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: 313
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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9/10
Side by side with 2011 version.
Tried on 02 Jun 2017 at 19:38

8/10
MBCC2017
Tried on 17 May 2017 at 12:16

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Tap @MBCC2017, Red Session. 2005 vintage. Black, small beige head. Coffee, licorice and black currant aroma. Similar flavour, plus a little caramel.
Tried from Draft on 16 May 2017 at 04:09

8.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 10 Overall 8.5
2016 Release, abv. 10.8 %. The 13 months old bottle. A black beer, a head is dense, brown and medium head. Aroma is great and complex, chocolate and liquirice, less roastiness, salt liquirice, matlness of syrup and druitness, also notes of vanilla. Taste has salt liquirice, roastiness of coffee, some bitterness and fruitness. Velvety palate, no stickyness. Great and balanced beer. --- Beer aliased from original tick of Imperial Stout on 26 Nov 2025 at 21:09 - Score: Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5. Original review text: A black beer, a head is medium and brown. Aroma has liquorice, roastiness, some salt liquorice. Taste has liquorice, roastiness, hint of drid fruits. Almost full bodied. Quite simple, but tastefull.
Tried from Bottle on 13 Apr 2017 at 10:11

8.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Bomber from the LCBO. Very dark mahogany under a small lingering dark khaki head. Nose is espresso, dark chocolate, dark fruit and roast. Flavour is a light molasses base with a bitter coffee and chocolate along with a plum tartness. Mouth is medium+ with soft carbonation and a sticky finish. Excellent with a definite alcohol warmth. 9/4/4/7+/17
Tried on 08 Apr 2017 at 19:06

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Tap (BGM5, Wroclaw). Roasty with chocolate and liquor notes, smooth, really drinkable.
Tried from Draft on 01 Apr 2017 at 15:17

8.1/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 10 Overall 8.5
Bottle. Very smooth, clean and easy drinking. Warmth is present at room temp, but overall the alcohol is hidden well. Vanilla, biscuity, toffee. Overall quite low roast. Tasty. Great one.
Tried from Bottle on 31 Mar 2017 at 13:23

8.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 10 Overall 8
Black with thin head. Aroma has some mocha, vanilla and chocolate. Flavour is similar with a creamy milk chocolate feel. In the aftertaste there’s a nice dry, peppery bitterness.
Tried on 23 Mar 2017 at 16:27

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
0,66l bottle at home bought from Beerlovers, Vienna. Bottled 03/23/2016. black color, medium big dark coffee-colored head. smells of licorice, earthy, coffee, bitter chocolate, lightly roasty, nutty, marzipan, light dark fruits, bit peppery, some sherry. very nice smell. full body, soft carbonation, slick mouthfeel. tastes licorice, earthy, light sherry, bit peppery, coffee, bitter chocolate, also some milk chocolate, some dark fruits, raisins, light cardboard, nutty, hazelnuts. finishes lightly dry and roasty with notes of nuts, dark fruits and some chocolate. quite decent but also expected quite a bit more, a bit heavy on the sherry. Might be better fresh, but also the shop I bought it from is not great with storage, so that could be an issue too. If I have a chance to drink it fresher I might give it another try.
Tried from Bottle on 18 Mar 2017 at 09:58

9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 9
2015 bottle. Appearance- jet black, opaque, a small fizzy tan-coloured head. Looks mean. Aroma- rich roasted coffee, leather, treacle toffee, vanilla, roasted dark malts, booze, dark rum, cocoa-rich chocolate, fudge cake. Booze dark fruit hints- blackberries. Taste- espresso coffee, liquorice, dark malts, bitter chocolate, vanilla fudge, leathery malt, chocolate brownie, rich roasted after-dinner coffee beans. Long sticky finish. Full and thick mouthfeel, perfect carbonation. Chewy in the finish. Rich but easy to drink. Exceptional stuff.
Tried from Bottle on 15 Mar 2017 at 17:11