Imperial Russian Stout - Templeton Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged
Stone Brewing

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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
12.7%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.34 | pDev: 6.91%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
43
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 15, 2015
Added:
Jun 09, 2013
Wants:
  17
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by NickMunford:
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Rated by NickMunford from Wyoming

3.75/5  rDev -13.6%

Oct 22, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.28 by LakerLeith from California

Jun 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.62 by cwreay90 from Texas

Jan 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.48 by Kmjanson1

Nov 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by BreweryRun from California

Jul 12, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Rothobinide from California

Jun 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Wolberjs from California

Jun 27, 2014
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Light tan head. Color is a dark brown nearing black.

Flavor profile: the rye barrels are very apparent. A nice rye spice with a whiskey bourbon flavor. Vanilla, dark cherries, molasses, caramel, and chocolate. Some oak shows with a bit of heat. Roasted malt with notes of coffee.

Mouthfeel: warming and smooth. Full bodied. Rich. Ends clean with a bit of roast.

Overall, the templeton barrels did work on this beer. Probably my favorite barrels or one of them. They really round out a beer and add a new dimension to the beer.
Jun 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by DavidK from Illinois

Jun 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by SirElton from California

Mar 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by PeakedInHighSchool from Missouri

Mar 09, 2014
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

4.16/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
At 2014 Most Arrogant Bar Bash (Barleys in Greenvillle,SC)

Pours black and opaque, with a good head.

This is a transformed version of the Stone RIS with a dominant rye barrel in the aroma, more heat, and a strong rye barrel component in the flavor. Th barrel treatment is dominant but not quite overdone.

O:quite different but neither better nor worse overall than the superb regular Stone RIS.
Mar 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by strongaf from Washington

Feb 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by PretzelCity from California

Feb 19, 2014
Photo of LambicPentameter
Reviewed by LambicPentameter from Nebraska

4.42/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Enjoyed on tap as part of a special Templeton Rye event at Bier Station where they had representatives from Templeton, Boulevard and Stone with flights that included Rye-on-Rye, Stone Imperial Russian Stout, this beer and Templeton Rye whiskey. In other words, right up my alley. Poured into a small 4 oz taster glass.

Appearance - Body is dark black in color with maybe a hint of brown to separate it from pitch black. Atop the midnight body sits a two-finger head of thick, dense bubbles the color of brown sugar on the bottom and lighter tan on the top. It lingers for quite some time before dissipating to a half finger of foam and leaving substantially sticky lacing around the sides of the glass. In terms of looks, I wouldn't have been able to tell that this was barrel-aged. Still plenty of carbonation and head.

Smell - If the looks didn't make it clear that this wasn't regular IRS, the nose certainly does. Dark, bittersweet baker's chocolate and roasted malt are accented by notes of star anise and licorice, as well as a strong bite of alcohol and oak as well as some hints of spiciness from the Templeton barrels.

Taste - More rich, bitter chocolate in the taste, which is now complimented by some more obvious vanilla undertones from the barrels, as well as a sweet spiciness from the whisky. It's funny, having this alongside a straight pour of Templeton, the barrel-aged stout seems a little tougher going down in some ways. Obviously, there is less burn from the high levels of alcohol in the stout, but the taste profile is a little more robust because the roasted malts and bittersweet chocolate in the stout make for a bigger, more complex flavor than the very spicy vanilla forward nature of the straight whiskey.

Mouthfeel - Heavy-bodied and lushly carbonated, producing a rich, decadent and creamy mouthfeel. As noted previously, the straight whiskey goes down a little easier initially than the BA stout, but the afterburn on the stout is much more gentle.

Overall, a fantastic BA stout and one that I wish I could get more regularly. Templeton is probably my favorite kind of non-Scotch whiskey, and as a result this (and Rye-on-Rye) are two of my favorite BA beers available. If you run across a chance to try this beer, don't hesitate for a second.
Feb 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by KCBeerNerd from Missouri

Feb 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Beerbuddy21 from California

Feb 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by drewone from California

Feb 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by jn84 from North Carolina

Dec 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by jlee185 from Missouri

Dec 13, 2013
Imperial Russian Stout - Templeton Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 43 ratings