The Russian
2SP Brewing Company

The RussianThe Russian
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From:
2SP Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #165
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,145
Avg:
4.22 | pDev: 5.92%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
93
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 16, 2024
Added:
Jul 22, 2015
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  10
The beer that put Bob on the map. Huge beer with a ton of espresso in the nose and pallet. Heavy chocolate and heavy roast. GABF Gold Winner 2016, 2017.

50 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mthomp081:
Photo of mthomp081
Rated by mthomp081 from Delaware

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Oct 30, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of edthehead
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Black textured appearance, one finger tan head, modest lacing. Dark roast coffee upfront, complimented by cocoa and faint molasses on the back end. Medium to thick mouthfeel, moderate carbonation. Really good.
Mar 16, 2024
Photo of Luscious_Malfoy
Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
poured from a 12oz can with the label peeled off for my mystery beer in the stout/BW BIF into my rev deep wood tumbler. pours dark brown, a bit see through but settles in the glass nearly black with over two fingers of mocha brown foam head. head dies down but never fully disappears leaving a thick collar around the rim of the glass. aromas of light pine and roasted malts at first that give way to day old, roasty coffee and light chocolate and even some vanilla. it’s just a tad too hoppy for me as far as stouts go taste offers more chocolate and coffee notes via roasted malts. there is light pine on the finish but it’s much more balanced than the nose. mouthfeel is smooth, rich, thick and creamy. this is at the perfect temp at close to room temp to where everything is popping. again, just a little too hoppy for my liking and i feel like just a little too hoppy for the RIS style itself. that’s my only real gripe though as the mouthfeel is incredible on this thing and it makes for a great cold morning sipper.
Nov 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.42 by sentrytec from Pennsylvania

Nov 01, 2023
Photo of Braunmeister_1943
Reviewed by Braunmeister_1943 from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a velvety black with a dense rocky head. Dried fruits raisins and vanilla aroma with subtle bourbon hints. Bitter cocoa and coffee gives way to warm bourbon and dark roasted malt. Moderate mouthfeel. Overall, an excellent BBA Imperial Stout!
Oct 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.21 by hopley from Massachusetts

Oct 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by Griffith from Connecticut

Mar 31, 2023
 
Rated: 4.12 by Ernald_Elbertson from Delaware

Mar 23, 2023
 
Rated: 3.88 by flgimp from Pennsylvania

Nov 13, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by SiepJones from Pennsylvania

Feb 26, 2021
 
Rated: 4.02 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Feb 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Jan 30, 2021
Photo of Gajo74
Reviewed by Gajo74 from New York

4.34/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a pitch black color, opaque and viscous. A creamy finger nail length head retains well and yields lacing.

Nutty and roasty aromas evoke espresso and dark chocolate. In addition, there are aromas of vanilla, caramel, dark fruit and bright notes of cherry.

A creamy opening highlights a great balance of sweet caramel and biscuity malts, to go with roasty and nutty malts. Notes of dark toasted malt, espresso beans, bittersweet dark chocolate and a touch of dark fruit. Earthy and woodsy hops flavors pair well with the roasty bitterness, while a developing dryness in the palate aids drinkability. The finish is roasty, dry and slightly sticky.

Full bodied with a very creamy and smooth feel that coats the mouth. The gentle carbonation adds to the overall velvety quality of this beer.

This is quite a tasty RIS! It is super smooth and well balanced. I liked it a lot.
Jan 02, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by jschott75 from Illinois

Dec 20, 2020
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.62/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
A pint can poured into a clear glass liter mug shows The Russian to be a rather darkly complexioned fellow. It poured like most good stouts, black coffee brown with ample tan head and some glass lacing. There's enough roasted malt aroma to make this promising. It's a promise fulfilled as several layers of flavor introduce themselves to the taste buds. It has a very nice solid texture that brings the sweetness of the alcohol and malt to complete the the bitterness of the hops and resultant roasting. There are reminders of black licorice, some black coffee and maybe a little sweet dark chocolate. The body adds tremendously to the mouth feel and the taste experience, with only a pleasant reminder that it is an alcoholic beverage. This is a superb Imperial Stout.
Sep 14, 2020
Photo of MacMalt
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Canned on 1/10/2020. Poured into a snifter. It pours ink black with a large, foamy, light khaki-colored head and thin, soapy lacing. The nose features roasted malt, char, tobacco, burnt espresso, bakers chocolate, and a whiff of dark fruit. The taste opens dry, roasty, and bitter with burnt coffee grounds, earthy char, tobacco ash, and burnt nuts. As I sip I begin to taste the bakers chocolate and subtle notes of raisin and figs and just a tiny hint of caramel. It finishes with lots of bitterness. The mouth feel is silky and moderately viscous with an appropriate level of carbonation. This batch has an ABV of 9% which, for the style, is not overly boozy. I'm reviewing at about 8.5 months, which shouldn't bee too old for a RIS. I'd like to try it fresher to see whether the dark fruit is more prevalent. That said, this is very good and it's not surprising the brewery has won awards for it. If you like a dry, bitter Russian Imperial Stout, then I would heartily recommend The Russian.
Aug 30, 2020
Photo of dennarb
Reviewed by dennarb from Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is the richest most complex stout I have ever had. The color is a well made espresso that is just about opaque. The head is short lived. The mouth feel is like a well aged port, unusually dense without feeling viscous. The taste is hard to define. it is malty with more dryness than sweetness. Chocolate, but 80% fine dark chocolate. Espresso flavors creep though but they are complemented by some dried apricot and a bit of spice.
All told a fabulous stout!
Jul 02, 2020
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.46/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
(16 oz can, 9% ALC BY VOL, COD 011020; purchased single off shelf... poured into a snifter)

L: ultra dark brown liquid - thought it might be black, but to an angle, definite brown tones; finger-high tan foam stand on pour, foggy cap left

S: heavy roasted barley essence, char, black chocolate, heady pungent pine and spicy citrus hops... damn thing smells a lil like Storm King... mellow-to-beaming perfumy floral back note... bit of licorice and prune in the back... maybe a medicinal booze undertone; powerful aromas, and an overall American angle to it

T: curious, surprising toasty honey-nut edge to its robustly-roasty, heavily-malted foundation; bit of that dark fruit, vinous, brandy-like spice in the aftertaste, with an underlying blackstrap-infused, dark-roast coffee syrup lingering at the floor of the palate; mellow burnt ember smoke hanging in the back of the palate

F: viscous silk up front, with an unmistakable strident blast of cold ethanol behind it... malt nectar, but without sludge or slick residue

O: kind of a classic American (Russian) Imperial Stout; vintage flavors - love it... seriously though, is this a Storm King clone? - either way, reminds me of the old guard craft (1665)
May 14, 2020
 
Rated: 4.4 by PaulSlazinger from Pennsylvania

May 07, 2020
Photo of Apple78
Reviewed by Apple78 from Pennsylvania

4.98/5  rDev +18%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
This is as close as a perfect beer that you can find!
Poured a pitch black with one finger of head. The roasted malts are incredible. The deep rich flavor is world class. This Russian imperial Will take you on a roller coaster!
Apr 11, 2020
The Russian from 2SP Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 93 ratings