Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout - Bourbon Barrel

Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout - Bourbon Barrel

** This is for 750ml bottles ONLY **


Big Sky Brewing’s Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout is brewed according to the traditional style using English hops and the finest American malt. Its aroma and flavor balances well between esters of dried fruit and roasted cocoa with a slight bourbon presence. Ivan was aged for a minimum of three months in American oak Bourbon barrels.

2006 - 8.75%

2007 - 8.75%

2008 - 9.5%

2009 - 10%

2010 - 10%

2012 - 12.2%

2013 - 13.8%

2014 - 11.5%

2015 - 11.9%

2016 - 12.9%

2017 - 11.6%
4
435 reviews
Missoula, United States

Community reviews

3.8 2016 75CL from AFH. Thanks man for bringing this and sharing. Completely black, nice booze legs, 2 finger espresso head. This smells fantastic. it's already a great stout. has a load of extra vanilla and wood. mouthfeel is farily thin with an oily chocolate flavor and a nice roasted wood finish. there's a sweet grape flavor here, sweet finish, cocoa, wood vanilla. Tasty but thin considering the ABV.
3.6 Bottle shared at Foeders' bottle share Oct. 2017. 2014 edition (11.5%). Black color. Beige head with reasonable retention. Aroma's: fruity, alcoholic, sweetish, woody. Retronasal it's sweetish, woody, bourbon, fruity. Flavor is moderate sweet, alcoholic. Rather strong alcohol feel. Under medium bodied (a bit thin for a monster like this). Long finish, light bitter.
4.1 Very sweet bourbon aroma. Light leather scent. Purple black color. Taste is sweet and well done. Malts are balanced with bitter. Had the 2012. Bottle
2.8 750 ml. in Pasco, WA. Aroma is straight alcohol vapors. I’ve drank about 20 oz. of this beer thus far and am still trying to get anything more than alcohol and a very acidic tongue. I honestly wouldn’t be able tell you what style this beer was if I was blindfolded. Very close to a beer aged in wine barrels. Just boozy and astringent. If you have a 2016 I would sit on it for a long time because this is borderline unpleasant. I may be crazy but this doesn’t seem too far off from a tripel aged in white wine barrels, if anyone’s familiar with Victory’s White Monkey. I’d be interested if anyone is having the same experience.
3.9 On tap at Denver Rare Beer Tasting 8. Pours a dark brown with small tan head that lasts. The aroma is dark chocolate, roast, bourbon, wood. Medium body, cocoa, oak, roast, bitter finish, boozy, very nice.
4.4 12.9% on the menu, unsure if 2016 or 2017 vintage (on draft as well--unsure what the description disclaimer is about as there is no draft version, soooo...). Heavy dark brown pour with a thin light tan head. Rich and sumptuous brown sugary caramelly chocolaty boozy nose with wood and sweet roast and brown sugary bourbon tones. Smooth but brightly roasty and oaked flavor that starts off with oak tannins and gentle bourbon and big black malt tones but then quickly mellows to some brown sugar and vibrant corn-malt bourbon and roast and sweet caramel. Rich and boozy and very bourbon’d.
4.1 Shared 2016-750 ml. bottle poured to snifters displaying a black/brown hue, with a presentably persistent layer of brownish tan froth, and foamy cling to the lacing. The nose was roasted, cocoa, malt & woodiness that gave off a light freezer burn scent, dark/dried fruit, slight peppery hint, barrel induced vanilla, and bourbon that was waiting to express itself. Ditto on the taste, the body was better than medium, presented a surprisingly lively carbonation for the style, with bitterness that was earthy, roasted, and lightly tannic, comfortable bourbony booze & warmth, and "everything but the kitchen sink" complexity.
3.5 Courtesy of Brian; vintage 2014, 11.5%, corked bottle 0005 of 3600 Black color, generous head, short retention. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, bourbon, mild. Boozy body, light residual sweetness, some dark malts, light earthy touch in the final. Good , nothing special, very boozy.
3.8 750ml bottle @ the office. 2014 Vintage . Pours an opaque dark brown colour with a small beige head. Nose is sweet malt and molasses. Flavour is semi hot from the boozy character. The sweetness if conflicted with the booze but not bad but really need to be more melllow.
4.1 750ml bottle (thx, Brian) at Brian’s office. Vintage 2014. Pours a an almost black with a tan head. Aroma is molasses and bourbon notes, fruitness. Taste is bourbon, molasses, some bourbon barrel. Very nice.
4.5 The barrel-aged variant of Big Sky’s Ivan offers a lot of boozy, grainy goodness. While the standard version is good, this version offers a whole lot more richness and complexity. There’s the usual notes of bitter black coffee and bittersweet dark chocolate. There’s a sexy but not overpowering bourbon presence, and perhaps most intriguingly, an oaky cinnamon character. It’s a black, thick brew that has some surprises.It’s a big beer that doesn’t need tons of bourbon flavor to stand on its own.
3.5 Bottle/Fest. A- Booze, burnt sugar, molasses, cocoa. A- Dark brown color, dark liquid, light brown head. T- Whisky, oak, booze, cocoa, subtle cinnamon. P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation, boozy finish. O- This beer makes sure you know it’s barrel aged. Lots of booze in here. Also a unique spice on the finish that I can only associate most closely with cinnamon. A good beer but I don’t think it quite warrants the ratings it gets.
4.0 (Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout - Bourbon Barrel) Bottle 750ml, 2014 vintage, corked and caged, served into a snifter. ABV 11.5% Black colour on the body, tall and thick brown head on top, with very good retention. Aroma has lots of bourbon, molasses, notable alcohol, chocolate. Taste has wood notes, plenty of bourbon and alcohol again, roasted malts, quite sweet in general, vanilla, chocolate, molasses, stewed dark fruits, more alcohol on the finish, some port wine notes developing already. Medium thick body, biting carbonation. Very good.
3.9 Sample from 2015 batch at Denver Rare Beer Tasting VIII on 10/07/2016. Jet black pour with a medium thin tan head that dissipates quickly to a film. Small patches of lacing. Oaky aroma with malt and chocolate notes. Full-bodied with flavors of oaky bourbon, caramel malt, chocolate and a bit of dark fruit. The finish is oaky with a bourbon and malt aftertaste. Pretty good overall.
4.0 Boozy chocoalte aroma. Poured black in color with a tan head. Chocolate and moderate booze whiskey with light woody notes and fruit tart/tanin edges. Not bad, but not incredible. Notes: On tap at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting 8, GABF Week 2016.
4.0 Pours black with off white head. Very attractive. Aromas of bourbon, chocolate, vanilla. A bit thin but lots of flavour. I’ve been wanting to try this bad boy for some time. Pretty good. Chocolate, bread, dark malts, vanilla. Warming bourbon as it goes down. Nice.
3.7 2015. Dark black body, brown head, some soapy lacing. Aroma of cocoa, lactose, malt, and a bit of bourbon. Taste is rich molasses, cocoa, dried fruit, a bit of boozy heat. Decent.
4.1 Bottle from Albertsons. 2015 vintage. Big, sticky black pour, small beige head. Boozy aroma, lots of wood barrel character. Maybe because I hadn’t had one in awhile, but this was extremely tasty. Really hit all of the marks. 5/5/28 enjoyed this 2009 vintage on Eric's porch, talking the night away, enjoying the whole bottle, not just a taster. Still great. 8/25/18 2010 vintage....
4.0 On tap @ Chuck’s 85th. Pours deep dark murky brown with a reddish tint and thin creamy mocha head. Aroma is heavy boozy bourbon, dark roasty malt. Taste is big roasty dark chocolate malt, oaky and dry mid-palate, french roast coffee, big syrupy boozy bourbon that lingers through the finish. Lacks the nuance of better barrel-aged stouts, but plenty of big rich flavor to enjoy here.
3.8 (Old rate.) Thanks to my bro for the taste. Dark. Thick. Flat. Bourbon up front. Chocolate. Brown sugar. Not a lot of roast. Good though!
3.7 A: Black with a off white head N: Coffee, bourbon, vanilla T: Coffee, bourbon, milk chocolate O: Very well balanced and quite easy drinking. Nice!
3.8 Nice beer 2008 from a bottle share . Balanced flavors of dark roast toffee and chocolate. Great condition for a 8yr old bottle
4.0 10oz from beer junction. Pours with a very small head with dark body. Really taste the vanilla and bourbon in this. Bit of figs and cinnamon dark chocolate. Really well rounded beer. Nice!!
4.4 From 22oz bottle to snifter. Pour is a nice black, thin tan head. Nose is huge roasted malt, slight hop, dark fruit, smoke, molasses. Taste is mostly bitter with small hints of sweetness, medium-heavy bodied. Finishes extremely clean on the palate, long finish with alcohol flavors. Great beer, very surprised at the drinkability with such a high ABV beer.
4.4 Barrel and sour cherry on the nose, massive chocolate, barrel, and phenomenal mouthfeel. Superb. Tasted at 45°F.
3.9 From a 75 cl bottle shared at home. Pours black with a thick tan head. Aroma of bourbon and leather. Flavors of overripe plums. Big boozy finish.
4.1 Amazing imperial stout. Smooth chocolate and bourbon flavor, not overpowering like a lot of BA beers. Always glad to drink this.
3.7 Bottle - Vintage 2012 - Lots of bourbon and chocolate. Jet brown with a light brown head. Sweet burnt sugar, dark chocolate, dry bitterness and a cocoa finish. A bit thin but nice.
4.0 October 3, 2015. Bottle, 2013 vintage, #137 of 3000.. Black with a small brown head. Aroma is sweet caramel, prunes, bourbon, vanilla notes, dark chocolate, raisin, hints of coffee and port wine. Taste is sweet and very soft bitter. Finish is bitter roasted with dark chocolate, sweet prunes, figs, caramel, hints of vanilla, warming bourbon and port wine notes. Medium to full bodied, oily and creamy texture, almost flat carbonation. Good imperial stout that has aged well, wouldn’t let it sit longer though.
4.3 In a pint glass September 26, 2015 2277 of 3600 2014 11.5% Look - Dark brown with a lot of tan head. Thick bubbles. Lacing with the head. Lacing doesn’t dissipate quickly. A lot of sediment in last pour. Smell - Char. Bourbon. Cherry. Taste - Bourbon. Chocolate. Char. Wine. Grape. Cherry. Feel - Alcohol burn. Creamy. Not as carbonated as head hints at. Overall - The wine taste surprised me and made it unique. Otherwise average.