Big Eddy
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

 

 

16oz can stamped SEP0825 38 poured into a Spiegelau stout glass at fridge temp 9.5% ABV. The beer pours dark black with a hint of ruby highlights and medium brown colored head. The head is prolific and sticky causing multiple top offs to fill the 19oz glass. Aroma is mild with roasted malt offering faint earthy chocolate. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with a note of lactose in addition to the earthy chocolate thing. Medium bitterness. The feel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Alcohol is fairly well hidden. Overall, fair. Not the flavor bomb or ashy bitterness of other major players, but certainly enjoyable.

 

16 oz can EB date Sept 08, 2025 into a nonick pint glass.
L: SRM 40 pours black with a large 2" domed rocky khaki head that has excellent retention, fairly low carbonation, chunky loose random lacing.
S: Chocolate, darkly roasted malts, a hint of char, a touch of vanilla, sweet malts.
T: Sweet dark chocolate, bitter dark fruits, a hint of licorice, a light metallic note, rather bitter in the center and in the lingering finish, heavy sharp pine in the finish. It is a little bit tangy as well. Fairly bold tastes.
F: Has a wide open medium-bodied feel with a tall center and a very long moderately dry finish that lingers.
O: Wow. Masterfully brewed and drinks easy for its ABV. It has a tall piney flavor and a balance of toasty charred malts against hops that is superb. I hope the brewery in Chippewa Falls can continue this Ltd release. It is outstanding.

Poured from a pint can well within its date range into two snifters.

Look: Dark brown, with a 1/2” tan head that showed very good retention, finally resolving into a foam ring and leaving good lacing.

Nose: Dark roast, alcohol, a little dark chocolate, a hint of brown sugar. Very nice.

Attack: Follows the nose very closely. Full flavored.

Finish: Bitterness very appropriate to an RIS, from the roast and the hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium — just a little thinner than I might expect; adequate carbonation.

Overall: This is an excellent brew, perhaps Leinenkugel’s finest, and an excellent example of the style. We’re absolutely enjoying it on a Midwest winter evening in front of a warm fire, eating Bangers and Mash, with which it is pairing quite nicely.

16oz can, date stamped SEP0825. Last review was 2012 with ok results and I claimed I liked it more in 2008 - time for a re-review!
L: crazy tall and foamy khaki head overflows the glass; body is dark brown/near black
S: cocoa, roasted barley, earthy hops
T: roasted barley, dark cocoa, bread crust, burnt caramel, dark fruit, vanilla, anise, earthy hops
F: fuller body, ample carbonation, roasty finish with some astringency
O: I guess this one is as good as the 2008 one? lol. By far the best Leinenkugel’s beer I’ve ever had

 

I haven't seen this in 20 years or so.
A fine looking pour, black, light doesn't penetrate, big brown head leaves some decent lacing. Nose says roast, some bitter chocolate. Flavor is similar, vanilla, stale coffe and some licorice on the finish. It's one of the thinner Imperial Stouts, well carbonated, goes down easy. I will buy this again!

 

 

It’s back! Big Eddy has been on my try list since I first heard about it with the combination of good reviews and coming from a faux craft brewer that is Leinenkugel’s. On-tap at Three Cellars, it’s time to end my nearly 17 year wait;

In a snifter, color is ink black and topped with a sturdy, somewhat creamy tanned head which splashes thick lacing onto the glass. Roasted malts, licorice, charcoal. A simple but appetizing aroma from an imperial stout.

I’m begging to understand some of the hype. This is an imperial stout from yesteryear without additives or flavorings to enhance the strong style. Teetering between good and great, Big Eddy is the imperial stout which I am glad to see revived today. One major key I really like here is the balance of the taste. Charcoal, bittersweet chocolate, a touch of fruitiness, coffee grounds, ABV taking a ride behind the action. Adding to the good vibes is the mouthfeel, which is thick but not too thick, smooth feeling, and all this together makes an imperial stout I could slowly knock back throughout a night.

I remember the forums of 2008 when the hype for Big Eddy was full steam ahead. It’s ironic; I had never visited Wisconsin at the time, and as I drink this I live in the state which Leinenkugel’s calls home. Even in today’s much improved beer scene, Big Eddy holds onto much of that hype.

16oz can. Bottom date stamp is off center but appears to read 'SEP0825' (best by date).
Black colored body. Big volumes of tan head quickly collapse to an island and thin ring. Leaves behind tiny wisps of lacing.
Aroma is chocolate malts, with some coffee and vanilla. Repeated sniffs reveal a little bit of black licorice. More evidence of the higher ABV% as the beer warms.
Taste is less sweet than the nose, and has a stronger flavor of black licorice. Deep roasted malts exude chocolate and char flavors, along with some coffee and vanilla. Dark fruit arrives late. Hops provide a floral lightness to balance with the heaviness of the malts. Aftertaste remains minerally bitter.
Slightly more than medium mouthfeel. Mineral feel scrubs the mouth and tongue. Good carbonation.
Straight on stout that delivers based on its malts rather than adjuncts. Attractive bitterness here. Higher ABV% plays its role in the warm feel this beer provides.

From a 16oz can BB date September 22, 2025

This beer pours pitch black in color with no chance of any light shining through the glass. The head is 2 finger and tan colored. The head retention is great. When the head does dissipate, the lacing is just off the charts beautiful on the glass. So sticky and full looking.
The aroma is pleasing. I get a huge licorice hit off it. Roasted malt notes also show up with dark chocolate hints. When pouring I was getting dark fruit notes to this beer.
Taste - There's a lot of licorice in the flavor. It is the starter and it lingers. It is joined by dark fruit notes. The finish is full on dark chocolate, and it has a great bitterness to it.
The body is quite full feeling. It is a smooth beer. Great feeling from the bitterness.
Damn! They can make great beers, and this is one of them. I really hope it is kept on an annual release, and not put into hibernation again.

It's Back.
16oz can, best buy date SEP0825. 9.5% ABV 2024 release. I was surprised to see this one on the shelf.
Nice Looking, Dark brown almost black body. No light passes thru from the beer light. Nice tall fine persistent head that leaves plenty of lacing.
Smells good, Chocolate and roast.
Taste is chocolate, a little caramel and dark fruit. Hint of anise mixed in. Then the roast comes. a micro hint of coffee with the roast. This one is bitter overall.

A solid/good beer but not world classed. I might have to get another 4 Pack

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.