Big Sky Ivan The Terrible Imperial Stout
Big Sky Brewing’s Ivan the terrible Imperial Stout is brewed according to the traditional style using english hops and the finest american malt. It’s aroma and flavor balance well between esters of dried fruit and roasted cocoa with a slight bourbon presence.
3.8
246 reviews
Missoula, United States
Community reviews
Lots of smoke here. Black pour with decent head. Some caramel and a little musk like a packed bush taxi in the heat. Bottle.
12oz bottle. Small tan head atop dark brown body. Aroma is moderately sweet, cocoa, some vanilla, light Bourbon. Taste is moderately sweet, milk chocolate, some caramel, cocoa, light Bourbon.
Purchased a 12floz bottle denoting 2015 edition for the discounted price of $1 about ten weeks ago from consumption date 03.14.2017. Opaque near black in appearance with notes of raisin, molasses, and leather aromas emanating. This is a really good double stout. It’s robust and meant to be sipped. Well-balanced for such a strong beer comprised of rather mild bitter roast and semi-sweet flavors. Fig and bourbon accompany the usual coffee and cocoa characteristics of stouts. I’ll consider this again in the future. The best beer I’ve had from this brewery, which are in general mediocre.
Bottle/Fest.
A- Chocolate, roasty.
A- Black color, black liquid, tan head.
T- Roasty, cocoa, subtle umami.
P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation, roasty finish.
O- A pretty typical stout. Not really anything special.
FIrst Montana beer (as far as I know)! Bottled, 2015 vintage. Pours black, tan head. Aroma is tons of delicious chocolate, some light notes of dark fruit (cherry and plum maybe), roasted malt, they say a slight bourbon presence and honestly, I’m inclined to agree. Maybe some vanilla, but the fruit and esters are there just enough to set it apart from being a roasted malty coffee stout. Really pleasant. Flavor is chocolate, plum, raisin, maybe a little estery, nice roasted malt, bitter coffee finish. It really drinks almost like an imperial stout and chocolate-heavy Belgian quad cuvee. Pleasantly surprised. Much better than I expected.
Bottle. Dark and rich with some creamy mouthfeel. Chocolate throughout but subdued.
On tap poured dark brown hue w/ large tan head. Moderate sweet roasty aromas. Initial flavor is moderate sweet w/ a moderate bitter finish. Tastes are roasted marshmallows, sweet potatoes, licorice and chocolate. Full bodied.
12 fl. oz. bottle. Pours an opaque black, with a small beige head, which fades quickly and leaves a little lacing. The aroma has savoury, meaty notes, soy sauce and a little roasty malt. Mild herbal hops and a warming hint of bourbon up front lead into dark chocolate and a touch of oak in the mid-palate. The finish has another touch of bourbon and a nice savouriness. A decent imperial stout.
Appearance: opaque black with one fat finger of beige head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: roasty malt, cocoa, dried fruit, coffee, lightly nutty. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, moderate bitter and slightly astringent warming finish. (3/5)
A decent but fairly unremarkable RIS. The high ABV is relatively tame and well-integrated, possibly assisted by the two years I had this in storage. The flavours aren’t quite as smooth as I’d prefer, though, and there’s a little astringency in the finish. Good but not great. (14/20)
12 oz single bottle from Hy Vee Wine & Spirits - Muscatine. Almost black in appearance with a tan head. Aroma and flavor of heavily roasted malts, dark chocolate, molasses, light coffee and a bittersweet finish. Nice.
Pitch black with mahogany highlights and a one-finger creamy reddish brown head. Aromas of baker’s chocolate, caramel malt, licorice and earth. Flavor highlighted by the baker’s chocolate, accompanied by coffee, nuttiness, roasted malt, leafy hop and vanilla. Full body, modest carbonation, creamy chewy mouthfeel, warming alcohol and a hop bite in the finish.
12 oz. bottle @ home, courtesy of bierkonijn, thanks! Black color. Big beige head, uneven, with reasonable retention. Aroma’s: roasty, light tar/smoke, some red fruit, sweetish. Retronasal it’s tar/smoke, (red) fruit, sweet. Flavor is moderate sweet, roasted, sweet coffee. Medium bodied. Finishes with some tar, sweet, light roasty bitterness. Quite nice.
Bottle. This is thick and rich impy stout with a really nice malt and hop balance. Well worth trying.
12oz bottle - pours a thick obsidian black with a thin tan head. Rich and full aroma oozing bittersweet chocolate, lactose, coffee and burnt cherry. Bold flavors of cacao, coffee, peat, bourbony booze and baking chocolate.
Bottle split at Craft Islo, thanks to Manny G, 04/10/16.
Black with a decent tan cap.
Nose is meaty, dark fruit rinds, spice, toffee, molasses.
Taste comprises more molasses, treacle toffee, earthy, jammy fruit, chocolate, light spice.
Medium + body, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a dose of warming alcohol.
Decent enough well balanced impy.
Pours dark brown/black with fairly high carbonation. Aroma is chocolate and vanilla. Taste is very smooth almost to the point of dessert.
12 oz bottle, pours with little carbonation and a rich velvety chocolate nose. lightly sweet and malty with only a few detectable hops for balance. no alcohol heat apparent. silky mouthfeel and a very classic imperial stout profile - roasted barley, cocoa, dark fruits and earthy notes. quite a nice beer.
4th October 2016
Craft Islington Gathering. Thanks to Manny G. Opaque deep brown beer, tidy tan head. Palate is smooth and semi dry, decent fine carbonation. Soft dark malts, some roast. Dark malt cream. Licorice. Dark chocolate. Soft dry finish. Decent.
Bottle at Craft Islington, thanks MannyG! It pours black with a thick dark tan head. The aromais rich, umami, dark chocolate, dark fruits, unctuous, cake, earth, fruit cake and millionaires shortbread. The taste is rich, bitter-sweet, slick, dark chocolate, ashy, charred action, dark fruit, warming alcohol boost and some astringency. Full body and moderate carbonation. A bit hot a charred for me, bit I can see why others like it.
October 2016 - Bottle share at CBC Islington, as ’Big Sky Ivan The Terrible Imperial Stout’. Many thanks to JK! Pitch black with a dense foamy brown head, thick lacing. Aroma is dark chocolate, roast malts, plum. Body is smooth with tingly carbonation. Taste is dark roast malts, plain chocolate, ash, alcohol dryness into the finish. Very good. (3.9)
Dark, coffee roasted brew. Malty with a bitter, but not in a bad way, finish. Don’t expect to drink more than a couple of this thick brew.
35cl bottle shared at JK tasting, London. Many thanks to Padraig for this one. It pours a dark brown color with a medium beige head. Aroma is sweet tangy and rich in chicokate vanilla red berries. Taste is decently roast and bitter with more notes of red berries, licorice, chocolate, vanilla and bitter roasted oak chips. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Overall, nice one
Bottle shared at the JK Tasting - Craft Beer Co., Islington. Many thanks to the guest of honour for this one. Pours deep brown with a foamy, beige head. Nice ashy roast in the nose, some burnt marshmallows, chocolate. Medium to big sweet flavour, with light earthy bitterness, rich and rounded chocolate character, raisins and other dried fruits. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Lightly warming in the finish, with more rich chocolate, ash, baking cocoa. Great impy stout.
Cask at the CBC Islington for the jk tasting. Many thanks. A dark chestnut brown black coloured pour with a halo of lasting dark tan head. Aroma is dark roast, molasses, green apple, woody roast, liquorice. Flavour is composed of thick dark woody roast, dark liquorice, apple, harsh burnt rubber, dark roast. Palate is medium full, smooth, full, highish carbonation. Good. Hot alcohol.
2014 bottle. Pours black with a dense brown head that lasts. Aroma of cocoa, dark malt, light smoke and caramel. Flavor has notes of smoke, anise, caramel cocoa and dark malt. Full body. Creamy texture. Bitter finish. Has held up well.
Bottle from South Dakota trip. Small beige head dark pour mild to medium carbonation aromas malt chocolate roast coffee cocoa caramel fruits the flavors liquorice dark chocolate bourbon rich coffee medium bitter dark fruits caramel roasted coffee. Really good sweet molasses resin in the finish. Good malty body with lasting bitter sweetness.
Bottle sample at Great Nebraska Beer Fest. Poured black, off white head. Aroma was dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt. Taste was bittersweet, chocolate, roasted malt, alcohol.
12oz bottle. 12/17/14 bottle date. Appearance: Black, opaque, low lying khaki colored head.
Aroma: Light roast, a hint of chocolate, with a touch of raisin.
Taste: Starts with rich malt sweetness with some raisin and fig dark fruitiness, turning to a sharp roasted malt and coffee character. Bitterness is strong for the style.
Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy body with some creaminess and a light carbonation. Fairly high alcohol warmth.
Finish: Heavy roasted malt with a light chocolate. Dry. Roast and bitterness leave a slight astringency.
Overall: Surprised at the aggressive edge of roasted malt, bitterness, and alcohol warmth on a beer with 20 mths of age on it. For the style this is definitely higher in roast and bitterness, lower on the fruitiness. Good beer, but there are more balanced versions out there
Bottle - this isn’t terrible... it’s bloody beautiful - soooo smooth - so easy to drink - lovely choc roast malt - nice backend bitterness - jeez this is a damn good drink.
355ml bottle. Pours an opaque black with a small, brown head that dissipates to an outer ring, leaving lace. Sweet aroma of roasted malt, dark fruit, licorice, dark chocolate and a hint of coffee. Sweet flavour of roasted malt, dark chocolate, licorice, coffee, dark fruit, toffee and a hint of bourbon in a dry, bitter, alcohol finish that burns. Medium body with an oily texture and soft carbonation. Pretty solid.