Hug The Despot
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Hug The DespotHug The Despot
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From:
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
11.3%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.21 | pDev: 7.84%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
60
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 15, 2019
Added:
Feb 18, 2015
Wants:
  23
Gots:
  15
Hug the Despot
Vanilla + Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout
11.3% ABV, 78 IBU
Only 500 Bottles Produced
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mportnoy:
Photo of mportnoy
Rated by mportnoy from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oct 18, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.19 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Dec 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.68 by Mikexw from New York

Jul 22, 2019
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle into a snifter. 2018 bottle. Had 9/7/18.

Pours near black and opaque, with a one and a half inch foamy head with good retention and lots of foamy lacing. Aromas of vanilla, light roast malt, chocolate, caramel, oak, toffee, some fudge, light bourbon. The flavor is similar- malt, vanilla, chocolate, oak, caramel, cocoa, some toffee and caramel, some bourbon. It’s fairly bitter. Smooth, a good full body, well carbonated.

While the great aroma teases your expectations, the flavor does not fully deliver them. There’s just something lacking. Let this really warm, it seems to mellow the bitterness a bit. The vanilla is the obvious and worthy star, but the bourbon is a little light- too light. Worth a purchase.
Mar 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.28 by alexsergio from New York

Jan 28, 2019
 
Rated: 3.68 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Oct 27, 2018
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The beer pours a good looking creamy brown head that dissipates at a moderate pace. The beer itself is a dark chocolate black that looks nice.

The smell is a good deep bitter dark chocolate with moderate wood notes around the edges. Interestingly enough, there isn't much bourbon other than a sharp alcohol smell. The vanilla adds a good bitter-sweetness that seems to be covering up the bourbon.

The taste is very similar to the smell but seems to have a strong vanilla note with the wood and chocolate lingering in the finish.

The feel is good. It's slightly creamy but the carbonation creates some nice fluffy texture.

Overall, a good beer with getting even if it is extremely bitter.
May 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4.37 by Jason_cs from Florida

Apr 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Raziel313 from California

Feb 22, 2018
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

4.37/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Shared with JLindros. Bottle #189

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice dark black hue with a good two finger mocha head that fades to leave creamy blanket and a nice lacing.

S - Aromas of nice bourbon barrels oak, dark fruit, vanilla Russian imperial, and overly bitter hops.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, very nice vanilla, almost too much. Nice chocolate and rich barrel notes, really nice though there is a bitter hop on the finish that clashes.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, rich and creamy. Bitter finish though.

O - Overall this was a very solid beer, however, the hops really kill the finish. That bitterness ruins the barrel and additives. Really really unfortunate.

Serving Type: bottle
Jan 20, 2018
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a ridiculous fluffy creamy thick mocha head, heads very slowly, thick lacing, pitch black thick beer

Nose.loads of dark choc, cocoa, little roast, vanilla, cookies dough and canning.vanilla

Taste big sweet malt, little toasty, big candy malt roast, char, fair spice butter spicy hop, bitter go for

Mouth med to heavier bod, little creamy, decent carb, fair alcohol burn
Jan 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.05 by JMUbrewz from Virginia

Aug 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.02 by Eziel from Ohio

Jun 24, 2017
Photo of yesterdayfaraway
Reviewed by yesterdayfaraway from Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
L: pours lighter / thinner black with two fingers of tan head. Pitch black in the glass the glass
S: slight barrel, with a nice chocolate and vanilla mix.
T: starts with some chocolate, then turns to the hops and molasses body with a vanilla finish. The barrel is there throughout but only slightly.
F: medium/thin thickness, slick feel and goes down easy.
May 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.44 by Jamison85 from Indiana

Apr 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.31 by IckyT2012 from Florida

Apr 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.15 by brocktune from Virginia

Mar 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by PA-Michigander from Pennsylvania

Jan 29, 2017
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

3.46/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
750ml bottle. 2016 release. Served in a snifter glass. Dark brown body, one finger white head, fair retention, no lacing. Smell is intensely hoppy, pine resin with milk chocolate and dark fruit. Touch of vanilla, but not very much of it. It's very hoppy. Flavour follows; hoppy pine resin mixes in with milk chocolate, dark fruit, touch of barrel. Again, not much vanilla. Mouthfeel is thinner bodied, a little undercarbonated, nothing too special here. The hops linger from the front all the way to the backend. Too hoppy, not enough chocolate, roast or vanilla to go along with it. A messy over-hopped stout.
Jan 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.32 by Dactrius from Netherlands Antilles

Jan 14, 2017
Hug The Despot from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 60 ratings