B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher | Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Brewed by:
Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Ohio, United States
hoppinfrog.com
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.40%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
This Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout will crush you like no other! This is the grand-daddy of all stout styles, with an intensely deep roasted and full bodied flavor. A robust hop character adds a refreshing balance.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 2,786 | Reviews: 1,050
4.26/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12oz undated bottle poured into a Spiegelau stout glass at fridge temp 9.4% ABV. The beer pours dense black with no light penetration and a small bright copper colored head. The head recedes to a thin film and leaves a few tiny spots of lacing. The aroma is strong with very dark chocolate and coffee. The taste is semisweet caramel for a split second before the dark chocolate and ashy, roasty notes take over. The finish is mostly dry with a firm roast driven bitterness. The mouthfeel is full bodied and adequately carbonated. There is a hint of the ABV in the taste, but it's allowable for the style. Overall, very good. Well made, enjoyable and super luscious in feel, this is a great, although pricey, RIS.
721 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12oz undated bottle poured into a Spiegelau stout glass at fridge temp 9.4% ABV. The beer pours dense black with no light penetration and a small bright copper colored head. The head recedes to a thin film and leaves a few tiny spots of lacing. The aroma is strong with very dark chocolate and coffee. The taste is semisweet caramel for a split second before the dark chocolate and ashy, roasty notes take over. The finish is mostly dry with a firm roast driven bitterness. The mouthfeel is full bodied and adequately carbonated. There is a hint of the ABV in the taste, but it's allowable for the style. Overall, very good. Well made, enjoyable and super luscious in feel, this is a great, although pricey, RIS.
721 characters
4.19/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours black with a small amount of dark tan head that dissipates quickly.
Smell is huge roast and dark chocolate first, followed by some dark fruit and hops.
Taste is roast, bitter coffee and dark chocolate. Finish has a char taste to it.
Feel is very smooth and good body for an oatmeal stout. Creamy.
Overall I am definitely enjoying this one. Very well done oatmeal stout.
376 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours black with a small amount of dark tan head that dissipates quickly.
Smell is huge roast and dark chocolate first, followed by some dark fruit and hops.
Taste is roast, bitter coffee and dark chocolate. Finish has a char taste to it.
Feel is very smooth and good body for an oatmeal stout. Creamy.
Overall I am definitely enjoying this one. Very well done oatmeal stout.
376 characters
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22oz bomber, bottled: 2015
Amazing beer. Reminds me of Great Divide's Oatmeal Yeti. Much of what a previous reviewer wrote seems to hit the mark for me (but I will still put it in my own words):
1) Beautiful pour.
2) incredible aroma indicative of any quality RIS: Dark, roasted grains, with no small aroma of alcohol.
3) Coffee and dark chocolate blend beautifully mingling bitter with sweet; a hint of dark fruit in the finish, with a bit of char as well that seems to be common in many aged RIS.
4) Very creamy mouthfeel, and medium to heavy.
5) Amazing beer, and one of the better of it's kind.
600 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22oz bomber, bottled: 2015
Amazing beer. Reminds me of Great Divide's Oatmeal Yeti. Much of what a previous reviewer wrote seems to hit the mark for me (but I will still put it in my own words):
1) Beautiful pour.
2) incredible aroma indicative of any quality RIS: Dark, roasted grains, with no small aroma of alcohol.
3) Coffee and dark chocolate blend beautifully mingling bitter with sweet; a hint of dark fruit in the finish, with a bit of char as well that seems to be common in many aged RIS.
4) Very creamy mouthfeel, and medium to heavy.
5) Amazing beer, and one of the better of it's kind.
600 characters
4.04/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip
L: Inky black pour with thin brown head. Nice ring of lacing.
S: Roast... sweet burned sugars, espresso, and cocoa.
T/F: Bittersweet... strong roasted grains/sugars... coffee and dark chocolate keep up the bitter/sweet theme. Faint dark fruit, but mostly cocoa and espresso. A little harsh but it gets better/more complex as it warms. The ABV is hidden... creamy and medium bodied. Complex and tasty.
O: A rock solid Russian Imperial Stout. Big flavor and a great cold weather beer.
543 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip
L: Inky black pour with thin brown head. Nice ring of lacing.
S: Roast... sweet burned sugars, espresso, and cocoa.
T/F: Bittersweet... strong roasted grains/sugars... coffee and dark chocolate keep up the bitter/sweet theme. Faint dark fruit, but mostly cocoa and espresso. A little harsh but it gets better/more complex as it warms. The ABV is hidden... creamy and medium bodied. Complex and tasty.
O: A rock solid Russian Imperial Stout. Big flavor and a great cold weather beer.
543 characters
3.98/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.37/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Serving: Bottle
No date
Thanks, ozzylizard!
A:
Pours looking like crude oil with a couple fingers of espresso crema head that pretty much evaporates. Little retention; confetti lacing. (3.75)
S:
Roasty malts of the "softer" variety, dark chocolate, tobacco and some sticky oatmeal sweetness. (4.25)
T:
Wow what a flavor! Rich and thick with maple-like sweetness, with milk chocolate, caramel, and espresso. (4.5)
M:
Soft, almost-viscous, rich, faint carbonation, coating sweetness. (4.25)
O:
This is good god damned beer if there ever was.
It pours thick and lackadaisical with a head that calls to mind espresso. The aroma is very solidly dark chocolate, as is the flavor. Intense roastiness all around with absolutely nothing I'd consider harsh. It reminds me of Mexican chocolate melted in a shot of espresso (not the beer-nerd/foody pseudo spicy version, I mean real Mexican chocolate like Abuelita). Really a dark chocolate bomb that mashes to be really drinkable, just like other great stouts, both despite and because of how beefy it is. Absolutely excellent. (4.5)
1,077 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Serving: Bottle
No date
Thanks, ozzylizard!
A:
Pours looking like crude oil with a couple fingers of espresso crema head that pretty much evaporates. Little retention; confetti lacing. (3.75)
S:
Roasty malts of the "softer" variety, dark chocolate, tobacco and some sticky oatmeal sweetness. (4.25)
T:
Wow what a flavor! Rich and thick with maple-like sweetness, with milk chocolate, caramel, and espresso. (4.5)
M:
Soft, almost-viscous, rich, faint carbonation, coating sweetness. (4.25)
O:
This is good god damned beer if there ever was.
It pours thick and lackadaisical with a head that calls to mind espresso. The aroma is very solidly dark chocolate, as is the flavor. Intense roastiness all around with absolutely nothing I'd consider harsh. It reminds me of Mexican chocolate melted in a shot of espresso (not the beer-nerd/foody pseudo spicy version, I mean real Mexican chocolate like Abuelita). Really a dark chocolate bomb that mashes to be really drinkable, just like other great stouts, both despite and because of how beefy it is. Absolutely excellent. (4.5)
1,077 characters
4/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark with little head. Aroma of coffee and taste of mocha. Light carbonation and a full-bodied flavor. Nice balance in his stout
137 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark with little head. Aroma of coffee and taste of mocha. Light carbonation and a full-bodied flavor. Nice balance in his stout
137 characters
4.35/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A-Pours a very dark opaque color with a nice tan head and lacing
A-Aroma has mocah hints
T-The taste follows the nose with nice mocha flavors
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A nice complex stout
203 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A-Pours a very dark opaque color with a nice tan head and lacing
A-Aroma has mocah hints
T-The taste follows the nose with nice mocha flavors
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A nice complex stout
203 characters
3.88/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pouring from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip glass. This will be my first offering from Hoppin Frog. Pours out pitch black and looking thick like motor oil. A thin caramel/mocha colored crown forms and holds retention for a few minutes until it's only a ring around the glass. The smell is filled with dark fruit like raisins and plums. Some tobacco notes even make its way in there along with oats and some roastiness. Bread and dark cracker like notes as well. The taste brings in those same dark fruit notes strong and they stay all the way through remaining to the back end. Everything else from the nose is more muted in the taste. Something about those fruit notes really take over. Even raspberries are coming to taste. Roast is still there. And it seems it's fighting over whether to be dry from the bread notes or wet and juicy from the fruit notes. Thinner body than expected for an imperial oatmeal and for seeing how thick it looked upon the pour. But overall this beer works and the dark fruit notes are powerful. Wish there was a little more bread or oat life to it but it's still good.
1,097 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pouring from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip glass. This will be my first offering from Hoppin Frog. Pours out pitch black and looking thick like motor oil. A thin caramel/mocha colored crown forms and holds retention for a few minutes until it's only a ring around the glass. The smell is filled with dark fruit like raisins and plums. Some tobacco notes even make its way in there along with oats and some roastiness. Bread and dark cracker like notes as well. The taste brings in those same dark fruit notes strong and they stay all the way through remaining to the back end. Everything else from the nose is more muted in the taste. Something about those fruit notes really take over. Even raspberries are coming to taste. Roast is still there. And it seems it's fighting over whether to be dry from the bread notes or wet and juicy from the fruit notes. Thinner body than expected for an imperial oatmeal and for seeing how thick it looked upon the pour. But overall this beer works and the dark fruit notes are powerful. Wish there was a little more bread or oat life to it but it's still good.
1,097 characters
4.4/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.75/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher from Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Beer rating:
4.23 out of
5 with
2,786 ratings
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