Eel River Raven's Eye Imperial Stout

A rich roasty brew with a deep "espresso" character. Originally brewed for the Imperial Court in Russia, this stout is a warm festive drink made with the cold Russian Winters in mind. This complex stout is brewed with a combination of nine domestic and imported malts. Only the finest Pacific Northwest hops are used to provide the perfect balance in our award winning beer.

3.6

490 reviews

Fortuna, United States

Community reviews

3.4 Bottle. Nice thick and rich imperial stout. Deeply roasted and well composed if a little unidimensional.

3.8 Shared bottle at Cardinal. Pours black with a small creamy tan head. Aroma of red wine, light roasted malts and Liquorice. Taste is light sweet, with roasted and toasted notes, weak bitter Coffee and some Smooth chocolate. Smooth creamy mouthfeel. More than nice,

4.2 650 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.5%. Black colour, large tan head. Lovely aroma of roast malts, oak, oaked red wine, liquorice, chocolate, prunes, mild coffee. Slightly sweet flavour with the same elements as in the aroma, the roast malts, coffee and chocolate notes come forward stronger now, also hints of vanilla. Moderate hops (28.5 IBU). Warming mouthfeel. Excellent beer

3.6 Shared bottle at Mi2 at Cardinal 12.09.16. Ebony. Brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, strong coffee and a hint of liquorice. Similar taste, with medium strong bitterness. Bitter pine is lingering on,

3.8 Shared bottle at Cardinal, Stavanger. Pours black with beige head. Aroma of chocolate, caramel, coffee, dark bread, some floral notes. Tastes slightly bitter with some sweetness. Medium bodied, bitter finish.

3.4 650ml bottle from Bruisin Ales in Asheville. Shared with E. Almost black pour. Big molasses, roast in the nose. Some cocoa for more sweet smells. A bit thickly muddled in the taste. Sweet. Molasses. Cocoa. Some coffee presence. But muddled. Too much alcohol presence than would add value. Finishes more sweet than anything else. Shrug? Ok. Maybe the worst of what was brought home from the Asheville trip. 13.3

3.7 Sample from a bottle at DØE 2016. Black colour with a beige head. Aroma and flavour of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, nuts, alcohol and bitterness.

3.8 Bottle from Hawthorne Cellars. Pours pitch black with medium tan head. Nice aroma of toasted malt and burnt sugar. I was expecting big flavours but overall taste was balanced, maybe even subtle. Flavours of roasted malt, chocolate, and espresso were present but not as bold as expected based in aroma. A good, second tier RIS.

3.0 (sampler from 65 cl bottle at CBF) Poured into festival taster glass at fridge temperature reveals a pitch black body with one finger of tan head that fades, leaving film and nice lace. Aroma has a sweet, roasted slightly boozy and oxydised quality. Creamy texture, full body, soft carbonation and a warming finish. Flavour is very sweet. Gartifying but ultimately too sweet for my taste.

3.5 Bottle, 650ml. A dark beer with a medium size brown head. Aroma is of coffee, chocolate, alcohol and almonds. Taste is bitter with a strong finish of chocolate and black coffee. Medium bodied and somewhat oily with some carbonation and astringency. Rich and quite good.

3.8 Bottle, 65cl. Opaque with a deep reddish hue and a frothy brown head. Fresh fruity aromas with hints of roasted caramel, ginger, nutmeg and other spices, eggnog. Medium to robust bodied with moderate carbonation. Moderate sweet malty character into a bitter spicy and roasted finish. Very pleasant.

4.3 Highly underrated brew. The aroma is dense dark chocolate with dried plums and it is poured dark as hell with a fine half finger head. Taste comes on strong with licorice and roasted malts that goes into a chocolate gradient, still with licorice tingling. Well enough hops to freshen it up and I am sure it would be even better after 3 years in the cellar. Having my eyes out for another bottle.

4.3 30-JAN-2016, bottle @home, from Fish & Beer. Black with a lasting tan head. Aroma is sweet molases, roast, coffee. Taste is molasses, espresso, hard roasted malt. Quite alcoholic. Burns. Long bitter finish. Very sweet and very good:-)

4.1 Bottle @ home ... This is good! It pours clear very dark brown with a medium long lasting beige head....coffee, roasted malts, coffee, cocoa nibs, dark fruit, dark chocolate, very nice balanced hoppy....

4.0 Bottle, 9.5%. Black with medium beige head. Aroma is roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, cocoa nibs, dark fruit and a little liquorice. Flavour is roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit, sweet, hop, liquourice and medium bitter.

4.6 Pour is a rich dark blackish brown, huge puffy brown head that retains and leaves lacing. In-penetrable coloring to this one. Smell is subdued, but is coffee, roasty, smoke and wood. Taste is hugely roast and coffee, chocolate, bitter, espresso, vanilla, smoke. Long bitter, drying, coffee aftertaste. Heavenly

4.1 Aroma: roasted malt, coffe and caramel. Dark berries and fruit. Flavour: sweet fruits, dark berries and coffee. Cognac notesand an alcoholic aftertaste. Colour: pitch black with a brown head. From: tasting at Rasmus40 Dec. 2015.

3.9 Bottle from Havnens, Vejle. Black with a brown head. Aroma is sweet, roasted malt and coffee. Flavor is quite sweet and rather bitter. Dry and roasted rather bitter finish with warming alcohol. Oily. 121215

3.7 22oz bottle 12/4/15 (Courtesy of TerryR)-50° in Snifter-Pours black with a nice tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, and sweetness. Taste of the same with some dark fruit coming thru on the back end. This full bodied brew is well balanced and quite tasty. Surprised it is rated some what low.

3.9 22oz bottle poured into a Snifter at 43°. Color is black, with mellow carbonation and a thin tight tan head. Aroma is sweet roasted coffee. It has a full body with a rich crisp mouth feel. Flavor is rich and sweet with roasted coffee, dark fruit and a hint of coco. After taste gives a quick note of citrus, just a whiff of alcohol and then a dry feel on the tail end. Overall its a very well done Imperial Stout.

3.5 Bottled. Pours black with a small tan head. Aoma of roasted malt, chocolate and coffee notes. Sweet flavor that ends up more dry with alcohol notes. Medium bodied, oily texture and soft carbonation. A very nice Impy. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

3.3 Bottle from Hayduke, thanks! It poured a dark color with a tiny tan head. The aroma was of roasted malts, dark fruits, coffee and some chocolate. The taste was similar to the aroma with some sweetness. Good stuff.

3.4 Fox Hotel bottle(30-Aug-2015)Mollases plum aroma.Black,low head&suds lace.Molasses,dark choc coffee flavour.Coffee choc finish&plum choc aftertaste.

2.9 Big rich molasses dominates this imperial stout. Poors a nice pitch black with minimal tan head. Aroma is chocolate and coffee. Taste is thick, sweetness initially balanced but after taste is sickly. Flavour is coffee, chocolate and dominated by molasses. Some alcohol comes through strongly. Over all full flavoured but not the best imperial stout I’ve had.

3.6 Bottle thanks to Hayduke, RBSG grand tasting in Portland Clear dark brown with a medium sized tan head, good lacing. Aroma of dark malts, nutty and chocolate. Taste of dark malts, chocolate and coffee Ok

3.8 Bottle - Roast and sweet chocolate notes. Jet black with a decent beige head. Sweet dark roasty malts and a long sweet chocolate finish. Nice.

4.1 Bomber poured into a pint glass, pours black with a light mocha head, with some lacing that dissipates quickly. Tastes of caramel, molasses, licorice, plum, raisins and chocolate balancing the bitterness of hops. Silky smooth refined taste, alcohol well hidden. Overall a very good imperial stout.

3.9 Bomber. Says MMXIV on the neck. Reminds me a bit if of a lighter dark lord. Overly sweet like there is excess sugar, dark fruit, molasses, nice. Palate is medium for a 9.5% imperial. Pretty darn good, and a nice suprise for $7.

4.0 22oz bomber pour to tulip glass. Very black color. Frothy beige head one finger thick dissipated quickly with no lacing. Smells of chocolate, vanilla and dark dried fruits raisin/prune. Nice boozy warmth is detected almost immediately. A lot of flavors here dark chocolates, mocha, smoky oak and vanilla. Subtle bitterness from hops balances and ties the flavors together. Creamy smooth mouthfeel and very drinkable for a high ABV. Cheers!

3.9 Black pour with frothy beige head. Aroma of malts, chocolate, coffee, faint caramel and hint of vanilla. Taste of heavy malts, roasted coffee, sweetened chocolate, green vanilla beans, and a hint of lactose. Full bodied, beautiful creamy mouthfeel, perfectly balanced. Low hop bitterness which was nice for a change on an imperial stout. Delicious beer!