Imperial Russian Stout
Ridgeway Brewing in South Stoke, Oxfordshire, England 🏴
Stout - Imperial Regular|
Score
7.32
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Slow, extended ageing before bottling differentiates this style from simply being a strong stout or porter. It makes Ridgeway Imperial Russian Stout considerably more vinous and sharp than an export stout. There is just that little nod towards a lambic beer, with very roast and very bitter flavours. The bitterness mellows over time in the bottle so the style is not intended to be overtly hoppy.
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8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to snifter.
Appearance: dark brown in the pour but looks closer to black in the glass with a thin cap of a little off-white foamy head which slid off to leave some light concave lace
Aroma: dark roasted malts, some black licorice, dark fruits, black coffee, toast and a keen note of cocoa powder
Flavor: melds the prior noted aromas together to a fine sweet to roasty vibe; finishes dark roasty, cocoa powdery and coffee-ish
Texture: medium bodied, surely this is a sipper; pretty darn smooth along the tongue
Overall: I'd say a pretty nicely done RIS I wouldn't mind having again on a cold winter's night!
Bottle to snifter.
Appearance: dark brown in the pour but looks closer to black in the glass with a thin cap of a little off-white foamy head which slid off to leave some light concave lace
Aroma: dark roasted malts, some black licorice, dark fruits, black coffee, toast and a keen note of cocoa powder
Flavor: melds the prior noted aromas together to a fine sweet to roasty vibe; finishes dark roasty, cocoa powdery and coffee-ish
Texture: medium bodied, surely this is a sipper; pretty darn smooth along the tongue
Overall: I'd say a pretty nicely done RIS I wouldn't mind having again on a cold winter's night!
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Feb 2026
at 20:21
7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
2022 vintage. Pours an opaque/greyish leaning black, with at most one finger of head, the slightest off-white; scarce retention and pretty much no lacing. Pretty good intensity in a straightforward, well defined aroma: rather strong roasted malts (a light dark bread base, strong and dry coffe notes), a not too timid sweetish fruity note (fruit cake), some vinous character on the back of things. Pretty nice, intense aroma, perhaps not as complex as expected from the style. Gets a bit more layers in taste, but still somehow feels like it could use a bit more complexity: pretty strong roasted character as the smell suggested (notes as per aroma, plus maybe a hint of bitter/dry chocolate). Again, a very dry, kind of "decisive" roasted character, though a bit mellowed by the background of sweet frutiness and the vinous character; a hint of soft nuttiness also shows up to bring a hint of creaminess. As for balance, the mouth feels pretty dry and quite bitter, but the finish is surprisingly balanced, still dry but more in the likes of cleansing than in the likes of mouth-puckering. Quite dense bodied as obvious, but i would perhaps have guessed a 8/9% abv rather than a 10%. Light to medium, thin bubbled carbonation. The overall mouthfeel is semi-full and slightly thick with just a hint of creaminess. Overall: i'd guess that this is some sort of nod to the aged character of the british imperial stouts of old, but as a modern/clean version: Anyways, it is a well made, straightforward roasty and quite tasty stout; definitely approved.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Dec 2025
at 20:33
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
From Good Times Oakland, batch 9422.
It pours black with slight hues of red, good retaining head of foam with very good lacing.
The smell is coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, toast.
The taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, quite bitter though it does have some sweet notes here and there. No sign of any vinous character.
Medium bodied, lowish level of carbonation, I would drink this again.
It pours black with slight hues of red, good retaining head of foam with very good lacing.
The smell is coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, toast.
The taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, quite bitter though it does have some sweet notes here and there. No sign of any vinous character.
Medium bodied, lowish level of carbonation, I would drink this again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Nov 2025
at 14:16
8/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Jan 2025
at 21:55
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 8
25/1/2025. Bottle at the ITFC vintage and rare Saturday share part 1. From Beers of Europe. Pours close to black with a small frothy beige head. Aroma is chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, dried fruits, dark coffee, slight nutty edge. Medium sweetness, moderate bitterness, touch of alcohol tartness. Medium body, average carbonation. Developing roasted bitterness to finish. Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Jan 2025
at 21:53
8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Jan 2025
at 21:50
8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle (2018, bottle # 02965) from Liquor Junction, Reading. Clear, virtually opaque brown w/mahogany, nice viscosity, ephemeral head, no lacing. Aroma is strong earthy, peaty malt, molasses/toffee and a bit dusty with background vinous quality, as advertised. Taste is strong red wine quality throughout, initial earthy, peaty, dry malt; later strong molasses. Smooth and frothy, soft carb, dry, bitter roasted finish w/slight alcohol warming. Good strength, nice complexity and balance. How different European and American RIS are!
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Jan 2025
at 03:34
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle from Beers of Europe. Pours a dark brown with small beige head with good retention. Aroma of roasted malt, golden syrup, dried fruit, caramel, ginger. Taste of roasted malts, liquorice, dark chocolate, dried fruit and spice. Medium to full bodied, slick. Very nice indeed.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Jan 2025
at 03:03
7.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
330 ml bottle. Pours a dark brown with no head. Aromas of roasted barley and sugar. Flavors of licorice, powdery dark chocolate, dry roasted malts, a tiny bit of smoke and a bit of sugar. Dry bitter finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Nov 2024
at 01:21
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
330mL bottle, pours black with a thin body and a medium beige head. Nose has medium toasted malt (wouldn't say roasted) and a touch of cocoa powder -- very light aromatics for an impie stout. Flavour is more assertive, with black liquorice, English bready malt, toasted malt, earthy bitterness, and some woodiness. Quite bitter, toasty, and liquorice-y on the finish. Thin-bodied compared to American/contemporary imperial stouts, but still a nice body -- I'm appreciating the lower residual sugar. Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Sep 2024
at 04:22