Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout
(has 1 batch)
Stone Brewing in Escondido, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Rotating|
Score
7.67
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Built from the backbone of Stone's classic Imperial Russian Stout, Stone Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout certainly celebrates the hallmarks of the style - it pours jet-black with a fluffy chocolate head and tastes of deeply dark fruit flavors with rich chocolate and coffee overtones. Yet, however old world in nature, this particular rendition of an IRS is flavored with new world hops, intensifying its berry flavors and aroma while subtly introducing a juicy melon undertone. The result is a spectacularly sinful delight. Don't say we didn't warn you, comrade.
Stone Imperial Russian Stout has been a much anticipated special release over the years. In 2017, we took a year off from releasing this amazing beer, causing some to worry that this was the end of an era. But in 2018, this deep, dark stout returns as big as ever and with a few upgrades. We added flaked oats for a smooth mouth feel and Belma hops, which round out the dark fruit component, providing an ever so slight hop edge.
Stone Imperial Russian Stout has been a much anticipated special release over the years. In 2017, we took a year off from releasing this amazing beer, causing some to worry that this was the end of an era. But in 2018, this deep, dark stout returns as big as ever and with a few upgrades. We added flaked oats for a smooth mouth feel and Belma hops, which round out the dark fruit component, providing an ever so slight hop edge.
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7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle from Red's. Pours a deep brown to black with a quickly dissipating beige head. Rich cacao nib on the nose with dark milk chocolate alongside black mission fig, currant and toasted marshmallow. Smooth, rich decadent, silky cacao on the palate with some mild warming notes. Light perceived roastiness or hoppy bitterness to balance out the dark chocolate notes. Very smooth throughout. Well executed.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Jun 2018
at 04:15
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
The 12 oz bottle of Stone Totalitarian came home with me from Total Wine in Vegas on a March trip. Really too hot outside to drink, but what the hell. Times awasting. Lift the top and tilt into my ABGB tulip. A slender light brown head on top of a jet black liquid. Imperial Stout 101. A smell now, licorice, chocolate, brown sugar. A drink finally, quite Ten Fidyish. Semisweet chocolate, herbs, raspberry, wheat bread. Thick, chewy, a bottle of motor oil. Strongly bitter. I like it all. Stone delivers once more.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Jun 2018
at 02:55
8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
12 ounce bottle from Total Wine Brookfield. I've seen this at about 12 places before I finally found a single. RateBeer #93, Untappd #14,340. Yep. Sell your soul to Sata-- err InBe-- err whoever the fuck we sold to and your major cash infusion gets you to less than 14:1 even though you sold our your soul. Yeah, I'm a little bitter. Shark-jumping and whatnot. Anyway... pours like motor oil and black in the glass. Moderate tan head, good retention. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, roast. Taste is roast, coffee, chocolate, anise, tobacco, dark fruits. Medium-full bodied, lingering bitterness. Nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Jun 2018
at 06:15
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 ounce bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 2/20/2018. Pours dense pitch black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky tan head with amazing retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Dense soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, and dark bread; with lighter notes of licorice, anise, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, raisin, plum, fig, date, herbal, pepper, and roast/toast/smokey earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, and dark bread; with lighter notes of licorice, anise, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, raisin, plum, fig, date, herbal, pepper, and roast/toast/smokey earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spicy hop and roast/char bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, dark bread, light dark fruit/smoke/char, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, and roast/toast/smokey earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and zero acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mildly increasing warmth of 10.6% after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic Russian imperial stout! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV; with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. Not as aggressively hoppy/bitter/charred as I expected, but spot on for the style. Amazingly rich malt complexity, nice earthy hop balance, and restrained English yeast fruitiness. A highly enjoyable offering. I am sure this will age wonderfully.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jun 2018
at 01:36
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draught @ Malt&Mold. Opaque dark brown with large foamy dark beige head, faint roasted malt aroma, high carbonation, medium bitter dark chocolate taste with faint alcohol undertones, smooth body, long medium bitter cocoa/dark chocolate finish. Potent; like a dark chocolate drink.
Tried
on 31 May 2018
at 15:50
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
12oz bottle. Kind of off-putting aroma, deep boozy chocolate, odd berry. Really not a good direction to take IS in, whatever they have done. Better than a pastry stout, but not quite nailing it. Two or so years later and it tastes a lot better. For real! Score kept for posterity but this deserves better. Aged well!
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 May 2018
at 00:40
7.3/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Coffee, raspberry, dark chocolate malt, orange peel, and dry hay aroma. Black with large brown head. Moderately sweet coffee, raspberry, dark chocolate, and moderately bitter orange peel/dry hay/ash flavor. Okay body. Good but nothing to make it stand out in this day and age.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 May 2018
at 01:42