Totalitarian
Stone Brewing

12 oz bottle
Bottled On Date: 02/20/18
Consumed on: 01 March, 2023
Glass: Tulip Snifter
ABV: 10.6%
Serving Temp: 50.2 F


Look:
Black with a 1-finger high light brown head. The head dissipates to a ring with a thin film and islands over the beer. Pretty good lacing.

Smell:
Deep, dark malts and char. Notes of bittersweet chocolate. A vague whiff of anise. There is an underlying earthy note that brings some light bitterness.

Taste:
Similar to the nose. The relatively (for an RIS) mild earth and bitter notes lead off and quickly meld with the dark malts into a nice bittersweet chocolate flavor. As the sip progresses, the bitterness increases and a hint of smoke can be detected. The sip finishes lightly bitter and maybe even a touch spicy and dry. The alcohol is well-hidden.

Feel:
Smooth and mouth-coating. The alcohol provides some warmth. The body is medium-full, if not heavier.

Overall:
A solid RIS. When fresh, this beer was too bitter and too dry for my palette. But 5 years of cellaring has taken those edges off and produced a fine, enjoyable beer.

 

 

One of the best Russian Imperial Stouts (RSI) ever. Stone just seems to keep hitting home runs for this beer drinker. I have only found it on draft at a bar in a Charlottesville Virginia shopping center and in Charlottesville's only pay by the ounce bar. Both while on vacation in Charlottesville. Needless to say, I would only visit these bars if I was walking to/from the bar. But it was worth it. If you have half a mind to try a Totalitarian....well, that's all it takes.

An well made RIS, with dark chocolate, expresso and bit of hazelnut notes, dry and bitter, with a creamy body. Very pleasant and appealing smell.
No unnecessary add-on's. Great.

Poured out of a can at a cold temperature this wasn’t anything special. A dry coffee bitterness predominates. Definitely not an “undertone of coffee” with “rich chocolate” and “dark fruit flavors”, as billed by the brewer. But as it warmed more subtle hints of fig, prune, raisin, and perhaps a bit of chocolate poked through and toned down the coffee. On the other hand, the alcohol became more noticeable as well. Maybe this is better on draft? My main advice is to let this sucker warm up and also ignore the tasting notes. Overall it isn’t bad, but it is schizophrenic and less than the sum of its parts. The base imperial stout is decent, then the dark fruits kick in and ultimately submit to a dry bitter coffee. Really weird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a dense black color with no light coming through. Medium size foamy light brown head. Head retention is pretty good for a high octane beer. Aroma was not that robust. Roasted malt and some coffee. Flavor was more pronounced. Malt dominates, not all that sweet with a mild coffee bitterness and flavor. Good rich mouthfeel and a little alcohol bite even though it was aged for @ a year or more. This is a good RIS but a fairly simple one. No complex chocolate/dark fruit presence that I could detect. One of several good strong malty stouts I have had the pleasure to try. Doesn't stand out as exceptional among these.

 

Growler into pint glass. Pours an opaque black with a substantial dark tan head. Initial impression is bitter dark chocolate, coffee, and vanilla. Mouthfeel is smooth and fairly thick. Alcohol is incredibly well hidden. Finish is slightly astringent and leaves a lingering bitterness on the back of the tongue. Everything improves as it warms, so I'd suggest letting it sit a bit. This might be a great candidate for cellaring too.

 

 

 

Aggressively poured from the bottle into a Duvel tulip. Pours black with a two finger mocha head that recedes very quickly. Smells delicious with heavy chocolate, slight toffee, coffee, and hints of alcohol. Taste follows the nose to the T on the front end, though the alcohol and coffee creep up in the aftertaste which is fairly dry. Feel is a bit syrupy and heavy. Alcohol becomes more pronounced as the beer warms. That said this stout is 10.6% abv and the alcohol is supremely understated for such a strong beer. Be careful! This is one expensive brew here in South Korea, and is overall a fantastic choice for a one-off. Not one I’ll have often due to the price and high abv. A session beer it is not, but have one after a good meal and it hits the spot.