Peg Leg Imperial Stout Review

I do love Russian Imperial Stouts. They make for a lovely after dinner drink. Here we have another offering from Clipper City Brewing Company's Heavy Seas line, this one called Peg Leg. I hate to review two beers from the same brewery back-to-back but it just happened. I really can't complain though, Clipper City makes some good beer (www.ccbeer.com).

This beer is 8.00% abv, on the lower end of the spectrum as far as Imperial Stouts go, but it hides it's higher abv quite well. The alcohol isn't unnoticeable but it blends in nicely.

It pours pitch black. Light will not make it through this brew, not even around the edges, not even with a strong LED flashlight held up to the glass. There's not a lot of head to speak of, a slightly warmer bottle or rougher pour will get you about a half-finger, but it will still be completely gone in a few minutes and will leave no lace whatsoever.

There are some sweet alcohol notes and chocolate and roasted malt smells drifting up from my glass. The nose isn't too strong on this beer but sweet chocolate alcohol is obviously present, much like in a box of Godiva liquor chocolates.

Taste-wise, the same bitter-sweet chocolate alcohol is prevalent, along with a touch of roasted malts and just a hint of coffee. This is a slightly sweeter Imperial Stout than what I am used to but that is not a complaint. It goes down smooth with a lighter than expected body. 

Unfortunately, even though one would think a beer this dark and this strong would be heavier, the mouthfeel is medium with very little (as in not enough) carbonation. It goes down smooth but leaves me wanting more. Something thicker, something fuller, something more... stout.

This beer tastes wonderful but the light body and lack of head and carbonation leave me feeling unfulfilled. In all fairness, these bottles had a Best Before Date of May, 2009, and I got them and cracked them open at the end of May, early June, so the beer may not have been at it's freshest. With that in mind I will call this beer a glass 1/2 FULL, as it is a tasty well made stout, even though there are much better Russian Imperials out there, like Old Rasputin. I do plan to give Peg Leg another chance with a fresher sample. I'll keep ya'll posted, but until then, Cheers!

*I had to come back and add this. Close to a week after posting this review I had my last bottle of Peg Leg. This one poured with some very nice head, tasted crisper, had more carbonation and left some beautiful lacing in my glass. I am forced to conclude that some, but not all, of the beers in the pack were effected by age and when fresh this is definitely a kick-ass RIS. Glass 1/2 FULL and then some. Just remember to keep an eye on the Best Before date...