Big Eddy
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

No date on bottle. More than likely one of the first bottlings due to my obsession of large breweries venturing into some amazing territory.
Opened with some hiss but poured with an every-so-thin veil. Jet black. Very mild nose with heavy burnt coffee and some oxidation. Taste is strong deep roasted/burnt malt with good bitter finish. Mouthfeel is lacquerish. Decent but not great. Glad to see Leinies doing something crazy.

 

 

Too bad this one is retired. A nice stout. Well balanced, Good flavor.

 

(2016 bottle, recently purchased... poured into a snifter)

L: dark brown liquid, nearly black; crumbling dark tan foam, thins out to a collar rapidly... down to last drop out of the bottle, seems relatively clear, no sediment... doesn't lace, but the thin collar does hold throughout

S: baking cocoa, dark caramel, subtle dark fruit (raisin), molasses cookie, hints of medium-roast coffee... soft booze... malt constitution seems dense... very inviting overall

T: dark chocolate cordial; arguable black licorice undertone with a big pop of it in the finish; aftertaste has lingering bitter roast char, notes of dark caramel clinging to the sides of the palate... soft coffee gradually builds coupled with a mildly spicy alcohol hum, and a background leathery tone ... dense soup of roasty, toasty (American) malts, relatively balanced with restrained sweetness in check...

F: medium, edging toward full bodied with a lumbering, mildly milky malt texture, lacking roundness of definition to its viscosity... warm booze presence is felt just up front in palate, does not travel down into the thorax; rather comforting heat

O: bought a single out of a full 4-pack, off slightly cooler than room temp shelf - held up pretty well... I'll have to recheck the price, because if cheap enough, I could see buying more - satisfied my malt madness rather well

 

 

 

3.5 years old from purchase date. Dark black color. Three finger head that disappears rather quickly. Sweet chocolate and coffee nose. Sweet dark chocolate, coffee and caramel mouth. Very decadent stout. A treat for sure. Great job now bring it back!!!!

 

BRING IT BACK!!!!!

From notes taken 05/13/17:

Brewed in 2015, so probably almost exactly two years worth of aging.

Opaque pitch black, no light coming through anywhere. Darkest brown head I have ever seen or close to it, but still has some orange, “muddy” hues. Tall, retains well, dense, extra fine-bubbled, three layers: thin and lighter-colored, then an inch of darker, then thin and light again. Frosty lacing. Roastiness and dark chocolate aromas, slightest suggestion of dark fruit. Palate is extremely roasty and smoky for the style, and like the aged Doppelschwarz from the same series that I just had (albeit a year older in the aging process), tastes more like a Grätzer or Rauchbier than the style intended, but that is far from a complaint. There’s a dark chocolate to dark fruit suggestion in the background but the balance favors burnt and blackened organic material, with soily, leathery, and spicy hops and a walloping amount of booze closer to the finish. Extremely bitter aftertaste, as much smoke as hops. Full-bodied, smooth, tingly velvety carbonation, with heat, an unexpected acidity, and some astringency.

 

 

 

 

Pours black. Thick, short, brown head fades fast.

Smells roast malt, dark fruit, light chocolate and hints of alcohol.

Tastes roast malt, light chocolate, light dark fruit. Followed by earthy bitterness and light alcohol. Finish is dry with a roasty linger. Full body and creamy medium carbonation.

 

Poured from a 12 oz bottle,into a Funky Buddha snifter.

Creamy khaki colored head that stands 1 finger tall,with small to large bubbles.Good retention,and sticky lacing on the glass.Jet black in color with no light showing through the glass.Very light carbonation.

On the nose I get heavy dark fruit notes,prunes,cherries,and dates.I also get dark roasted malts,toffee,licorice,and roasted caramel.It has a very toasty,charred aroma to it.Very nice smell.As the beer starts to warm the nose starts to take on some nutty notes.

On the palate I get dark fruits and licorice up front.Caramel and toffee in the middle,and dark roasted malt,dark fruits,and smokey charred alcohol on the back end.The alcohol is not stong at all,actually very pleasant.The dark fruits and smokey charred liquor is pretty consistent throughout the sip.Just like the nose,the palate starts to take on some nutty characteristics as the beer warms.

The body is thick,bordering on medium and heavy,with a sticky mouth feel.Very light alcohol warming feel after the sip,but not overbearing at all.

I have to admit that I am a bit of a Russian Imperial Stout sycophant,so this rating may be a little by biased.I think this is a very nice RIS,not my favorite but also not my least favorite.I put this one right on par with Old Rasputin,maybe a little bit better.I would drink this again,and would recommend to fans of big beers,Imperial Stouts,and especially lovers of the RIS style.

 

Unknown vintage; drank 9/9/15 on draft @ Fischman's.

Black appearance.

Dark khaki head; strong lace.

Cognac, blackberry & dark chocolate notes in the nose.

Medium thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Blackberry, bakers chocolate & red wine flavors; no booze heat. Fruity & very tasty.

At a bottle share, had both 2011 and 2014.

2011 :

Lots of fermentation, overflowed in the snifter. Natural coffee brown-black.

Aroma of soy sauce and meat locker.

Flavor is much of the same with a little cocoa.

Feel is slick but not thick.

Too much time on this one.


2014 :

Same color as 2011, no fermentation wildly flowing.

Aromas of deep roast malts, cocoa, meat locker.

Less flavorful than 2011, but that also meant less off-flavors. No oxidation or diacetyl. Addition of coconut and chocolate.

Feel is a bit thicker but not by much.

2014 was a bit better overall.


(Scores reflect both beers' scores together)

 

 

 

 

I cellared this 2013 bottle without trying it fresh so uncertain what that means as far as the rating I have given, perhaps I will revisit if I find this somewhere in the future.

The color is dark almost pure black with opaque clarity and head that dissipates rapidly but revives when swirled. The smell is roasty with a subtle anise type smell with more spice than malt aroma, perhaps that is yeast derived. The feel is good with medium carbonation and substantial malt backbone with low bitterness yet finish is mostly dry with a slight alcohol warmth in the back.

The taste is good with a malt that brings more of a toast quality, dark chocolate flavor somewhat toffee with a mild hop taste in the middle which comes off as herbal not exactly piney-This has a slight English feel don't know if that is the yeast expressing itself in the flavor however the malt could be the culprit. I like the way this tastes as it is not full of roasted barley, chocolate or caramel malt like many out there but the amount of alcohol is high in the taste for a 3 year old stout. I would have expected some mellowing over time.

 

**
06/29/2016
12 oz bottle to snifter.

LOOK: Dark Black pour, looks thick. light brown medium head.
AROMA: Roasted malt, burnt?, smoke, hint something chemical at the end
TASTE: Char. Coffee. Not that I would normally ask for this, but it could use a little sweetness.
FEEL: Decent Body. Some bubbles despite the thickness.

Pretty good. Could use a little chocolate or
Better than I expected. Shame on me for writing it off after reading it was Leinenkugel/Miller-Coors.

**

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015 a young RIS. A hard pour produced a one finger head dark tan head that dissipated as quickly as it came. The beer is dark dark brown with no clarity or carbonation bubbles.

S: A roasted malt, with coffee, caramel, toffee, chocolate, earth, and some floral.

T: A slight roasted coffee, roasted malt, caramel. toffee, chocolate and some earth.

Mouthfeel of the beer chewy, slightly carbonated, and the finish last for a minute.

Overall: This beer is just OK this has potential.

 

A: opaque; very deep brown; 1+ finger medium brown head that receded slowly to a wispy cap; OK lacing;

S: bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, coffee, with cream, deeply roasted grain; a little spicy;

T: bittersweet chocolate and licorice for a moment, then prune is predominant; alcohol is evident and a little harsh; mild bitterness on the finish; aftertaste is black coffee, leather, and a touch of smoke;

M: medium to full bodied; low to moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;

O: aftertaste was the best part of the flavor;

Pours black with a medium sized creme colored head. Head retention is strong, with decent lacing left behind early in the glass. Aroma is of roasted malts, cocoa nibs, chocolate, and caramel. Roasted malts, cocoa nibs, and chocolate make up most of the flavor profile. Heavy notes of yeast throughout the end of the flavor profile. Mouth feel has a medium consistency, with smooth, watery drink ability. It does get a bit grainy towards the end. Overall, it's an okay RIS. This would not be my pick to show someone this style. If I hadn't got it for a $1.25 a bottle, I would consider this a rip off.

Served in a 12oz snifter.