Tag Archives: Stout – Russian Imperial

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Stone Brewing Co., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Stone Imperial Russian Stout Chai-Spiced

Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10.6%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2015 odd year release. Ale with tea and spices added

Brewer Description: (from bottle) As it stands, the classic version of Stone Imperial Russian Stout is deep, dark , rich, roasty and perhaps even a bit sinful. The “Odd Beers for Odd Years” part of the journey means the coming of each odd-numbered year provides the opportunity to take this traditional beer to new and mysterious places, embarking on an exploratory odyssey enabled by strikingly flavorful elements applied to a lovely onyx canvas. This beer, the latest “Odd” transubstantiation, takes inspiration straight from the spice aisle, incorporating an array of ingredients assembled to emulate the flavors of authentic chai tea. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, a dash of black pepper and a dose of black tea combine with Stone Imperial Russian Stout’s incumbent flavors to take it deep into exotic, previously unfathomed territory. Expect a touch of earthiness in combination with a warm, tantalizing spiciness. As a one-time brew with enduring character, Stone CHAI-SPICED Imperial Russian Stout is crafted to be contemplated fresh or cellared under proper conditions for many years so that it may live on not only in one’s memory, but on his or her taste buds as well.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.84
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2015 odd year release, bottled on 23rd March 2015. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin half finger brown head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Strong cinnamon and cardamom with roasted malts, cocoa and chocolate in the background. There were also hints of ginger and clove.
Taste: Follows the aroma quite closely with lots of spices, cinnamon and cardamom, spicy ginger and clove with hints of roastiness, cocoa and chocolate in the background.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Almost three years on, and the “Chai” is still dominating the aroma and taste. Personally I would say it was still a bit too dominating while the nice flavours of the base Imperial Russian Stout were overpowered.

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

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10.8%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2016 release. 65 IBUs. Hops – Warrior

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Stone Imperial Russian Stout is so thick, rich and, well, sinful, you might feel certain that you will be doomed to the fiery pits just for thinking about taking a sip. It almost seems evil. Rest assured, however, that our ever-faithful gargoyle has done his job well by successfully warding off all evil spirits. In fact, we guarantee that no sin was committed in the production of this seemingly pernicious brew. We will admit to using copious doses of decadence in creating the viscous beauty you have before you, but no actual sin.., you’ll have to add that on your own. Brewed in the authentic, historical style of an imperial Russian stout, this beer is massive. Intensely aromatic (notes of anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness and alcohol) and heavy on the palate, this brew goes where few can-and fewer dare even try. The style originated from Czarist Russia’s demand for ever-thicker English stouts. Expect our version of this mysterious brew to pour like Siberian crude and taste even heavier!

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

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2016 release, bottled on 23rd March 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a just under one finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate and coffee with some sweet dark fruit, plum, black currant and cherries.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with roasted malts, lightly burnt smokiness, dark chocolate and coffee, followed by dark fruit sweetness of plum and prunes.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: Great aroma and nice taste at the beginning, but perhaps feeling that it was a bit too sweet towards the end, after finishing a full bomber by myself. Alcohol is well hidden though, and it’s a great bottle to share.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Clown Shoes Beer, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon

Leave a comment

Brewery: Clown Shoes Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 12.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mercury Brewing Co., Ipswich, MA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) What should we call our Russian Imperial Stout? Black Unicorn? Soul Dragon? Nahhh. Let’s combine them and create the ultimate mythical creature: Blaecorn Unidragon! Imbued with a monstrous amount of dark malt and aggressive hops, Blaecorn Unidragon is a powerful and complex brew designed to improve with age.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, bottled on 14th January 2016. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger dark tan head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, cocoa, espresso, liquorice, anise, pine with a hint of citrus peel and char.
Taste: Roasty, char, chocolate, cocoa and liquorice with some piney hops coming through at the end.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice to sip, and even after almost two years, the hops are still coming through quite clearly on the finish, it kind of reminded me a bit of a strong Black IPA.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, England, Stout - Russian Imperial, The Wild Beer Co.

Wild Beer Wildebeest

Leave a comment

Brewery: The Wild Beer Co.
Country: England
ABV: 11%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Chocolate + Crushed Espresso + Vanilla

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We believe exceptional brewing stems from imagination and passion, it’s not just a process. Never average, every Wild brew is a result of Wild minds conceiving, creating and crafting beers that explore the boundaries of your palate. Brewing doesn’t need to be confined by rules, tradition or ingredients; by adding a Wild 5th ingredient or process to our beers we want to give you a truly memorable drinking experience, altering your perceptions and thrilling your taste buds. Drink Wildly Different.
Beer is not just meant for refreshment. Some beers can be ideal for contemplation and speculation, the liquid equivalent of the lotus position. Such a beer is Wildebeest, our Imperial Espresso Chocolate Vanilla Stout, a judicious selection of pale and dark malts to which is added highest quality Valrhona cocoa nibs, vanilla pods and freshly roasted coffee beans hand selected by Andy Tucker at Clifton Coffee Roasters. This helps to produce a rich, elegant, creamy, soothing confection of aromas and flavours that can only improve with time. We would describe it as a dessert in a glass.
Warning: Wildebeest is best enjoyed sipped from your favourite brandy snifter, whilst sitting comfortably in a plush armchair. Preferably next to a roaring fire while the weather does its worse outside.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date that is not legible anymore but is sometime in 2018. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweetish milk chocolate, coffee, cocoa and vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, light dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, espresso. coffee, cream and hints of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice and easy to drink. Doesn’t feel like 11% abv at all.

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

Firestone Walker Parabola

Leave a comment

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 14.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 69 IBUs. Malts – Crisp Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Cara-hell, Carafa, Dark & Light Crystal, Chocolate, Oats and Roasted Barley. Hops – (Bittering) Zeus and (Late Kettle) Hallertau

Brewer Description: (from 2017 vintage box) The 2017 Parabola comes with a twist, as you may have noticed that this label bears the mark of “Kansas City, Missouri” in addition to our hometown of Paso Robles, California. Indeed, this iteration was brewed, barrel-aged and bottled by our friends at Boulevard Brewing under my close supervision. The recipe, ingredients, barrel selection and duration of aging were all the same as previous vintages of Parabola, but perhaps this vintage’s unique provenance will somehow reveal itself in the glass to you. So what is the story behind this one-time collaboration? Last year, we unexpectedly exceeded our brewing capacity in Paso Robles, and so rather than deny you a Parabola in 2017, we turned to our trusted friends for help while we worked on expanding our own brewhouse. As anticipated, they did Parabola proud. May you enjoy this rare occasion!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: On tap at Firestone Walker The Propagator, Venice. A 6 oz pour into a Firestone Walker tulip glass.
Appearance: It was a black to dark dark brown in colour with a one finger creamy tanned head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet bourbon barrels, nutty chocolate, vanilla, banana cake, pretty much like dessert.
Taste: Like the aroma, there was bitter dark chocolate, cherry, vanilla, banana, nutty, sweet bourbon, oak and booze.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: A little bit too boozy and on the sweet side, but this doesn’t put me off, and it was still very nice. Great for late night sipping.