Russian Imperial Stout
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Russian Imperial StoutRussian Imperial Stout
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From:
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
 
United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #192
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,367
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 7.64%
Reviews:
124
Ratings:
291
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 17, 2024
Added:
Dec 13, 2002
Wants:
  59
Gots:
  54
Full-bodied stout that starts with a complex, malty sweet and high-roasted character that is wonderfully balanced with the use of citrusy American hops.

75 IBU
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Ratings by ygtbsm94:
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Rated by ygtbsm94 from Utah

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%

Jan 11, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a Chestnut hued ebony with plenty of carbonation & finger of fast-falling tan head. Average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Hints of iron, dark fruit & roasty grains

T: Roastyness, Baker's Chocolate & much dryness up front, also woody hops. Dryness, roastyness, more bitter chocolate as this beer warms. Finishes dry, roasty, with woody hops & dark chocolate

MF: Medium/chewy body. tamped down carbonation, becomes fairly warming. You feel the heft

Classic example of the style that holds its own
Mar 17, 2024
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a very dark color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has chocolate and coffee hints
Taste has a chocolate and coffee flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Russian Imperial Stout
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Dark, black, opaque body; thick khaki head, dense and persistent; fine partial sheets and spidery fingers of foam. A gorgeous aroma; dark, sweet malt with a roasted husk note. Exquisite taste; moderately sweet dark and charred grain sweetness; husk bitterness; a slight nut-like quality; medium-light sense of bitterness at the finish. Heavy body; viscous smoothness; light dryness at the finish.

It's always a pleasure to find a no nonsense, non-adjunct big stout. This is one of 'em. Tasty, balanced, rich and satisfying.

Pouring temperature: 41 °F; canning info: A CERTAIN MAN CANNED ON
Source: @DIM
Nov 03, 2023
Photo of BuxMontBeerLover
Reviewed by BuxMontBeerLover from Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Purchased at Acme in Horsham, PA. $16.99-4pk/16oz cans.

Pours a midnight, moonless sky, jet black. A beige, one finger head on the initial pour. Small amount of lacing left on the glass as I enjoy.

Aromas of deep roasted malts and slightly piney hops.

A very good stout. Flavors of deep roasted malts, hops, chocolate and coffee. A slightly astringent, bitter aftertaste. A mild sweetness does come through as well. Not as creamy as some stouts but the overall flavor profile all seems to meld together to make a good brew. The ABV is well hidden but it’s still a beer you won’t be rushing through.

Medium consistency, low carbonation.

Another fine brew from Iron Hill. I’ve rated numerous stouts and this ranks as a a top notch beer. Well done…Cheers!
Jun 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Corburk from Pennsylvania

Mar 19, 2023
Photo of Bluerabbitbell
Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11/27/22 On tap at Center City location... Window seat!
Dec 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4.24 by eluvah from New York

Dec 08, 2022
Photo of Beejay
Reviewed by Beejay from Virginia

3.77/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A: dark black with a tab head that dissipates quickly.

S: caramel, dark chocolate, and dark berry.

T: sweet caramel, dark fruit, a hint of licorice, and bitter espresso.

M: medium body, moderate carbonation.

O: overall a pretty decent beer. A no little more interesting than just heaps of malt.
Sep 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4.26 by PaulSlazinger from Pennsylvania

Sep 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.32 by hopley from Massachusetts

Aug 21, 2022
 
Rated: 4.12 by walt5 from Delaware

Dec 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.08 by EMH73 from New York

Sep 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3.88 by socon67 from New York

Aug 28, 2021
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from the can into a large snifter style glass.

Good slow pour, barely makes a sound, as the glass fills with oily thick and viscous looking dark walnut black to brown colors. Cream classic tan head, and a good one finger puck that holds it's own. Solid and beautiful looking stout.

Delicious aroma. Chewy sensing dark malts, almost hinting licorice but more of thick dark brown bread and molasses. Cake like rich, and hints of dark chocolate as well. Really rich sensing and big, real nice.

Palate just gets the goods. Chewy and delicious body that you can cut with a thick knife. Rich malt dark chocolate in the mid palate, filled with a soft hint of molasses and oily hop and char. Thick almost nougat flavors without a large amount of sweetness. Faint touches of coffee, and a good piping roast.

Sort of lacks the creamy and fruity estery quality you can get for this style, but they get everything else just very or close to exceptionally well.
Jun 17, 2021
 
Rated: 3.78 by timmy2b from New York

Mar 26, 2021
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Coca-Cola very dark brown is the color of the Stout now poured from a pint can into a clear glass liter mug. T'was a casual pour which resulted in an incredible amount of biege head and some lacing. The aroma is a good blend of hops and roasted malt. This is one outstanding tasting RIS. It starts velvety smooth and mildly sweet, with a roasted malt start. Then some hops and a scant taste of alcohol amplify the continued malt flavor and carry it to another level not often obtained. Other reviews will probably reference dark chocolate, expresso or black licorice, all of which is understandable. Regardless of that, this is just flat out a superior Russian Imperial Stout and if you like them, you know what that means. Negatives that keep this from perfect fives would be a little "greenness", or less than fully peak flavors only briefly noticed by the nose and initial tasting. Not in anyway meant to insult other varieties from this brewer, but this is a very pleasant surprise.
Feb 22, 2021
Photo of rudiecantfail
Reviewed by rudiecantfail from Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
16 ounce can poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

L---Dark, dark brown. Giant, everlasting, medium brown head. Left excellent lacing.

S---Roasty malts and chocolate. Strong coffee.

T---Coffee, chocolate and roasted malts.

F---Full bodied with very good carbonation.

O---An excellent offering from a local. Nice work.
Jan 28, 2021
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Canned on 12-16-20.

A - Black pour with thick, dense, heavy caramel colored lacing that's very creamy and sticky on the glass with lots of legs.

S - Big roasted chocolate malt presence, light char, with some Espresso on the nose.

T - Follows the nose exactly. (Go figure, right??) Big dark chocolate roast from start to finish, Espresso, char / charcoal, and ends with an assertive, lingering bitter dark chocolate Espresso finish.

M - Thick, silky, and slightly oily in texture with a lingering char dryness on the palate.

O - This is a pretty fantastic Russian Imperial Stout and IMO one of their better beers. Iron Hill can be hit or miss with me but this one is a definite winner and worth checking out.
Jan 28, 2021
 
Rated: 4.4 by Ernald_Elbertson from Delaware

Sep 16, 2020
Russian Imperial Stout from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 291 ratings