Stone Brewing Imperial Russian Stout

Imperial Russian Stout

 

Stone Brewing in Escondido, California, United States 🇺🇸

  Stout - Imperial Rotating Out of Production
Score
8.13
ABV: 10.8% IBU: 65 Ticks: 312
Stone Imperial Russian Stout is so thick, rich and, well, sinful, you might worry that you'll be doomed to the fiery pits just for thinking about a sip. Rest assured, however, that even though this seemingly pernicious brew is indeed as black as sin, we guarantee that no actual sin was committed in making it...you'll have to add that on your own. This massive and intensely aromatic beer abounds with notes of chocolate, coffee, black currants, anise and roastiness, and its heavy palate is nothing to be trifled with.

We haven’t changed this recipe much from the original version that Stone President & co-founder Steve Wagner created in 2000. It’s a fantastic beer, and we love brewing it every year!
 

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7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
2017 rated 2015 7 4 7 4 15 2014 8 4 8 4 15 All draft FotM, 2-16-17
Tried from Draft on 04 Nov 2017 at 22:36

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 10 Overall 8
From Nov 2006

Poured from 22oz bottle(room temp-2006 bottling) a pitch black with a smallish head of dark brown foam that quickly shrunk to just a fine ring around the glass and soon after that, it was gone as well.

The smell is strong on the caramel malt with notes of chocolate and coffee.

The taste is really big on sweet and roasted malt up front with strong flavours of chocolate and coffee that add some nice complexity. The finish brings some nice hop bitterness and there's a touch of alcohol there as well but it's not overpowering as long as you just sip on it and...that's what this brew is all about. A very good sipping RIS that more than satisfies after a 22oz serving.

Body wise, this is a very "chewy" Stout and makes for a really great mouthfeel. Yum, Yum, Yummy.

Bottom line: This is a top notch sample of the style and everyone should get a chance to try it. I highly recommend it!

PS: I've got one more bottle of this and a bottle of the 2005. :^)

Update: Drinking my second bottle of the 2006, I poured it into my NB goblet and there was lots of nice foam and lacing and it lasted for the entire session.
Tried from Bottle on 18 Oct 2017 at 09:22

8/10
Tried from Draft on 16 Oct 2017 at 15:07

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
2016 bottle, many thanks William! Pitch black color with beige head. Aroma is roasted malts, chocolate, vanilla. Taste is strawberry, roasted, chocolate. Silky mouthfeel with medium carbonation. A bit oxidized in the back. Very good, classic Imperial Stout, with the right amount of sweetness.
Tried from Bottle on 14 Oct 2017 at 15:24

9.1/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 8.5
Tap. Opaque petroleum black. Small tan head. Aroma: fairly vinous, roasted malts, dried fruit, brandy, minimal smoke. Fine. Full body. The same complex picture on tongue. Relatively dry. Decent amount of hops. Excellent. Monumental.
Tried from Draft on 05 Oct 2017 at 13:07

7.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
24-09-17 // beer flight, from draft at Stone Brewing Tap-Takeover at Naiv in Frankfurt. Deep black beer with a nice beige head. Classic Imperial Stout, just perfect brewed, no additional adds, just a clean Imp. Stout. Roasted malts, coffee, some choclate, liquorice, a Little boozyness, all well blanced.
Tried from Draft on 24 Sep 2017 at 19:58

8.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 10 Overall 8.5
Version 2014 vom Fass Stone Brewing Berlin 2017-09 getrunken. Kräftige Schokoladen- und Kaffeearomen treffen hier sehr vollmundig aufeinander. Ein echt tolles Stouts. 8-4-7-5-15 Version 2015 & 2016 vom Fass Stone Brewing Berlin 2016-11 getrunken. Besser als 2014er. 9-4-8-5-17
Tried on 22 Sep 2017 at 16:52

9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 10 Texture 8 Overall 9
Kicsi, nem túl tartós hab, fekete-bordó szín. Enyhén konyakos, csokis, kakaós, aszalt gyümölcsös illat. Édeskés, csokis, kakaóporos, kissé kávés, aszalt gyümölcsös ízek, egymással szuper harmóniában, hosszú, kissé száraz, kávés lecsengéssel. Testes, közepesen szénsavas, erősen keserű. Nagyon finom sör, kiváló arányokkal és egyensúllyal.
Tried on 09 Aug 2017 at 10:17

7.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle from BrewDog Online. Deep black colour with a thin tan head. Rich bitter malty aroma and taste with a touch of tabacco. Not the depth of some big stouts, and a touch one dimensional.
Tried from Bottle on 22 Jul 2017 at 14:38

8.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
(650ml 2015 bottle from Systembolaget web order) Pours pitch black with a small dark tan head and no lace. Aroma of milk chocolate, nutty roast, dried figs, dark fruit, vanilla ice cream, sweet dark malt, light coffee grounds. The flavour is drier than the nose would suggest, and roastier, with a nut and cacao character joining the burnt grains. Notes again of milk chocolate, dried dark fruit (esp figs and dark berries), vanilla, earth, char, ash, spent coffee grounds, dark caramel, and maybe some bittering hops. Off dry to begin, finishing bone dry with touches of warming alcohol. Medium full body, slightly oily, very soft carbonation. Probably slightly thinned compared to when fresh. Elegant, somewhat restrained, malt-driven complexity, far from a cloying sugar bomb, this is a good sipper that makes a nice shift from the contemporary adjunct-driven style.
Tried from Bottle on 23 Jun 2017 at 04:45