Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Serving Type: 22oz Bomber
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.5%

The standard stone gargoyle on the front of the bottle is adorned with a Russian style fuzzy hat. The label says that this gargoyle fends off any bad juju that could invade the sanctity of the beer. Cheers to you, Stone Brewing gargoyle, I hope you did your job.

The beer pours out like thick dark molasses, and a dark tan head erupts from the tumulus pour. Just looking at the beer lets me know that I have my work cut out for me, especially since I'll be downing 22oz of the brew. Aroma is strong with espresso and molasses. Also getting some nice vanilla-ey smells.

Pow! Explosive flavor from even the tiniest of sips. I think I need to let this warm up a bit more before I partake completely. Initial impressions are a very smooth mouthfeel that just coats your mouth. Almost sweet flavor transitions into a bitter flavor reminiscent of baker's chocolate. Also some espresso flavor finds it's way in towards the end of the tasting. The sweet flavors as the beer first hits your tongue are like molasses and malty deliciousness. Each sip is a swirling symphony of dark sweet and bitter flavors that opens up even further with each drink. This is definately a brew that will benefit by warming up a bit. There is also some spiciness going on, maybe cinnamon or some other zestyness.

Drinkability is pretty damn good for the style. It masks it's alcoholic content pretty well, as there is minimal burn in the back of the mouth after a generous quaff. I would again recommend sharing a bomber of this stuff with a friend, as most would have trouble finishing 22oz of such a powerfully strong beer. This is about as zesty as beer can get.

So I have to compare this to The Abyss, which many people believe is the gold standard for russian imperial stouts. This beer is very similar and isn't aged in whiskey barrels like the abyss is, at least I dont think so. This beer would age wonderfully as well, I'm tempted to pick up another bottle and just leave it in the fridge for 6 months or so. After trying the aged stone barleywine I've been exposed to the power of aging a powerful high gravity beer. It's amazing what time can do to these beers.

This beer reminds me of the different character that a beer can become. From the lightest wit to the darkest stout, beer is a blank canvas to impose upon.

Final Grade: A-

-Probably one of the better Stouts I've had, and the complexity of flavor is balanced and well composed. I think that with six months to a year of aging and this beer would be world class. I'm likely going to pick up another bottle to try out this theory, but not right now, becuase this beer has got me a tad saucy.