has a highly hopped stout when fresh. Lingers of bourbon, oak, vanilla and char
M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that turns silky into a warming finish
O- the bourbon barrel dominates this one, which I'm a fan of. But those looking for a bit more balance might not be a fan
Nov 25, 2020750ml bottle poured into a tulip
A- pours jet black in color with a two-finger foamy khaki head that has good retention
S- plenty of oaky barrel juice on the nose, adding layers of caramel, vanilla and toasted coconut. Brownie batter, dark chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, a hint of char
T- as with the aroma, the barrel is immediately noticed; barrel juice, oak, vanilla, caramel and toffee. Mid-palate brings out some chocolate undertones that add notes of brownies and prunes. The finish brings out some faded hop notes, evidence that this has a highly hopped stout when fresh. Lingers of bourbon, oak, vanilla and char
M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that turns silky into a warming finish
O- the bourbon barrel dominates this one, which I'm a fan of. But those looking for a bit more balance might not be a fan
Reviewed by metter98 from New York
3.82/5 rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.82/5 rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high tan head that died down but never completely faded away.
S: Light to moderate aromas of oak and vanilla are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has additional notes of chocolate (of the Hershey's syrup variety).
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This Russian Imperial Stout doesn't seem to be as strong compared to other beers in the style - it seems like the oak and vanilla from the bourbon barrel aging softens things up. It does a very good job at hiding the alcohol from the taste.
Serving type: can
Sep 12, 2020S: Light to moderate aromas of oak and vanilla are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has additional notes of chocolate (of the Hershey's syrup variety).
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This Russian Imperial Stout doesn't seem to be as strong compared to other beers in the style - it seems like the oak and vanilla from the bourbon barrel aging softens things up. It does a very good job at hiding the alcohol from the taste.
Serving type: can
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia
4.32/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.32/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2019 version "aged in oak bourbon barrels":
Beautiful obelisk of a body with a billowing brown head that consolidates into a thick foam as it slowly falls back to the liquid that contained it. Lacing is heavy at first, but clears up further down the glass.
Nose and taste keep the same general course, but do take slightly different routes to get there. Both have a strong charred wood roasted malt at their base. The nose shows a little alcohol when the beer has warmed, but offers a little marshmallow as well. The taste throws in a little unsweetened chocolate brownie with the bourbon lingering longer and longer as the beer warms.
A bold, mildly thick RIS that brings the bitter char of the stout (which dominates early) with the spice and sting of the bourbon that seeps from the barrels that housed the beer for a year. A nice representation of a straightforward big barrel-aged beer.
Jul 21, 2019Beautiful obelisk of a body with a billowing brown head that consolidates into a thick foam as it slowly falls back to the liquid that contained it. Lacing is heavy at first, but clears up further down the glass.
Nose and taste keep the same general course, but do take slightly different routes to get there. Both have a strong charred wood roasted malt at their base. The nose shows a little alcohol when the beer has warmed, but offers a little marshmallow as well. The taste throws in a little unsweetened chocolate brownie with the bourbon lingering longer and longer as the beer warms.
A bold, mildly thick RIS that brings the bitter char of the stout (which dominates early) with the spice and sting of the bourbon that seeps from the barrels that housed the beer for a year. A nice representation of a straightforward big barrel-aged beer.
Reviewed by the_benskii from Washington
4.37/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured 10/12/18 into a snifter - dark with a nice even khaki head. Smells of boozey with bourbon and hints of vanilla and a bit of cherry? Tastes of molasses, nuts, bourbon and chocolate with a nice mildly sweet after taste. Not too thick but smooth and light carbonation. Easy to drink and puts you on the floor.
Oct 13, 2018
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina
4.25/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Had this beer on-tap at Lickinghole Creek Brewery, poured into a plastic cup. Had a dark brown / black color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a small amount of foamy, tan-colored head that quickly dissipated. Very good lacing.
S: A nice aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla.
T: Tasted of a good shot of bourbon (and its accompanying barrel, a tinge of hops (mostly in the finish), lots of chocolate, a hint of vanilla, and some molasses. It's a complex and big flavor, but it's not as overwhelming as you might think. It has a nice subtlety and good balance.
F: A decent amount of carbonation with a silky smooth finish. Medium-bodied.
O: On the whole, a very solidly made, easy to drink stout. Worth a try.
Apr 22, 2018S: A nice aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla.
T: Tasted of a good shot of bourbon (and its accompanying barrel, a tinge of hops (mostly in the finish), lots of chocolate, a hint of vanilla, and some molasses. It's a complex and big flavor, but it's not as overwhelming as you might think. It has a nice subtlety and good balance.
F: A decent amount of carbonation with a silky smooth finish. Medium-bodied.
O: On the whole, a very solidly made, easy to drink stout. Worth a try.
Reviewed by TheSixthRing from California
4.05/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
2017 release, aged in 'Oak Bourbon Barrels'. Bottle no. 85
Appearance - Pours black with cola brown edging. Cocoa colored, finger width head. Fizzes away in fair time, leaving a small island of suds that gravitates toward the edge of the glass while a razor thin, broken line encircles that edge. No lacing.
Smell - Strong aroma of chocolate, vanilla, oak, molasses and faint toffee.
Taste - Follows the nose. Chocolate, vanilla and oak upfront. Booziness hits with bourbon sweetness and accompanies molasses. Light malt roastiness on the back end. Finishes with the sweeter notes giving way to oaky wood and a hint of earth before faint cocoa sweetness returns in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel - Full-bodied with low carbonation. Slightly syrupy texture with a somewhat harsh, dry and boozy finish.
Overall - Not my favorite BA Lickinghole offering, but pretty good regardless. The overall balance is fair; I just wish there was more roast to tie it all together. Not the smoothest drinking BA impy, either. Despite the flaws, there's enough redeeming value here to proclaim this as a must-try beer, provided it isn't too much hassle to get.
May 21, 2017Appearance - Pours black with cola brown edging. Cocoa colored, finger width head. Fizzes away in fair time, leaving a small island of suds that gravitates toward the edge of the glass while a razor thin, broken line encircles that edge. No lacing.
Smell - Strong aroma of chocolate, vanilla, oak, molasses and faint toffee.
Taste - Follows the nose. Chocolate, vanilla and oak upfront. Booziness hits with bourbon sweetness and accompanies molasses. Light malt roastiness on the back end. Finishes with the sweeter notes giving way to oaky wood and a hint of earth before faint cocoa sweetness returns in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel - Full-bodied with low carbonation. Slightly syrupy texture with a somewhat harsh, dry and boozy finish.
Overall - Not my favorite BA Lickinghole offering, but pretty good regardless. The overall balance is fair; I just wish there was more roast to tie it all together. Not the smoothest drinking BA impy, either. Despite the flaws, there's enough redeeming value here to proclaim this as a must-try beer, provided it isn't too much hassle to get.
Rated by BeerSeniorJudge from North Carolina
2.88/5 rDev -31.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.88/5 rDev -31.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Dark brown to black in color with flavors malty, roasted and fruit. The bitterness was high.
Jan 23, 2017
Rated by BuccoFan from District of Columbia
3.58/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Found it too sweet for an RIS, even one aged in barrels.
Oct 09, 2016
Enlightened Despot from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
217 ratings
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