Impériale Stout
Brasserie Bièropholie

Impériale StoutImpériale Stout
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From:
Brasserie Bièropholie
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
89
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 10.42%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
35
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 13, 2015
Added:
Feb 07, 2004
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Rated: 4 by jrob21 from North Carolina

May 13, 2015
Photo of grub
Reviewed by grub from Canada (ON)

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
got this one in a recent trade with papat444. thanks pat!

12oz bottle topped with gold foil. sampled sept 5/09.

pours pretty much black and opaque with a huge fluffy dark brown head. the head drops slowly wiht a bit of chunky lace.

aroma is good. molasses. anise. dark caramel. bit of toffee. dark and milk chocolate. floral and slightly perfumey. light alcohol. bit of espresso and coffee. the floral character seems a bit odd in an imperial stout.

taste is good. rich dark and bittersweet chocolate. bit of milk chocolate. espresso and dark roast coffee. caramel and toffee. anise. bit earthy and woody. the strong floral/perfumey character that i noted in the aroma is largely absent - which i think is good. earthy and a bit woody.

mouthfeel is good. nice big body. just over medium carbonation level, a bit higher than i like for the style but it still seems to work pretty well.

drinkability is good. great depth and complexity. hides its alcohol well. a darn fine imperial stout.
Sep 17, 2009
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Big thanks to papat444 for this bottle - shared with Joe and Dave on a random Wednesday night. Served in a NotLA taster glass.

A - Poured with a huge super dark mocha foam that had solid retention and lots of chunky lacing. Pitch black with a touch of brown at the fringes of the glass. Good looking brew!

S- It's got an aged smell to it, with light dark fruits and berry notes amidst baker's chocolate, roasted malt, and a hint of coffee. Pretty good smelling, even with some age on it.

T - Starts with the dark fruit sweetness, light coffee, cocoa, and a touch of floral hoppiness. The finish is super roasty and persists for quite a while.

M - Medium thick, and sufficient for a 8% RIS, but with more active carbonation than I prefer that interferes with the brew's texture.

D - The relatively low ABV is a plus and the brew isn't any less flavorful for it, but the carbonation is somewhat irritating and mildly bloating. Still, I'd happily drink this stuff over any Ontario RIS.
Sep 11, 2009
Photo of ritzkiss
Reviewed by ritzkiss from Canada (ON)

2.72/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5
12oz bottle cracks open and it p....oh my god, we have a gusher. Dark chocolate brownie batter brown foam rolls out of the bottle as I scramble to get a glass. I try and pour into my tulip but, in my haste, am overwhelmed by the foam as it now rolls out my tulip. I grab a pint glass and pour some in there to relieve the pressure. The brownie foam is airy and quickly dies down to a thin lacing on a deep, dark viscous brew. I have to dock the appearance though because the sexy darkness just doesn't look as good on the counter as it would in the glass.

Nose is dark and dreamy. Heavy roasted malts, espresso, bitter chocolate, all it should be.

Taste is... there could be something wrong with my bottle (this is from Quebec after all). Lots of roasting malts, bitter chocolate, espresso (as there should be) but it's joined by a solventy burning bitterness in the finish that can hardly be ignored. Sugary feeling aids the metallic bitterness as it sweeps around my teeth, rolls over my tongue, and makes me shudder. Definitely something a little off here.

I can see how this might be good. All the right notes are there, definitely disappointing that my bottle sucks because I was looking forward to this one. Or maybe it just doesn't suit my tastebuds. Whatever the case, I couldn't finish it.
Sep 10, 2009
Photo of Viggo
Reviewed by Viggo from Canada (ON)

3.82/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle, thanks to grub for sharing!

Pours a very deep and opaque black, one of the blackest, huge and thick pillowy brown head forms, slowly settles down to a thick and big bubbled layer, lace chunks all over the glass. Smell is nice, sweet, molasses, toffee, buttery oak, earthy, licorice, chocolate, roast, biscuit, some dark fruit, super malty. Taste is nice too, sweet and fruity, iron, very malty middle, chocolate, licorice and molasses, roast, brown sugar, butter, sharp finish from the carbonation. Mouthfeel is medium bodied but oily, high carbonation detracts from the drinkability and mouthfeel. Overall a pretty solid RIS. Thanks Russ!
Sep 09, 2009
Photo of MeisterBurger
Reviewed by MeisterBurger from Canada (ON)

4.02/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours an inky, murky black with some of the darkest, brownish tan head I have ever seen on a beer, and a good amount of it too. Very billowy. When held up the the light absolutely no light passes through. Good lacing and retention.

The smell is roasty molasses, with very clean pear-like esters delivered by the high carbonation. Some dried dark fruit.

Okay, wow. This is way more carbonated than I was expecting. Upon first sip I got a hit or carbon dioxide, with a dry roastiness and a tongue-tingling finish. And again, the carbonation hits the sides of the tongue, and then more dry roasted flavors. There's a definite coffee grinds aspect to it. Iron. Some kind of candied raisin flavor. But the dominate aspect is a dry roastiness.

The mouthfeel is full with a lively carbonation at play.

This is a really delicious beer and I like it, but the high carbonation is weird and not unlike any other Imperial stout I have ever come across. If nothing else it hides the alcohol well.
Aug 24, 2009
Photo of mrmanning
Reviewed by mrmanning from Canada (ON)

3.97/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to CapFlu for this one! Pours a black body with a small, bubbly head. Looks nice and thick! An aroma of a malty chocolate sweetnes is very inviting. The taste is chocolate and malt. A little dry as well. Just the way an imperial stout should be.
Aug 05, 2009
Photo of eat
Reviewed by eat from Canada (QC)

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I'm not sure how this happened but when I uncapped this bottle it started erupting like a volcano. I thought I had been gentle with it so watch out!

I managed to capture the majority of it in the glass I had with me. This stuff is about as black and opaque as a liquid can be. It pours like it's half molasses and the thick, foamy head is a nice dark tan colour. This is a great looking stout. Decent lacing once the head settles down.

Cocoa, caramel, roasted malt, hints of coffee, some kind of candy and a metallic quality make for a pretty unique smelling stout. Maybe there's some hops in there? I can't quite figure this one out but it smells really good.

Wow, the flavour is huge. Lots more espresso than I found in the smell, a good amount of dark chocolate, pungent roasted malt and something bitter-sweet I still can't put my finger on. Maybe it's some kind of hops I'm not familiar with. Not all that sweet for an imperial stout; more bitter, which is interesting. There's a unique, dry flavour on the finish. Drinking this is comparable to eating one of those 99% cocoa dark chocolate bars; really dry and bitter. The alcohol is a little more present than I would like and at 7.9% it's not even that strong. I can't say that I've ever tasted a stout quite like this one.

Medium-full bodied with a light but powerful carbonation.

This is a great stout but it's pretty bitter and intense. I don't think I would be left wanting more once I'm done this bottle. I keep being spoiled by my familiarity with Peche Mortel; I don't expect to ever find a beer in the same style that lives up to it. Still though, this is a great stout worth checking out.
Jun 08, 2009
Photo of oakbluff
Reviewed by oakbluff from Canada (MB)

3.42/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 ounce bottle. Unknown vintage. Pours inky black, slightly chunky head. Solid mocha ring of lacing. Nose- smokey, lactic, a tad burnt and overall just plain funky. Taste- anise, quite sour and tangy, dark chocolate, chalk with moderate carbonation and body. Finish is dry roast, nuts and stewed prunes. Very little sweetness to speak of in this brew. A difficult brew to figure out. Unique? Yes. A top shelf impy stout? Perhaps not.
Jan 26, 2009
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Bottle acquire in trade with tiggmtl (thanks!). 2005 vintage drunk at room temperature.

Poured a darker than dark black with a large sized brown head. It just doesn't pour darker than this. Aromas of roasted malts, dark chocolate, lighter coffee, and some caramel. Tastes of dark chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits and a light to medium bitter coffee finish. Some lacing left on the glass. Oily and smooth body. I don't know what it was with food last night, but this one reminded me of pistachio nuts as well.

Notes from 10/28/05
Nov 10, 2008
Photo of sstackho
Reviewed by sstackho from Canada (ON)

3.76/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle purchased from Metro Joanette in Montreal. Pours black with no head. I mean ZERO head. Nothing. I've never quite seen a beer pour this flat ever. I'm concerned the bottle has gone bad. The aroma is of roasted malt, but a bit light. Luckily, the first sip reveals that all is not lost. Oddly enough, there is even a bit of "sparkle" on the tongue that I might associate with carbonation. Flavours are roasted malt and chocolate. The flavour ends with a very nice tanginess.
May 03, 2008
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

4.75/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
This is the December 2007 release.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: Pours a thick, black (i mean black!) body with a next to non-existant head. Almost molasses-like in color, black as evil is!

Smell: Warming, roasted malt & barley, intense & some coffee presence.

Taste: Creamy, mouth-filling which starts out smooth but kind of sneaks up on you. Very solid.

Mouthfeel: Strong coffee overtones, corsé with a burnt-like flavor to it. A bit of dark chocolate mouthfeel to it. Full-bodied & also some molasses in there.

Drinkability: I had this last Sunday evening (Apr.13) when it snowed in the morning(!), so safe to say this is a wonderful winter brew & (*sigh*) it still feels like winter. Perfect for after dinner.

Overall: Intense & staisfying, i have found my new drug. (On a side note, try a mouthful of chocolate with a sip of this, yum!)
Apr 14, 2008
Photo of bobsy
Reviewed by bobsy from Canada (ON)

4.75/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
A liquid so dark it seems to absorb all light, sits under a majestic rocky cocoa head of the deepest hue I've ever seen. The aroma is intense, combining treacle, caramel and alcohol into an enticing concoction. The flavour is divine - sweet chocolate leads the way towards a slight espresso bean bitterness, before tailing off into an superb creamy finish. The palate is intensely smooth and creamy with very little carbonation. For an impy, the drinkability level is high, and the well-balanced alcohol makes it possible to repeat in an evening. In my opinion this is nothing short of a masterpiece!
Feb 14, 2008
Photo of rodenbach99
Reviewed by rodenbach99 from Canada (QC)

4.37/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
bouteille brune de 341ml. brassin 2007
7,9% alcool/vol

bière de belle couleur noire très foncé, presque visqueuse quand on la verse, mousse épaisse et brune, elle est durable, nez de café, elle est ronde ne bouche, épaisse, longueur exemplaire. bonne amertume.
Dec 24, 2007
Photo of HardTarget
Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle Inspection: Gold foiled, twisty 341 ml (that’s 11.37 oz. to you and me) brown bottle. Corner notes 2005B, which I assume is the brewing date (sampled 2007, Aug). Notes 7.7% and “Strong Beer”. I guess our friends to the North have a different standard for “Strong Beer”, I should send them some DFH 120.

Aroma: Smoke, molasses, alcohol, really just deep dark malt.

Appearance: Black as Dick Cheney’s soul. Opaque, looks like motor oil, and holds the darkest tan head I’ve seen since Speedway Stout and gives up wispy bits of lace. “Don’t touch it, it’s pure evil!” (Time Bandits obscure reference of the month).

Flavor: Wow, full smoke note which brings to mind meat, lots of it and as that settles in a full shot of coffee as well. Roasted, edge of burnt malts round it out and a very minor hop bitter that ends up being a touch astringent, but not bad at all.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation seems fitting, medium body ends up seeming a little thin given all the color and taste.

Overall Impression: Nice stuff! BeerDiablo nailed it with an Old Rasputin reference. This is like his younger, lighter hearted brother. This ends up being an Impy Stout Lite, but in the best possible way. All of the flavor, not all of the alcohol or body. Well done beer!
Aug 27, 2007
Photo of MMansfield
Reviewed by MMansfield from Canada (NS)

3.47/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Received bottle as part of CanBif3. Thanks Patrick!

Appearance: Pours a thick -motor oil like black colour with one of the darkest heads i've ever seen. The cap is big and brown with good retention, leaves lots of lace up the glass.

Aroma: Truck loads of bittersweet chocolate chips, heavy on the roasted malts on this brew. Fresh roasted coffee beans, blackstrap molasses, fresh baked homemade bread, and just a touch of sweet florals.

Taste: Much sweeter than I anticipated. Starts off with a huge rush of sweetness, some chocolate and espresso bitterness and a little saltiness. The finish is quite bitter and a tad sour. The sweetness is almost at a cloying level and salty flavour is just plain wrong.

Mouthfeel: Also does not have as much body as I desire in an RIS. Feels very creamy and light, very little carbonation.

Final Statement: Looks like a beauty, smells like a beauty, but doesn't taste or feel like one. The flavour is far too sweet for my liking and holds this back from being a good RIS. Would like to sample again on tap.
Jul 04, 2007
Photo of Derek
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

4.09/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
7.7%, not dated, presumably from 2006.

A: Black motor oil pour with dark tan head; very little retention; initial leg/lace.

S: Strong aroma: tar, molasses, booze, dark fruit & a little dark caramel.

T: Plenty of roasted bitterness: tar, coffee, dark chocolate; soya sauce; with some roasted acidity in the finish. The alcohol is actually hidden under all that roasted bitterness!

M: Full body is chalky & creamy; acidic finish. Modest carbonation.

D: A little too roasted for my liking.

Similar to the North Coast Old Rasputin, which I don't really like.

I've had a second bottle that was much better. No soya sauce... more of a chocolate brownie flavour with a balanced bitterness.

Perhaps the first one wasn't stored well? I've upgraded the rating appropriately.
May 22, 2007
Photo of Popsinc
Reviewed by Popsinc from Canada (ON)

3.67/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours a perfect pitch black topped with a generous brown, foam head that holds up quite nicely. The nose offers up a large puff of coacoa and some nice roasted malts smothered beneath it all with just a pinch of coffee beans in the mix as well. A thick, creamy brew that stills offers up some moderate liveliness due to the subtle carbonation. Taste wise this beer took a step down from it's wonderful nose. Some bitter chocolate was obvious as well as bitter coffee notes but the roasted malts seemed to fade away and the finish offered up an odd tangy quality. I can't put my finger on it but the tangy finish left me unsatisfied and hoping for more richness and body. Along with the tanginess I found this brew finished up on a somewhat light note. Overall this beer started out very promising but I think the overall taste failed to live up to the appearance & nose of this beer. High marks up front, then a drop off towarsd the end.

Thanks Beersignal.
Mar 21, 2007
Photo of dherling
Reviewed by dherling from New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev +2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured out as one of the darkest beers (beirs) I have ever seen, inky black, with a dark brown head. Nose of freshly ground premium coffee, the good stuff, like Quentin Tarrantino's coffee in Pulp Fiction. Another whiff, it's like I stepped inside a Starbucks. The taste is like coffee mixed with coca cola, same mouthfeel too. Starts dark and bitter, goes light and cola, finishes heavy and bitter. Really nice job on this treat from Canada.
Jan 10, 2007
Photo of JOaikido
Reviewed by JOaikido from Canada (QC)

2.98/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A- Fark orange head that is very small and dissappears quickly and completely. Opaque extremely dark brown/black with hint of orange. Looks a bit soy-saucelike.

S- Strong roasted coffee up front. Touch of moka. Some soy sauce flavoured almond. Molasses. Overall feel is strange and slightly unpleasant.

T- Strong roasted flavours that lead to a bitter aftertaste that lingers. Has the character of cold coffee. Alcohol fairly well hidden. It tastes like a stout and is certainly not bland, but it is a little off.

MF- Full bodied. Carbonation decent. Ok feel left in the mouth at the end of the drink.

D- Suffers from slightly off taste and aroma. Decent mouthfeel helps. Alcohol well hidden. Drinkable but not great.
Jan 07, 2007
Impériale Stout from Brasserie Bièropholie
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 35 ratings