B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

B.O.R.I.S. The CrusherB.O.R.I.S. The Crusher
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From:
Hoppin' Frog Brewery
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #147
ABV:
9.4%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,278
Avg:
4.23 | pDev: 9.22%
Reviews:
1,070
Ratings:
2,858
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2024
Added:
Nov 10, 2006
Wants:
  291
Gots:
  571
This Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout will crush you like no other! This is the grand-daddy of all stout styles, with an intensely deep roasted and full bodied flavor. A robust hop character adds a refreshing balance.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by merlin48:
Photo of merlin48
Reviewed by merlin48 from Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle pours a dark and syrupy black body into an imperial pint glass. One finger tan head seems to have a garnet hue. Excellent head retention with some patchy sheets of lacing.

Bold aroma of chocolate and roast as soon as the bottle is opened. A complex bouquet emanates from the glass as notes of prunes, raisins, red cherries, port wine, almond nuttiness, and hops spring forth to join the chocolate and coffee roastiness. Nice.

Mouthfeel is full bodied and coating with a low medium carbonation.

Taste has an amazing complexity. Roasty chocolate and coffee, dark fruits, cherries, cocoa, crushed walnuts, tobacco, and some vinous alcohol mingle across the palate. There is an oatmeal presence that rolls and smooths. A nice hops bitterness adds an additional dimension.

An excellent big stout here. Best new stout I've sampled in a long while.
May 25, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of tradershmulie
Reviewed by tradershmulie from Connecticut

4.66/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Beautiful deep rich almost black pour. Good clingy head, did not disappear.

Not much noticeable on the nose.

Delicious. Smooth, silky.

For the "simplest" of the R.I.S. styles from this brewery, it is great.
Mar 03, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by Agriverbear from Texas

Feb 25, 2024
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Best by 8/22/26

I can’t believe that after having over 20 beers from Hoppin’ Frog that I’ve never had this OG BORIS, the basis of their entire RIS program. I’ve had many of its variants and other beers in the same family tree so it’s cool to see where it all comes from. Let’s crack it open and find out what it’s all about

Pours almost completely pitch black with a finger of creamy dark tan head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

The nose shows a nice balance of fruity and bitter notes. I’m picking up on aromas of burnt coffee beans, black licorice, black cherry, raisin, dark toast, tobacco, vanilla bean, caramel, light molasses, and cacao nib

It’s more of the same in taste but it’s a bit smoother. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting molasses, black cherry, raisin, black licorice, leafy hops, red grape, brown sugar, toffee, and cacao nib. The swallow brings notes of burnt toast, black cherry, cacao nib, caramel, leafy hops, tobacco, molasses, red grape, and baked apple

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes mostly dry with a balanced bitterness

More than the sum of its parts honestly. It’s just a very well done RIS
Feb 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.17 by EdFed from Illinois

Feb 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.38 by rolltide from Pennsylvania

Jan 01, 2024
 
Rated: 4.02 by Silke_Neryn from Sweden

Dec 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.27 by Monkeyknife from Missouri

Dec 09, 2023
Photo of beerbully
Reviewed by beerbully from New Jersey

4.21/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L- Black, opaque....1 finger mocha head with great retention.....lacing is thick and sticky

S-Roasty and bitter......chocolate.....coffee grounds

T-Similar to the nose....dark chocolate, not as bitter as the nose would suggest.....

F- Thick and creamy.....low carb.....

O- Thick enjoyable beer....bittersweet.....tastes like an RIS
Dec 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by lsudduth from Ohio

Nov 28, 2023
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.39/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque in the glass with a quarter finger, milk chocolate head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, coffee, molasses, graham crackers and cocoa. Flavor is dark toasted malt with moderate char, full bodied coffee, bakers chocolate and light licorice. Smoky chocolate and coffee finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. I've had the bigger version of this (T.O.R.I.S.) and enjoyed everything I've tried so far. This is a fine RIS with great flavor depth, nice smoky char and great coffee and chocolate. If this was available in my area, it would join other fine stouts in rotation. These guys know how to brew a stout.
Nov 14, 2023
Photo of Scotchboy
Reviewed by Scotchboy from Idaho

4.12/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz can pours out like used motor oil at midnight; thick and viscous with a fluffy brown head. Roasty and complex nose and palate, with lots of dark, roasted malt, coffee, oatmeal, rich licorice, some molasses. Really good stuff all around.
Nov 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.1 by smithj4 from New York

Nov 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by KT3418 from Colorado

Nov 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by Giggy from Michigan

Sep 22, 2023
Photo of CruzinCooler
Rated by CruzinCooler from New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Love it
Sep 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by not2quick from Missouri

Jan 14, 2023
 
Rated: 4.37 by Mxsluis from Michigan

Dec 01, 2022
Photo of cwm51662
Reviewed by cwm51662 from Indiana

4.56/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This isn't so much a review as synchronicity. I had a choice at the local liquor store between this and North Coast Old Rasputin. As I sipped this, I said to myself (just prior to rating) this tastes a LOT like Old Rasputin. And when I rated it, I came up with 4.56- exactly what I rated Old Rasputin! This is a good thing, because I like a thicker, richer stout, and this qualifies. The aroma right out the can is knockout, and after the first couple sips, I doubt I could tell it from OR.
Nov 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4.28 by Hendry from Vermont

Oct 28, 2022
B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher from Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 2858 ratings