Vlad To Be Here
Icarus Brewing Company

 

 

 

I honestly cannot find any fault with Icarus Brewing's Vlad To Be Here...a Russian Imperial Coffee Stout that sets the standard for brewing high ABV beers. It is smooth, decadent and incredibly easy to drink, despite a 14.5% ABV. As a fan of bitter beers, Vlad doesn't disappoint with highlighted coffee/charred flavors. The presence of vanilla, honey and brown sugar smooth out the final product. Interestingly, Vlad -- in my opinion -- tastes slightly better colder, rather than warmer...untypical of other stouts (this may be due to the high ABV, but that's just a guess). As I finish Vlad, the amount of sediment at the bottom of my glass is astounding, and completes my evening in a dessert-like fashion. Vlad must rank among the best-ever Russian Imperial Coffee Stouts.

Canned on 2/4/2020. Poured into a snifter at approximately 55 degrees. It pours an inky black color with a large, frothy, medium mocha-colored head and lacing. The smell features roasted malt, dark fruit, freshly-brewed coffee, tobacco smoke, cinnamon, and vanilla bean. The taste opens with a lot of sweetness: vanilla, black cherry, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a hint of honey. But it quickly segues to profound bitterness: char, ash, and burnt coffee grounds. It's quite a taste transformation. As the glass warms, however, the flavor mellows and becomes more consistent. The mouthfeel is creamy and viscous with mild carbonation, and you can feel the warmth of the 14.5% ABV. Vlad should be sipped slowly. Overall, Vlad to be Here is quite good - provided you don't mind the bitterness (I don't). It's both sweeter, and more bitter, than Icarus's Kalashnikov RIS but the cinnamon and honey make it interesting and enjoyable.

 

 

Canned 2.5 months ago. Pours near-black with a thin ring of tan head.

The nose is root beer, chocolate, vanilla, and roast.

The taste is nice chocolate and vanilla up front, with lingering bitter coffee on the backend.

The mouthfeel starts medium+ and drops out a bit as the bitterness comes in.

Overall, this opens delicious, with chocolate and complex malt on the front-end, but the finish isn't quite as luxurious as the big boys.

 

 

 

 

A rayless delight of smooth Imperial stout. Like a perfect cup of coffee, a fantastic balance of sweetness, spiciness, and smoothness (maybe a little too smooth for the abv, but I’m not complaining) that lingers until your next sip. Icarus heaved this stake well.