Imperiale Russian Stout
Brasserie Dunham

12oz glass at Beer Revolution YEG Oliver - must be a leftover from the Dunham tap takeover at the Underground a little while back.

This beer appears a solid black, with the scantest of basal cola highlights, and one chubby finger of puffy, finely foamy, and creamy brown head, which leaves some attractive approaching storm front lace around the glass as it gently subsides.

It smells of milk chocolate, lightly roasted caramel malt, black licorice, cafe-au-lait, a nice overripe dark orchard fruitiness, and some plain leafy and floral noble hoppiness. The taste is bittersweet cocoa powder, toasty caramel malt, biscuity toffee, muddled black stone fruit, anise spice, some free-range ashiness, fading day-old coffee, and a few minor earthy and somewhat perfumed floral hop bitters.

The carbonation is fairly understated in its quotidian frothiness, the body a solid medium-heavy weight, and mostly smooth, just a bit of ash and booze ingress taking the shine off of things. It finishes off-dry, the big malt and its fruity inherencies lingering like they own the place.

Overall, this is a pretty well-made version of the style, with a decently rounded largeness - not to mention the deftly integrated 17-proof alcohol measure. A pleasant sipper on a cool, not quite winter afternoon.

 

Rich beige head. Starts with blanketing lace and it switched to a latticed look. Deep dark brown with a bit of light passing on the edge.

Dark, black patent malt start (bitter chocolate). A bit of dark cherry to the nose.

Lots of coffee initially. The bitterness comes from this. The mouthfeel has a creamy feel. I also think there's a bit lactose which gives a cream flavor. The carbonation, while muted, is enough to keep this from being cloy. Plenty of baker's chocolate in the finish and aftertaste.