Big Sky Ivan the Terrible

Big Sky Brewing Company is located out in Missoula, Montana.  This brewery is probably best known for it's creative, strange brew names, like Moose Drool, Scape Goat, Trout Slayer, Slow Elk, etc.  Big Sky was founded back in 1995, and their first batch of beer was a Whistle Pig Red Ale.  A couple months later, they built their first batch of Moose Drool, which is probably their most well-known beer today.  In 2009, they became the 45th largest brewery in the US with 36K barrels brewed. 

I picked up this limited release brew at Lee's shop (Thanks Lee).  This is an Imperial Stout, at 8.75%ABV and 65 IBUs, brewed with Pale, Crystal, Roast, and Black malts, with Simcoe and East Kent Goldings hops.  According to the label, the beer is aged in Oak Bourbon barrels for a minimum of 3 months, and bottle conditioned.  The label also states that this is bottle# 3516 out of 3800 total. 

The label depicts a painting of Ivan the Terrible.  According to Wikipedia, the primary source of all human knowledge, Ivan the Terrible was a prince of Moscow back in the 1500s who conquered lots of land during his reign.  Apparently he was prone to go into mega-rages and was likely suffering from some sort of mental-illness like schizophrenia.  Sounds like a winner and all-around nice guy!

This beer pours a thick, viscous texture and pitch black color into my snifter.  A hefty amount of thick, dark tan head is present.  The aroma is heavy with dark fruits, molasses, and burnt caramel.  There is also a hint of bourbon in the nose.  None of the roasted chocolate malts that you typically find in an Imperial Stout are present in this aroma. 

The first thing I notice in the drink is the syrupy texture and the intense sweetness.  The flavor begins with a wave of sweet vanilla and bourbon.  There are also hints of dark fruits (black cherries and raisins), and some sweet malts in the background.  The dominant character throughout is the sweet vanilla, and the slightly boozy bourbon that plays with it.  The alcohol is present only in the warmth after the drink.  The texture is syruppy and almost oily, with a creamy light carbonation. 

Overall Rating:  (3.5 out of 6.0)  This is a difficult beer for me to review.  For my palate, this beer is simply too sweet, and lacks any balancing factor like alcohol or hop bitterness.  It's certainly not a bad beer, the flavors are complex and I appreciate the nuanced bourbon character that this beer brings.  But I can't get past the assault of sweetness that holds from start to finish.  Where are the bitter roasted malts?!  I think that's all this beer would need to be great.  If you've tried this beer and disagree with me, I'd love to hear from you.  Am I missing something?