Drioma Russian Imperial Stout
Red Rock Brewing Company

Bottled on 3/27/22 - couldn’t be fresher.

this is exceptional, i love this base style, and to have one without barrel and all kinds of junk in it, in this day and age, is just incredible, not the norm at all anymore, i was so pleased with this, around our first fire of the year this weekend, what a treat to sip slowly on during some actual relaxing time, a gift from a friend, lucky me! i dont think of these guys with beers this heady most of the time, but they really do a great job, and have for a long time, deserve maybe more credit than they get, and this is among their very best for my money. near black if not actually black, its real close, frothy tan lathered up head on it too, peaky and lasting, and overall better carbonation in this than in many of these, which lightens it some, keeps it moving, a pretty darn drinkable take on this style overall, such well hidden alcohol really at the heart of that attribute. some deep roast on the nose, black coffee, dark bitter chocolate, but also really smooth to me, and complex with an english type yeast element adding hearty breadiness to this, light up front sweetness in the molasses range but really not a sugary take, not at all, i was impressed with its tightness and dryness in aroma and in the taste, and it stays that way even as it warms. cocoa and cigar, charcoal and dark soil, some bitterness but also rich without being sweet and very balanced and layered and warm but also cool, sort of some yin and yang going on, so cohesive overall, chocolate aftertaste, adult, even kind of sensual, high end, subtle notes of cork and vanilla and black treacle syrup, evolves a lot as it sits, each iteration a lovely one, the ferment is key, the texture is incredible too, and overall its super impressive. i miss this kind of stout, approaching textbook example of it here.

 

Close runner up to Rasputin. Very good. Half a liter bottle is a huge plus. Well hidden ABV. Flavorful and rich. Love the label. Living in Utah, I am proud of this. Our beer scene is rather poor. Good job, Red Rock!

500ml bottle. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It left sudsy lacing. It smelled of roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate and molasses. Big, bold boozy taste with chocolate, molasses and roasted coffee.

 

L: Pours a brunette, forming a moderate tan head that is slow to fade. Held to the light, an opaque fudge-like hue.

S: Roasted malts, coffee, and hints of dark chocolate and char.

T: Follows the nose - roasted malts, charred malt, coffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of toffee.

F: Medium-bodied. Silky, almost velvet mouthfeel. Light carbonation.

O: Very “back-to-basics” Russian Imperial Stout. A little light on the body. Tasty and supremely drinkable. A good starter beer if you’re just getting acclimated with Russians.

Red Rock Drioma Russian Imperial Stout, 10.1% ABV. Pours dark black with a nice 4-finger light-brown head that left a cup of foam. Aroma is roasty malt, taste follows, lots of char, moderately bitter. Excellent dry mouthfeel, overall excellent.

really good stout. straight up, no nonsense. dark, rich, dry, complex and strong.

500ml bottle at share. Black pour, beige creamy head, solid lacing. Aroma is sweet, strong., roasty Taste features light roast, malty, sugar, mouth coating.

 

 

500 ml bottle poured quite cold into a snifter. Deep dark with a foamy caramel colored head that stayed present.
Smell is dark roast malt, coffee, prune.
Taste doesn’t come off like an RIS, it’s way closer to in Imperial Stout. The 10.1% ABV is masked well, but present.
Feel is, again, thin for an RIS, not too oily.
Overall, as a ‘Stout’, it’s good, but it doesn’t carry the hallmarks of a ‘Russian’ style Stout.

Look - dark black with a great lasting tan head
Smell - dark roasty with a slight black liquorice smell
Taste - a little boozy with a lot of the dark roasty malty and slight black liquorice
Feel - medium full body with a medium light carb
Overall - pretty good standard russian

 

LOOK * dark dark brown - nearly black - 1 finger head from the 500ml bottle - head recedes quickly but lacing goes on
SMELL * strong hops (pine/citrus) - burnt trees - caramel - toffee - tobacco - molasses
TASTE * powerful hop bite and presence - rich caramel and tobacco and coffee rush in with some sweetness amidst bitter roasted grains - smokiness continues - dark brown sugar/molasses in there - dries out and the high ABV% kicks in as it gets a bit boozy - very tasty - well balanced - complex - some wood/barrel aged flavors as well
FEEL * decent full bodied but on the lower end - could use a bit more mouth feel
OVERALL * a very good RIS - very flavorful - took a trip to the SLC area and picked up a few from Red Rock - pretty happy with the brews so far - this one is a must try!

 

 

A beer tasters beer. If you are married to Guinness, let me introduce you to your mistress.