Colorado’s Avery
Brewing seems to have a thing for historical figures. They have named a few
brews after them, after all. Not too long ago I enjoyed a big old bottle of
Avery’s The Kaiser
, described as an uber-Oktoberfest. The bottle sports a picture of
Germany’s famous Kaiser Wilhelm II on the label.
Not to be outdone, the Russians have a monarch (and a beer style) worthy of
celebration as well. The Czar is a Russian Imperial Stout, and a big
one at that. Black as a Siberian night, it’s rich and roasty, potent and
warming with a hefty alcohol content. The label here features the Romanov
Czar Nicholas II, last of his line. Interestingly enough, both Czar and
Kaiser stem from the same Latin word: Caesar. Loosely translated, they both
mean emperor. Can The Queen, an IPA named after Queen Victoria, be
far behind?
Imperial stouts are big beers at is. They’re rich and roasty and usually
high in alcohol, perhaps 9% to 10% by volume. Avery’s Czar is stronger still
at a whopping 11.03%. That means that a single twenty two ounce bottle has
about as much alcohol as four 12 ounce bottles of most brews. So drink with
caution.
Everything is big about the Czar. The original gravity is a weighty 1.104,
which means there’s a lot of fermentables to give you that high alcohol
content and non-fermentables to give you all that rich body. There’s a lot
of hops, too. A full 70 IBUs worth, though much of that is balanced by the
body of the beer.
Imperial stouts are one of my favorite styles. They were originally brewed
strong in England to survive the trip through the North Atlantic and the
Baltics to the court of the Czars. They were not, however, actually brewed
in Russia.
The Czar does the imperial stout tradition proud. I easily fill a
20-ounce “true” pint glass from my bomber bottle, and still have more left
over. The liquid is inky black with a light but creamy tan head. The nose is
coffee roasty and enticing. Should I save some for morning in lieu of my
usual cup of Joe?
I take a sip. The mouthfeel is full and very rich. It slides across the
tongue in a decadent, luxuriant manner. I get bittersweet dark chocolate,
powdered cocoa, raisin, All Sorts licorice, spice cake, rich roasty
espresso. A little bit of phenols distract in the finish, but not too much.
A big roasty bitterness and restoring alcohol warmth finish the beer off
nicely. A wonderful sipping brew, perfect for frigid Moscow nights. Or
frigid nights wherever you happen to find yourself.
And although Nicholas wasn’t fond of him, if you enjoy this beer you’ll also
like North Coast Old
Rasputin Imperial Stout, too.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft