B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

4.64/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
by mynie from Maryland

Traded a Dark Lord for one of these in like 2010? Maybe 2009 or 2011. But definitely a long time ago. This fucker has been aging.

Pour is inky black but still very nicely fizzy. Wisp of a brown head. Really incredible pour, considering the strength and age.

Aroma is, likewise, surprisingly bright and nice. I remember someone, in some vague context, telling me I had been hosed in the trade. I dunno. Back then I was lousy with FFF rarities. This wears its age nicely, and there's no hint that it wouldn't have been good-to-great if consumed several years earlier. Very dark chocolate and coffee, some pleasantly sharp grain. The nodes that are discernably aged mellow it out but don't overwhelm it with the sort of overripe fruit nodes that often denote staleness.

Flavor is, again, surprisingly great. It tastes like a more or less fresh double stout, only wonderfully smoothed over. Aggressive but never overwhelming. Dark, dark, dark and bitter chocolate up front, bittersour grain in the middle, and a wee bitty kiss o' the hops on the finish.

Maybe I'm just an aging man with atavistic pretensions. Maybe beers were just better before the market got oversaturated. I dunno. What I do know is I liked this quite a bit.

Sep 28, 2021

4.07/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

Tasted in a snifter from draft at Consume on August 1, 2021.

Sep 21, 2021

4.16/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by stevoj from Idaho

Bomber from Tavour. Near black pour, ring of brown head. Aroma is chocolate and roasty malts. Taste is sweet, chocolate, roast. Simple but so deep. Slick feel from the oats. Wonderfully smooth with a nice warm, bitter finish.

Jun 03, 2021

3.64/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by Sigmund from Norway

Rerate, 1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger.ABV is 9.4%. Pitch black colour, low tan head. Fairly strong sweetish aroma, also roasty notes, loads of molasses and chocolate, also notes of mild coffee and liquorice. The flavour is very roasty with loads of malty sweetness and molasses, also notes of strong coffee, liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Powerful stuff. I’m upping it a few points.

Original rating: Bottle, as Hoppin’ Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout, ABV 9.4%, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Pitch black colour, low brown head. Surprisingly moderate aroma of oats and roasted barley, notes of mild coffee, hints of chocolate. The flavour has loads of malty sweetness, verging on sickly, and loads of roasted barley too. Notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and dark chocolate. Slightly acidic finish. Not the best impy stout I’ve had.

May 14, 2021

4.72/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by trevormajor from Ohio

poured from a bomber into a snifter, I let the bottle warm for 2 hours prior to drinking. This seemed to enhance many of the underlying flavors. A great beer from my hometown!

Aug 13, 2020

3.75/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by janubio from Spain

Bottle bought at Las Buenas Pulgas, served at home in a snifter glass.
Black colour, small brown head with no retention nor lacing.
Aroma of coffee, chocolate, varnished and dried fruits.
Medium body, viscous texture, no carbonation.Sweet finish.
Taste of chocolate, coffee, dried and red fruits, .
Pretty good, more in the nose than in the tongue.

Jun 03, 2020

4.34/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by jlindros from Massachusetts

Somehow no review for this, must have been eaten by server crash

Pours a rich thick frothy 1/2 finger chocolate colored head with good retention, nice soapy lacing, good legs as well, pitch black thick beer

Nose has a nice RIS aroma, loads of chocolate and some fudge, cocoa, some roast but not a lot, little coffee and biscuity cookie wafer, a bit of creamy oatmeal like, light fruity note in the background, little toffee, caramel, and baking spices, plenty of cookie biscuits as it warms

Taste brings brings loads of dark malts and smooth rich beer, plenty of creamy oats, a little biscuity cookie dough as well, light caramel and toffee notes, fair lush creamy chocolate, like Lindor rich chocolate, velvety as well, fudge and cocoa, little baking spice and hint of alcohol, a bit of roast and coffee but light, a touch of vanilla in there as well, fair sweetness in general with a touch of bitterness up front, then finish dries a bit and borders to med bitterness but still on the lighter side for the style, lots of lingering creamy lush cocoa and spice

Mouth is fuller bod, rich creamy thick velvety, med-light foamy carb, very light warming alcohol (a touch more carb brings this to 4.75)

Overall solid RIS with oatmeal, lots of great malt characters, cocoa, chocolate, light roast, cookie wafer, lots of creamy oats brings more biscuity notes and super velvety, alcohol hidden fairly well, nice spices and light fruity notes, enjoyable

May 16, 2020

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by osheamatth from New York

On tap near the brewery in Ohio. This Imperial Stout is pretty damn good but more in the looks and the nose than the taste. I don't mean to imply that it's not a good tasting brew, it is but it's a gorgeous looking and smelling quaff. Dark dark black but not syrupy in any way. Oh that smell! Double espresso, burnt maple syrup, cacao and overripe cherry. The taste follows the nose with some added burned sugar and vanilla. With all that sweetness it's not cloying but I wouldn't call it a dry finish either. Really good stout.

Sep 14, 2019

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by Newbeergeek1 from Maine

Great brew.

Aug 05, 2019

4.19/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania

Bottle into pint glass. Pours a viscous inky black with a brief dark tan head. Initial impression is roasted malts and dark chocolate. Mouthfeel is smoother than I expected at 9.4%. Carbonation is quite light. Finish has more dark chocolate and malts, but aalso adds notes of caramel and molassses. All of the above improve as it warms. This is not overwhelmingly sweet, but it's sweet enough to offset the dark chocolate bitterness. It's not incredibly thick, but it certainly qualifies as a hefty RIS. This beer shows Hoppin Frog's restraint and respect for the style. Kudos.

Jul 04, 2019