Tag Archives: Stout – Russian Imperial

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Bellwoods Brewery, Canada, Stout - Russian Imperial

Bellwoods 3 Minutes To Midnight

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Brewery: Bellwoods Brewery
Country: Canada
ABV: 11%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout with Cherry and Cocoa

Brewer Description: (from website) Fruited, barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout. This rich and complex Imperial Stout gains a character that can only come with age (12 months in barrels), aided by the addition of tart cherries and cocoa nibs. Deep roasted flavours merge with cherries to create a complimentary tartness that marries the fruit and malt beautifully.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 500ml bottle at the brewery, December 2016 vintage, poured into a Bellwoods tulip glass.
Appearance: It was black in colour with pretty much no head and only sparse lacing, although what was there was mocha in colour.
Aroma: Cherries, prunes, raisins and oak with hints of coffee and chocolate.
Taste: Cherries, oak and raisins with hints of chocolate malt and cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Very nice body, tastes great, and a very enjoyable sipper.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA, Wicked Weed Brewing

Wicked Weed Dark Age Bourbon Barrel-Aged

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Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout. Drink it Now. Drink it Later

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Humanity’s path out of the Dark Age is one without end. This path carries us away from the mystical to the measurable, from the magical to the mathematical, and is a meticulous tale of progress from madness to method. Yet, we still find wonder in the Magic, and extraordinary potential in the Mystery. Out of this yearning for the old ways, Dark Age Imperial Stout emerges from the whisky barrel, its dark malt complexity and bold, yet balanced, sweetness softened by its mystical evolution in oak.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12.7 fl oz bottle, bottled on 23rd March 2016. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: A nice dark dark brown colour with a one finger mocha head that dissipates fairly quickly while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate, cocoa, dark fruit plum and raisins, bourbon, oak with hints of vanilla.
Taste: Bourbon and sharp raisin and cherry sweetness, followed by bittersweet dark chocolate, caramel and licorice.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: This was a nice, easy sipper. The sharp twang of raisin and cherry in the taste mixed with the bourbon was a welcome surprise. The only mini negative was the mouthfeel which could have greater body and a slightly lower carbonation.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Oskar Blues Brewery, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

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Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Ten FIDY Imperial Stout – This titanic, immensely viscous stout is loaded with inimitable flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee and hide a hefty 65 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt. Ten FIDY (10.5% ABV) is made with enormous amounts of two-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Ten FIDY is the ultimate celebration of dark malts and boundary-stretching beer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz can, canned on 13th October 2016, with a note that said “Midnight on a moonless night”. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a nice two fingered mocha brown head that had great retention and left lots of nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Roasty coffee, rich dark chocolate and light char with hints of molasses and licorice.
Taste: Roasted malts, molasses and dark fruit plum and raisins to start, followed by rich dark chocolate, roasty coffee, caramel and a light char. Finish is lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Rich, velvety, creamy and smooth. Full bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: A wonderful Imperial Stout from Oskar Blues which is nicely balanced and great to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Founders Imperial Stout

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 75 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brewed with ten varieties of malted barley, this Stout is smooth as silk, yet complex and rich in body. Serve this guy at cellar temperature. Put another log on the fire, sit back and enjoy the friendship of this ultimate winter warmer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.4
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 355ml bottle, bottled on 30th November 2016. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a nice one finger fluffy brown head that dissipated fairly quickly but left spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, cherry and a hint of coffee.
Taste: Roasty malts, rich bittersweet chocolate and coffee with hints of dark fruit balanced with some bitterness. Finish has a lasting ashy charcoal-ness.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, velvety and full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice and smooth. A good Russian Imperial Stout.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Stout - Russian Imperial, Surly Brewing Company, USA

Surly Darkness

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Brewery: Surly Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%??? (as per taplist, but unsure about this as there’s really not much info)
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2015 version. Seasonal bottles and kegs (released October). Malt – Pale Ale, Golden Promise, Aromatic, Chocolate, Black, Special B, Medium Crystal, Roasted Barley and Flaked Oats. Hops – Warrior, Amarillo and Simcoe.

Brewer Description: (from website) This massive Russian Imperial Stout brings waves of flavor; chocolate, cherries, raisins, coffee and toffee, finishing with a non-traditional dose of aroma hops.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 200ml pour on draft of the 2015 version at Mikkeller Bangkok into a mini stemmed Mikkeller tasting glass.
Appearance: It was pretty much pitch black with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly, leaving sparse lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate, vanilla, roast and hints of dark fruit.
Taste: Dark fruit, plum, prune, chocolate, roast, vanilla and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Rich, creamy, full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was so good. Really nice aromas and great flavours. It’s a sipper, but the dark fruit, chocolate and caramel works well.

surly darkness 1