Category Archives: Stout – Russian Imperial

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation III – Black Mess

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout from Flanders aged for 2 yrs in peated whisky barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 14th January 2021, with a best before date of +5 years, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin tanned head that dissipated to a ring around the glass while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate, black coffee, wood, whisky, with notes of dried dark fruit, raisin, fig, and maybe just a splash of peat.
Taste: Light to moderate sweet malty, whisky, dried dark fruit, raisin, prunes, light roast, chocolate, coffee, with some light bitterness on the backend.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with balanced aromas and flavours, but for being aged 2 years in peated whisky barrels, there is a distinct lack of any peat.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation I – Blackberry Albert

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout ale from Flanders matured on black currants & Red Port barrels.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 9th November 2022, with a best before date of +5 years, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that had pretty good retention and dissipated to a ring around the glass while leaving small spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roasty, chocolate, sweet berries, blackberries, woody, nutty, with light caramel notes.
Taste: Sweet malty, light roast, berry sweetness, blackberries, blueberries, chocolate, coffee, boozy, a touch nutty, and some bitter notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable sipper with restrained sweetness, and balanced aromas and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation X – Double Wood

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 15%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout from Flanders aged for 2 yrs in Balvenie whisky barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 4th May 2021, with a best before date of +5 years, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated into a ring around the glass, while leaving tiny spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, coffee grounds, dark fruit, raisin, fig, whisky, light notes of caramel and vanilla, and a touch nutty.
Taste: Caramel malt, roasty, chocolate, black coffee, whisky, dark fruit, plum, fig, wood, and some lingering char on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Despite the high ABV%, it wasn’t noticeable and it was just an enjoyable sipper with great aromas and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Stout - Russian Imperial, Three Floyds Brewing Co., USA

Three Floyds Dark Lord

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Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 15%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: Maroon wax

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Dark Lord is a gargantuan Russian Style Imperial Stout, with a reverse cascading head that starts out billowing the color of burnt oil like the Dark Lord rising from the black primordial beginnings. Its resonant vinous aroma has been described as cherries, sweet malt, molasses, burnt currants, plums with a port wine alcohol undertow. Mochachino notes buried within. Motor oil consistency, hellishly smooth yet divinely burnt and vinous. The first sip coats your palate with a palatial charred fruit and chocolate blanket. Alcohol burn wiggles its way down your throat with a thick body.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2015 vintage, very nicely maroon waxed, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with only a thin brown head and sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Coffee, dark fruit, plum, prunes, fig, molasses, oak, chocolate, light roast.
Taste: Sweet, dark fruit, charred notes, plum, prunes, fig, cherries, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, coffee, burnt sugar.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A nice warming sipper. Maybe approaching too sweet, but the charred and burnt notes do sort of keep it in line.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Company, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Hoppin’ Frog D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer

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Brewery: Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 70 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This extreme Double Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout will overwhelm, satisfy, and destroy your taste buds like no other!! D.O.R.I.S. is even darker, hoppier, and stronger than our gold medal winning B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Stout. Dry-hopped and first wort hopped with the finest American hops for a great Imperial Stout experience! Enjoy the darkness!!

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with pretty much no head and only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, with some dark berries, and charred notes.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, roasty, chocolate, coffee, molasses, charred oak, and light notes of dark fruit.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: A smooth sipper, but the charred notes were a little too distracting for me.