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

B.O.R.I.S. The CrusherB.O.R.I.S. The Crusher
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From:
Hoppin' Frog Brewery
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #147
ABV:
9.4%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,272
Avg:
4.23 | pDev: 9.22%
Reviews:
1,070
Ratings:
2,858
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2024
Added:
Nov 10, 2006
Wants:
  291
Gots:
  571
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.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by WVbeergeek:
Photo of WVbeergeek
Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

4.51/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
For those of us who know the history of this brew, and know Fred Karm's original recipe for Thirsty Dog's Siberian Night realize how contract brewing in Frederick brewing keeping the brand alive can kill what the beer was all about. Now enters Hoppin' Frog and all is right in the world. Appears pitch black motor oil that absolutely absorbs every band of the visible light spectrum where everything fades to black. Head is a dark brown mocha hue, forms thick. With my first gulp of the brew head is left evenly all around my Southern Tier pint glass. Aromatics bring out deep roasted malts with coffee and dark chocolate and the oatmeal adds that layer of cereal grain softness to the mix, while herbal hops flow as well. Sweet decadent creamy burnt marshmallows with singe of alcohol tickling the ol' nares. Flavor a rolling wave of oatmeal and roasted malt sweet and roasted malt bitterness. Creamy sweet syrup added to a bowl of plain oatmeal, with cocoa powder and flame roasted marshmallow added to the mix that's what this beer tastes like. After your first few sips you think where's the hops because in flavor only minimal herbal balancing hop flavor survives the malt trip, but by the third or fourth sip the hop burps arrive and you realize where those sixty international bitterness units are hiding. Huge yet perfectly balanced beer sweet and creamy yet roasty and hoppy, the ying and yang of all dark beers. Mouthfeel is huge creamy borderline custard at times, carbonation rolls sluggishly trying to move that high gravity around, you can tell when you watch the pour. It takes awhile for the head to form even after a vigorous pour. Drinkability is effortless even after 22oz I could have another glass. I learned this after having it on tap before it arrive in Pittsburgh. I made a beer run up to Boardman, OH to visit Ron Bush at his Diamond Bar where Boris was flowing. A couple glasses later had me owned by this brew, my second meeting with this fine brew came at Smokin' Joe's in the South Side after a Pirate's game, needles to say I tried to make this brew a session beer....I know I know...respect beer. By the way thanks to Valley Wine Cellar I can now by it in the city where I live for $7.99 a bottle, that's value.
Feb 18, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of tradershmulie
Reviewed by tradershmulie from Connecticut

4.66/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Beautiful deep rich almost black pour. Good clingy head, did not disappear.

Not much noticeable on the nose.

Delicious. Smooth, silky.

For the "simplest" of the R.I.S. styles from this brewery, it is great.
Mar 03, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by Agriverbear from Texas

Feb 25, 2024
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Best by 8/22/26

I can’t believe that after having over 20 beers from Hoppin’ Frog that I’ve never had this OG BORIS, the basis of their entire RIS program. I’ve had many of its variants and other beers in the same family tree so it’s cool to see where it all comes from. Let’s crack it open and find out what it’s all about

Pours almost completely pitch black with a finger of creamy dark tan head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

The nose shows a nice balance of fruity and bitter notes. I’m picking up on aromas of burnt coffee beans, black licorice, black cherry, raisin, dark toast, tobacco, vanilla bean, caramel, light molasses, and cacao nib

It’s more of the same in taste but it’s a bit smoother. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting molasses, black cherry, raisin, black licorice, leafy hops, red grape, brown sugar, toffee, and cacao nib. The swallow brings notes of burnt toast, black cherry, cacao nib, caramel, leafy hops, tobacco, molasses, red grape, and baked apple

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes mostly dry with a balanced bitterness

More than the sum of its parts honestly. It’s just a very well done RIS
Feb 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.17 by EdFed from Illinois

Feb 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.38 by rolltide from Pennsylvania

Jan 01, 2024
 
Rated: 4.02 by Silke_Neryn from Sweden

Dec 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.27 by Monkeyknife from Missouri

Dec 09, 2023
Photo of beerbully
Reviewed by beerbully from New Jersey

4.21/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L- Black, opaque....1 finger mocha head with great retention.....lacing is thick and sticky

S-Roasty and bitter......chocolate.....coffee grounds

T-Similar to the nose....dark chocolate, not as bitter as the nose would suggest.....

F- Thick and creamy.....low carb.....

O- Thick enjoyable beer....bittersweet.....tastes like an RIS
Dec 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by lsudduth from Ohio

Nov 28, 2023
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.39/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque in the glass with a quarter finger, milk chocolate head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, coffee, molasses, graham crackers and cocoa. Flavor is dark toasted malt with moderate char, full bodied coffee, bakers chocolate and light licorice. Smoky chocolate and coffee finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. I've had the bigger version of this (T.O.R.I.S.) and enjoyed everything I've tried so far. This is a fine RIS with great flavor depth, nice smoky char and great coffee and chocolate. If this was available in my area, it would join other fine stouts in rotation. These guys know how to brew a stout.
Nov 14, 2023
Photo of Scotchboy
Reviewed by Scotchboy from Idaho

4.12/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz can pours out like used motor oil at midnight; thick and viscous with a fluffy brown head. Roasty and complex nose and palate, with lots of dark, roasted malt, coffee, oatmeal, rich licorice, some molasses. Really good stuff all around.
Nov 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.1 by smithj4 from New York

Nov 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by KT3418 from Colorado

Nov 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by Giggy from Michigan

Sep 22, 2023
Photo of CruzinCooler
Rated by CruzinCooler from New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Love it
Sep 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by not2quick from Missouri

Jan 14, 2023
 
Rated: 4.37 by Mxsluis from Michigan

Dec 01, 2022
Photo of cwm51662
Reviewed by cwm51662 from Indiana

4.56/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This isn't so much a review as synchronicity. I had a choice at the local liquor store between this and North Coast Old Rasputin. As I sipped this, I said to myself (just prior to rating) this tastes a LOT like Old Rasputin. And when I rated it, I came up with 4.56- exactly what I rated Old Rasputin! This is a good thing, because I like a thicker, richer stout, and this qualifies. The aroma right out the can is knockout, and after the first couple sips, I doubt I could tell it from OR.
Nov 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4.28 by Hendry from Vermont

Oct 28, 2022
B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher from Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 2858 ratings