Imperial Russian Stout
Ridgeway Brewing

Imperial Russian StoutImperial Russian Stout
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From:
Ridgeway Brewing
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #403
ABV:
10%
Score:
88
Ranked #15,222
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 10.23%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
38
Status:
Active
Rated:
Monday at 10:36 AM
Added:
Nov 25, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
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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Photo of stcules
Reviewed by stcules from Italy

3.67/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
2016 Vintage.
Black, scarce off-white foam, ok.
Correct, well dona, maybe it lacks a bit of character.
After a bit of warming, the vinous characters comes out, with a light tartness. Interesting.
Nuts.
Surprisingly light body, a bit short in the end, again vinous and tart. Roasted, green coffee, dry figs.
We expected something more round, but probably is the age.
Good, well.
Monday at 10:36 AM
 
Rated: 3.77 by Dethark from England

Jan 23, 2024
 
Rated: 2.09 by stephenlee93 from England

Feb 17, 2023
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330 ml bottle, vintage 2012, bottle No. 1368, from Prima Beer, Hobro. 99 IBU as fresh. Ebony colour, low beige head. Aroma of dark malts, chocolate, vanilla, prunes, oak and fortified wine. Soft mouthfeel, very moderate carbonation. The flavour has the same notes as the aroma, also coffee and decent hops in the finish. Good beer.
Jan 07, 2022
Photo of backblast
Reviewed by backblast from Alaska

4.19/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured black with a thick tan head and decent lacing.

Tasted of rich dark malt, with a slight dark chocolate sweetness to it and a nice RIS bitter aftertaste. Had a medium viscous feel to it. Nice.
Aug 04, 2021
 
Rated: 4.1 by JTuomi from Finland

Dec 22, 2020
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L- Black with a ruby fleck through it when held to the light. Clear, + no sludge visibly left in bottle. 1mm tan head.
S- A bright fruit note (reminds me of stewed blackberry) together with toastiness.
T- Some coffee, a liquorish sherry/port pungency then off into the smokey/charred wood depths.
F- Deep pungent, one for slow sipping, ideal for winter.
O- Quite a beast of a beer, but how refined. Zero to note as out of place or balance. Wow, I'd very happily buy this again, it's a class brew.
330ml bottle. '2018 vintage, bottle 04322'. Bought from BeerOfEurope/UK for home delivery.
Jun 10, 2020
 
Rated: 4.24 by arzt from Germany

Jan 02, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Ginsberg from Indiana

Dec 28, 2019
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2016 vintage, so 2-3 years of age.
330 ml bottle

Pours black, with tan colored head. Fairly good head retention. Very roasty aroma - espresso, bitter cacao. Taste is similar, but not as dry as expected. A touch of dark fruit flavors in there. Thicker bodied, lower carbonation.
Jul 07, 2019
Photo of Suds
Reviewed by Suds from Missouri

3.76/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This brew is from a bottle. very black...completely solid...with a thick and tight head, this is a beautiful beer. The aroma has chocolate....dark bitter chocolate...dark malt...wet wood, and more. Wow. Complex and interesting. Full and luscious in body. Wonderful.
Mar 11, 2019
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.94/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330mL bottled 2014 bottle #1181 poured into a snifter at fridge temp 10% ABV. The beer pours black with no light penetration and has a meager, but lasting, light brown head. The head recedes to a fat ring around the glass. There are tiny spots of lacing left behind as I drink. The aroma is faint with light roast and some chocolate. The taste is bittersweet chocolate, medium roasted malt and dark fruit (raisin, plum, cherry). There is a little tang in finish, but it's barely noticeable. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with very low carbonation and a semi wet finish that's in no way cloying. Overall, very good. This beer was not worth buying routinely at $6/single, but it's absolutely worth trying once.
Nov 19, 2018
Photo of vinicole
Reviewed by vinicole from England

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle. Black. Gently receding frothy tan head.
Big aroma of rum and raisin fudge. Alcohol present. Sweet roasted malt and caramel.
Demi-sec. Distant wood otherwise it reflects the smell. Some liquorice there as well.
Gentle carbonation. Not as smooth as I'd hoped.
An IRS that distinguishes itself from American versions.
Jul 21, 2018
Photo of ThisWangsChung
Reviewed by ThisWangsChung from Maryland

3.81/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2015 vintage.

It pours slightly lighter than the typical coffee-chocolate-and-six-billion-different-additions American stout at a very dark ruby color. Perhaps not surprisingly, the dark ruby tones lead to an aroma chock full of luscious dark fruits. Plums, cherries, and raisins dominate. The malt backbone lacks the intense roast of an aforementioned American stout, instead choosing to focus on notes like molasses, treacle, brown sugar, caramel, and licorice. Flourishes of tobacco help to keep the intense, malty sweetness. This nose offers the appropriate level of nuance expected from a classic RIS. The flavor delivers on said promises, albeit not as vividly. It opens up with the one-two punch of dark fruits and licorice - anyone familiar with Courage (or hell, Stone's IRS) will feel at home drinking this. The malts aren't quite as well showcased as I'd like, instead allowing itself to play second fiddle to the pleasant dark fruit qualities. Still, undercurrents of brown sugar, toasted bread, molasses, and caramel are offered. It finishes with some tobacco and a touch of pine. Though some of its complexity is a bit muddled, it's wonderfully smooth and sharply balanced. It seems very well attenuated on the palate, giving it a deft crispness at the cost of having a slightly thin body. Carbonation (appropriately) is very low. I really enjoy this - it's a textbook example of an old-school RIS. I don't know how good this would be fresh, but it's drinking great with about three years on it. And I imagine it'll drink great with ten or fifteen years of age, too.

3.81/5: A big stout that's deceptively easygoing
Mar 24, 2018
Photo of angrybabboon
Reviewed by angrybabboon from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Consumed 1/22/18

A: Deep, dark brown, black at its core - some clarity around the edges - pours with a small, light tan head, fades to a small cap, retains a small collar, leaves a few spots of lacing

S: Malty and nicely roasty - not as burnt as some examples of the style, but some notes of burnt grain and char - nicely roasty with some roasted grain and coffee-like aromas - some dark caramel, molasses, heavily toasted biscuits, toasted grain - some dark fruit, including raisins and figs - vaguely red-wine like aroma thanks to the dark fruitiness - dark and semisweet chocolate - chocolate cherries - some light caramel sweetness, notes of alcohol

T: Big notes of roast, toast, chocolate, and dark fruit - nothing really dominates - roasted and lightly burnt malts, grain - some dark toast and hints of char - medium and dark roast coffee - dark chocolate, with some sweeter chocolate, somewhere between semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate - dark fruit with some raisins, grapes, figs, and dark cherries - some red wine - some notes of vanilla - alcohol is very well-hidden

M: On the heavy side of medium, smooth, a touch oily

O: Oh yeah, this style

I haven't had a traditional (i.e., not American interpretation) Russian Imperial in a long while. And Ridgeway's is really nice. It's pleasantly complex without being super-burnt, super-chocolaty, or super boozy. This is seriously worth a try, and I may grab another one of these and see how it ages.
Jan 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by NeoClassicist from New York

Dec 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.06 by KensWorld from Florida

Nov 16, 2017
Photo of HopsAreDaMan
Reviewed by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
11oz. bottle, a year or two old.

I remember being underwhelmed by this beer. It was good to really good, but the experience did not justify the cost ($4.50)
Sep 06, 2017
Photo of OompaMentor
Rated by OompaMentor from Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Shelton Brothers 8/18/17
Aug 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by MTKATL from Georgia

Aug 20, 2017
Imperial Russian Stout from Ridgeway Brewing
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 38 ratings