500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 2018. Lot number 32/36/18/1. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, fudge, roasted nuts, and toasted dark bread; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, wood, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Some increasing booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, fudge, roasted nuts, and toasted dark bread; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, wood, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, woody, peppery hops; and roast/charcoal bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, fudge, roasted nuts, toasted dark bread, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, wood, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and fairly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Mildly increasing warmth of 12%, with minimal booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic Russian imperial stout! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the modestly bitter/charred/drying finish. They lagered an ale yeast, which is pretty unique for the style. Amazingly rich malts, balancing earthy hops, restrained fruity yeast complexities. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example.