Courage Russian Imperial Stout (2011+)

As Originally brewed in 1795 for Catherine the Great of Russia. Enjoy now or allow to mature in the cellar.

Brewed to perfection only once a year, Courage Imperial Russian Stout enjoys a rich, espresso body with pear overtones and an intriguing fresh smokey, fruity finish.

3.9

583 reviews

Bedford, England

Community reviews

3.8 2012 vintage. A little oxidized sweet chocolate vanilla roasted malts that finish dry. Solid. I'd like to try it fresher.

4.5 Bottle 0,33L. Pours black color with a finger of creamy, light brown head. Aroma of brandy, plum, dark dried fruits, wood. Taste is medium bitter with espresso and cocoa mouthfeel. Finish is a bit more bitter with some dark fruits coming out, together with dark chocolate. Medium to full body, oily texture, soft carbonation. I really enjoyed this one!

4.8 Vintage 2012. 275ml Bottle. Many thanks for bring for me from Beers of Europe to Anna Mierzwicka. It was five years ago or maybe I'm wrong. Pieknie jest tu ulozony aromat jak i smak, nie wiem czy za sprawa kilkuletniego starzenia tego piwa czy tak juz na wyjsciu bylo. Pachnie szlachetnym i starym Porto, dobra kawa z cukrem trzcinowym. Wyglad ciemno brazowa niemal czarna gesta ciecz zero przeswitow, ciemna bezowo-fioletowa barwa piany, moze nie za wielka i szybko opada. Ale smak wlasciwie pierwszy lyk i te piane nam rekompensuje. Mamy tu dobra czekolade, wysokiej jakosci kawe espresso, moze slodka z cukrem ale przyjemnie rozgrzewajaca i mocno palona. tort czekoladowy, mnostwo trufli, barylki w czekoladzie, praktycznie cale delikatesy. Ter Carski Stout jest niemal genialnyt, testowalem taki 30-letni a ten ma kilka latek dopiero i te same nasuwaja mi sie skojarzenia. Kryje nie jednego RISa ze Stanow i to bez 2 zdan. Do dojrzewajacego sera ogbowiazkowo.

3.9 275ml bottle dated 2012. Pours hazy dark brown to black with a small tan head. Aroma: roasted malts, burnt, coffee, prunes. Taste: moderate to heavy sweet, roasted malts, dark chocolate, creamy chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, figs. Medium body, fine carb, dry, bitter finish

3.5 moderate malty, chocolately aromas. pitch black in color with decent head. taste is of dark chocolate, light coffee, toasty notes

3.8 Pivo u flaši. Popijeno u Stella Beer2Go dućanu i kušaoni piva u Medulinu . Negdje sam pročitao da je Michael Jackson u svojoj knjizi o pivi posvetio ovom pivu dvije stranice i smatrajući ga sinonimom za „Imperial Stout“. Navodno se ovaj sada proizvodi po originalnom receptu iz 18. stoljeća. Tijelo mu nije baš gusto kao ovi noviji Imperial Stoutovi i nije tako 'nabrijano' kavom i drugim tipičnim okusima za Imperial Stout. Više je onako likerast , ustvari baš odiše nekak 'starinski'. Morate ga probati i piti ga uz , kad je već 'recept' iz 18. stoljeća nek i muzika bude takva npr. J. S. Bacha :)

3.6 Botella, @Cimmeria, Oviedo. 18/01/2018 Color negro con buena corona de espuma beige, aromas torrefactos, cafe, sabor tostado, cafe, cuerpo denso, bien.

4.1 Bottle, 0.275l. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, dark fruit and alcohol. Pours hazy dark brown color with thin quickly diminishing tan-like head, floating yeast particles and soft visible carbonation. Taste starts with moderate sweet and rich roasted malt, follows by chocolate, slight sour fruitiness with light coffee note, mouthfeel is smooth and spicy, while finish is mild bitter. Full body, thick creamy texture and average carbonation in palate. Small bottled poison...

3.2 14/20 very good, chocolate coffee taste, doesn't have the depth of flavour of the best imp stouts, slightly gassy, but decent

3.8 2013 vintage. Bought in the CAMRA shop, GBBF 2017. Rich coffee and boozy Christmas pudding aroma. Glossy and dark. Thin beige head. Medium bitter, surprisingly restrained. Coffee. Tart berries. Almost smoky. As I drink more it gains a stewed fruit sweetness. Medium bodied. Surprisingly thin. A muted fizzy carbonation. Astringent finish. The booze remains. Was wondering what it'd turn out, seeing as it had presumably been lugged around CAMRA events. Enjoyable, if perhaps basic, Impy Stout.

4.3 275ml bottle. Aroma coffee, roasted malt, cocoa. Taste chocolate, dried fruit, licorice, alcohom warm.

3.8 275ml bottle pours deep opaque brown with no head. Malty aromas of dark cocoa, brown sugar, caramel malt and stone fruit. Smokey flavours of dark chocolate, caramel, dried fruit characters, espresso, roast malt, ash and alcohol. The pear is not distinct, but there is a strong sweet fruit background which cuts through the dark smoky characters. Long finish with very mild bitterness. Beautifully balanced Russian imperial stout.

3.9 275ml bottle @Cimmeria, Oviedo. 07-09-2017. BBD: 02-09-2026. In short: liquor IStout. Did I enjoy it: no doubt. Pours quite dark brown, opaque, with some garnet reflections. Average light tan head, short retention, little lacing. Roasty and licorice aromas, some nuts, sherry, almond like., like, caramel notes. Medium body, soft carbonation, silky texture. Taste is roasty, licorice, some coffee, nuts, wood, nuts. Smooth, maybe a bit too boozy, liquor character. Enjoyable.

3.2 Botella 27, 5 cl en Cimmeria 06..09..2017. Vintage 2013. Lote L3248A 22;58 fcpref 02..09..2026 en botella. Color negro intenso con espuma beige oscuro persistente. Sabores originales, caramelos, especias maderas empapadas, si ropes de arce. Cuerpo ligero a medio algo espumoso. Buena sensación alcohólica. Original imperial stout con recuerdos de escocesas potentes. Original. Se podría repetir.

3.8 Rich espresso body with pear overtones and a fresh smoky fruity finish. 10% alcohol by volume. Can be aged for up to 13 years. 2012 vintage #065999. A very good stout would buy again.

4.4 275ml bottle into tulip. 2013 vintage. Served at outside temperature (10°C). Black beer with a creamy tan-coloured head. Nose is milk chocolate and caramel. Full bodied, slight spritz. Viscous, oily texture. Taste is more chocolate with a little coffee bitterness before a subtle fruity finish. Pear flavours do appear late on, then more sweet coffee notes. Alcohol well hidden. Beautiful beer, really enjoyable.

4.9 Cerveja fantástica! Cor escura e turva, com espuma na cor creme. Aroma de café, chocolate toffee, caramelo... Na boca, uma explosão de intensidade e sabores, principalmente café, além de diversos tapas no meio da tua cara!

4.0 Deep brown to black color with a thin, quickly dissolving beige head. Full body, soft carbonation, small lacing. Aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, prunes, plums, oak, caramel, vanilla, licorice, whiskey and wood smoke. Taste has nice alcohol warmth and earthy aromas of sweet chocolate, toffee, coffee, dark fruits, roasted/caramel malts, hops, licorice, molasses, cognac and charcoal. Interesting vinous hint in aroma and slight umami taste. Soft texture. Slightly dry mouthfeel and aftertaste, but it leaves that warmth, which 10% alc. by volume (stout) beers can provide. Robust, delicate and quite easy-to-drink beer. I recommend it.

3.9 Flaska från 2012. Nästan svart med litet beiget skum. I doften finns mörk choklad, kaffe och en aning mörk fruktighet. Mycket mörk choklad i smaken, plus lite kaffe, här finns en liten kolasötma men en avslutande bitterhet tar över och sitter kvar länge i munnen. Rund och mjuk munkänsla, ganska lite kolsyra. Det bittra känns ganska rått trots fem års lagring; jag undrar hur den var från början.

4.2 Coffee, dark chocolate, semisweet with lingering finish ofboth. Totally enjoyable.

3.9 Vintage 2012, bottle at the Publican. Dark almost opaque, mahogany tinged brown. Minimal head. Started with aggressive anise, sweet caramel. Fair bit of alcohol. Some espresso. Quite bitter. Strong sweet underlying malt. Heavy body, thick. Long finish. Pretty darn great. Still pretty raw though, probably could age another 5 years or so.

3.8 Bottle - Aroma is sweet chocolate. taste follows the aroma with a sweet dark chocolate dominance, rather than the bitter cocoa been chocolate of most Imperial Stouts. Don't drink too chilled, or you will miss all the nuances this beer has to offer. Comes to an unexpected and unwanted bitter finish. Used to be a difficult to find brew, but definitely worth 10 mins of your time if you see one.

3.4 Bottle shared at the Oirschot tasting. Pours close to black with a tan head. Very malty, liquorice, dark chocolate, bit of coffee, fruity. A bit too malt-forward for my taste. Over medium bitter, light sweet. Close to full body, low carbonation.

4.2 0.33 l bottle from Pivoteka, Zagreb. Shared with Višnja 666 and Goran. Thanks! Dark brown to black, lasting small tan head. Heavy roasty, licorice, heavy caramel, dry fruits, light leather and chocolate. Sweet, barrel flavors, chocolate develops. Medium to full body, creamy texture, wonderful finish. Complex and right measure.

2.0 Bottle. Black color, tan head. Smell of vodka. Aroma of vodka, chocolate. Not very good within style.

2.4 Shared 9.3 oz. bottle. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Aroma of dark malt, alcohol and chocolate. Taste is largely dark malt and alcohol with chocolate and coffee notes. Sweet, alcoholic finish. Not my thing.

4.0 Beautiful black color. Nice boozy aroma, had almost a wine port aroma. Taste is boozy but still lots of quality imperial malts and deep fruits. Mouth is sweet, bitter, and sticks to the tongue. Very full. 10% abv is not overly obvious, but clear. Bottle

3.6 Bottle (systemet, some years ago..) #153628. Black. Dark rich malty, slight peppery, soft old woody nose. Feels a bit murky, oxidized, but not really bad still. Med full bodied, smooth, silky, kinda easy to drink. Some old cola in flavour, roasty smooth. Not as intense as more modern- style risses, but real smooth easy, like spiced with old malty wood.

2.6 Aroma: very rich and malty with red wine and oak notes; Appearance: pitch black with white head that disappears; Taste: like a straight oak barrel; a little flavor on the edges but mainly lots of woodiness; Palate: heavy body with medium finish; Overall: way too oaky. Will not get again.

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