Barley's Alexander's Russian Imperial Stout
Smokehouse Brewing Co.

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From:
Smokehouse Brewing Co.
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
7.6%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.99 | pDev: 7.52%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
15
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 23, 2016
Added:
Aug 21, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Enjoyed from the growler via the brewery in a snifter. This nice RIS style stout
pours a deep brown highlighted murky black with a moderate head of white foam
that subsides to a thin ring with light lacing. Nose of sweet dark chocolate, brown sugars,
and medium light char notes. Flavors follow the nose with slight exception featuring
subtle char touched brown sugars and sweet dark chocolate. light sweet cream, and
very light citrus and herbal touched hops. Excellent mouth feel; medium light carbonation,
slick, and a sweet coating finish. Overall a decent brew but lacking in some depth and
roast. It's definitely is not brewed by Barley's, that is for certain other than the yeast strain
which remains the same, other than that it is on the lighter and sweeter side of the RIS
spectrum minus the needed roast and coffee notes. Closer to many Lithuanian RIS styles
I have had which focus on the sweet.

Good and perfect for BBQ which they serve with a mighty generous hand!

Cheers
Oct 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.33 by BigAlofOrion from Ohio

Sep 15, 2015
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap in August 2013 at Barley's Smokehouse #2 in Columbus, OH.
Brown, near black, with a very durable light brown head that coats the glass upon tipping.

M: Medium body with proper, low carbonation.
Well hidden 7.6% ABV; Only the slightest bit of booziness.

Sweet up front but mildly bitter finish which continues to build into the aftertaste.
Some smoky peat; no fruit; a bit more hops than usual

O: probably the best beer I've had here.
Sep 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by OhioBobcat from Ohio

Aug 05, 2013
Photo of tkarsies
Reviewed by tkarsies from Ohio

4.11/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a growler filled today at the brewery. Regular version rather than cask or nitro, which are sometimes available. ABV 7.6%. Served cool in my Westy chalice.

Appearance is the weakest part. Minimal head although maybe due to being too cool.
Roasted malt on the nose. What I expect for the style.
Nice malty roasty goodness with a hint of vanilla. I don't think this is barrel aged but has a bit of that flavor.
Smooth, not too carbonated. Sticky on the tongue Nice mouthfeel.
Solid version of RIS. Not hoppy and not crazy strong. Just solid. alcohol not noticeable to taste. Would seek this out again at either Barley's/Smokehouse location. Happy when I find this as an option.
Jan 06, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by jminch from Ohio

Feb 29, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Franz4 from Ohio

Nov 28, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by Geno78 from Ohio

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of scottakelly
Reviewed by scottakelly from Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3
Served on cask at Barley's Smoke House. Pours a cloudy deep brown with a medium head wich lingers. Roast and some citrus hop notes are present in the aroma. The flavor is well integrated, but nothing special. There is a big malt presence but mainly from base malt. Almost no coffee flavors and very tame roast flavor. Simply put, the flavor does not come through strong enough for a Russian Imperial Stout. It actually seems to me to be closer to a dry Irish stout with more base grains. Mouthfeel is good and is the best feature of this beer. Drinkability is average for a RIS.
Nov 03, 2010
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.61/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Barley's Alexander's RIS on nitro-tap at Barley's Smokehouse, served in a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Definitely black, no question about it. Decent head, but not quite as other Imperial Stouts. Lacing shows good initial retention but appears a tad watery and dies soon.

Smell: Roastiness, some coffee and malt, but not much coming through. In the nose, it feels more like Guinness.

Taste: Coffee through and through, a little thin.

Mouthfeel: Definitely smooth from the nitro, perhaps too much so. Some nice bitterness as the sipping progresses. Disappoints, though. Watery.

Drinkability: I find all nitro pours to be incredibly drinkable. This is no exception, but I like Alexander's MUCH better on regular tap and cask than on nitro. This is, however, easy and chuggable.
Sep 16, 2010
Photo of TonyBrew
Reviewed by TonyBrew from Ohio

3.79/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Had this on frikin at Barleys' just before the Ratdog show (had to take notes at pub before going to show - good times). Served as a dark brown with a very small brown ring that was gone 1/2 way through the glass. Nice strong aroma of malts, caramel, a lot of chocolate, and some coffee notes. Dry, rich tasting but a nice creamy sweetness. The caramel & coffee tastes are there but fairly mild. A solid cask ale! I wouldn't go out of my way to get it (alought I did travel about 2 hours for the show) but if I'm there and they have it, I will try it again!
Mar 28, 2010
Photo of jrallen34
Reviewed by jrallen34 from Illinois

3.96/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
I drank this on tap into a tasting glass.

The beer is a nice black with light brown in the light. The head is very nice, about 2 fingers high of medium tan heat that is just beautiful. It is full and creamy and lasts forever with nice lacing.

The aroma is light and sweet with chocolate, vanilla, toffee and caramel.

The taste is all malts, very very sweet, too sweet for me without it being balanced out by some nice hops at the end. Sweet chocoloate dominates the taste and you can also pull out some vanilla.

The feel is too light decently drinkable.
Dec 27, 2009
Photo of sholland119
Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Fresh growler from Unclejedi received in Growling at the Moon BIF.

A-Beautiful jet black pour with not a hint of light getting through. Minimal tan head quickly recedes to a thin ring.

S-Caramel sweetness, bittersweet chocolate and roasted coffee blend together nicely. An appealing, rich nose.

T-Caramel and chocolate in the front, some roasted coffee in the middle, giving way to a blended mocha finish, with a little hop bite at the very end. A little bit of alcohol warmth kicks in then too.

M-Rich and creamy like the best of them. Coats the tongue and lingers there.

D-Between my wife and I and the Phils in World Series Game 2, this growler will not last the night! Yeah!

What a great beer!

HV
Oct 24, 2008
Photo of genog
Reviewed by genog from Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this for Firkin Friday. Brought to the table in a pint glass with almost no head but very little light brown streaks dancing at the top of the glass. Smell is very strong of chocolate, sweet malt, some dark coffee as well. Taste is just as rich as this one is served warm. Mouthfeeling is dry and leaving the focus solely on the sweet flavors in this one.
Feb 16, 2008
Photo of atsprings
Reviewed by atsprings from North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Served a very dark almost black with slight ruby hints when held to light. There was a decent frothy head that slowly diminished but left decent lacing on the glass. The aroma was of mild espresso and slight caramel against roasted malts. The taste was roasted malts, mild espresso and chocolate with just a hint of caramel. The beer was sweet and almost seemed like an Imperial milk stout if there ever was such a thing. The beer is smooth and refreshing and was perfect on a rainy Ohio night. This was an excellent cask ale.
Aug 21, 2007
Barley's Alexander's Russian Imperial Stout from Smokehouse Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 15 ratings