Old World Russian Imperial Stout
BrewDog

Picked up a bottle of this from Total Wine. Was real sad how the clerk there insisted this was produced by the Bruery. Poor guy, total Dunning Kruger type.

Anyways, usual stout descriptors, pours black, used motor oil black, brown head, 1/2" deep. Looks are definitely the best part about this beer. Aroma of roasted malt and that bitter dark fruit typical in a Russian Imperial Stout.

Taste is ok, its a heavily roasted malt body and more of the yeasty dark fruit prune like bitterness. It is pretty generously hopped, I would venture a guess to think that the IBU on this bad boy are close to triple digits. Slight ashiness and smokiness to it, plenty dry. Carbonation is fine. Alcohol burn is there, dare I say that it is pretty prominent. Good amount of earthy tobacco as it warms.

Probably the best Brewdog beer I've had. Well made, even if it is about my least favorite subgenre of the stout style.

 

 

Poured to an Ora et Labora taster.

A: Body is pitch black with a brown-ish to burnt caramel colour. The head is 5mm thick and has a very good retention.
S: Aroma is very strong on chocolate, spices and there's also a light smokiness.
T: Taste starts off with an instant coffee-like flavour that could be improved, it then moves to a minor burnt caramel touch and then you get just alcohol topped with some spices. The aftertaste is clearly instant coffee with hops, a terrible mix.
M: Body is medium. Carbonation is good. Sweetness is mild. Bitterness is low. Alcohol is noticed but not much.
O: Please use real coffee buddies and use hops with less power. That way it's easily improved.

A 660ml bomber with a BB of Oct 2018. Purchased ages ago from the Brewdog webshop - I can't remember when exactly but I've been storing this for several years. Here's hoping it has aged nicely. A big beer for a freezing November night.

A: Poured into a tulip (twice). A very dark reddish-brown hue that appears blacker than an event horizon in the glass. Yields a large head of creamy mocha-coloured foam that lasts for a few minutes before eventually subsiding to a patchy surface layer. Slight lacing.

S: Aroma of rich fruity malt with hints of prunes, dried fruit, molasses, brown sugar, mild roasted grain, cocoa, subtle coffee, ale yeast, delicate soy sauce, faint stewed leaves and a twinge of liquorice. The booze is well hidden. Incredibly smooth, complex and well-rounded - fantastic!

T: Tastes of sweet, fruity malt with notes of prunes, dried fruit, fruitcake, molasses, brown sugar, roasted grain, cocoa, mild coffee, ale yeast, a hint of soy sauce, faint stewed leaves and a whisper of liquorice. Quite sweet, followed by a robust malt-driven bitterness upon swallowing and just a touch of heat from the alcohol.

M: Mouthfeel is velvety smooth, with soft carbonation and great body that envelops the palate. Aftertaste of sweet fruity malt, bitter roasted grain, molasses, mild coffee and ale yeast.

O: Simply superb - a top tier brew. Wonderfully mellow after aging. Looks great, while the aroma and flavour are sublime; dried fruit, molasses, roasted malt, cocoa, coffee and yeast all combine perfectly. Excellent body - creamy and smooth. An absolute dream for a cold winter's evening. Another fantastic effort from Brewdog.

On 0.66 l bomber. Very little foam. Smell and taste reminds me of Cocoa Psycho, but not that high on cocoa. Lots of coffee, notes of cognac and also tobacco. The alcohol is starting to feel stronger after it gets warmer.

 

 

 

 

 

A - Pours a dark black colour with large foamy brown head that dissipates to a thin film

S - Sweet dark roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, caramel very prominent and slightly boozy on the nose

T - Similiar to the nose with sweet malts, dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, dates, cherries fairly prominent..but definitely get some vanilla and spice at the end. The alcohol seems to be hidden nicely and its not overpowering.

M - Medium bodied and carbonation and very smooth

O- A fairly good quality stout and definately worth a try on a colder evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750ml bottle from Brewdog's Online Shop (£7):
Black with a 0.5cm foamy brown head that turns to a patchy lacing 30 seconds later.

Sweet & quite boozy with darker fruits on the nose initially, some very dark malts too. Spice, faint grains & oak with hints of vanilla aren't far behind but the chocolate & coffee dominate. A great espresso like smell & the toasted/burnt notes work well with some dates & figs at the end.

Sweetness & chocolate, espresso & coffee with a little spice start things off. Some cocoa dominates the taste with some light alcohol flavours. Dark malts & fruits with some figs & dates, plus cherries & a little vanilla all make themselves know.

Medium to full in body, boozy from the alcohol but not overpowering. Some grain & spice with a smooth & almost bitter mouthfeel & medium carbonation.Some sweetness features throughout too.

I'm really enjoying my Imperial Stouts of late & this is no exception. Excellent stuff from the start, bold & complex with just enough alcohol to give it a good kick. Perhaps not quite as good as some of the other recent beers of this style I've enjoyed but a great beer nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got this one on a recent trip to Belgium.

From a 660ml bottle into a snifter.
ABV: 9.5%
Best by 17 October 2018

This one says batch #251 and is 9.5% ABV, which tells me it's a new batch of this and is perhaps on a new system. Not sure, as the older 8.2% ABV version was batch #400 or something.

APPEARANCE: A clear black pour yields a 2+ finger, medium-thick, creamy, tan head with great retention. Black body with medium levels of carbonation for the style. Head slowly fades to a nice full cap and leaves some nice lacing down the glass. A swirly wisp remains and leaves lots of nice lacing down the sides. Really good looking.

SMELL: Roasted malts, dark baker's chocolate, coffee, light sweet cream and vanilla notes, with hints of tobacco as well. Cocoa and some milky cream make this quite nice. Bold and well balanced. Enticing.

TASTE: Plenty flavorful up front, with roasted malts, toffee sweetness and some dark chocolate in there. Some spicy dark fruit, raisin for sure, accompany the roasted chocolate at the swallow. Big and lingering finish is lightly roasted with spicy yeast, dark fruit sweetness, tobacco and some bitter baker's chocolate. A hint of sweet cream lingers and some burnt notes show up well after the swallow. This is really good.

PALATE: Medium-full body and medium levels of carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes slightly sticky. Some spicy alcohol lingers. Solid feel.

OVERALL: Unreal. Finally a good Brew Dog beer. I didn't think these guys could just make a good beer and be done with it. It's always marketing BS and horrible "experimental" creations that just suck. This was excellent, however. While the nose and palate didn't exactly match 100%, both the aroma and flavor were bold, complex, interesting, well-balanced and very enjoyable. Good look and feel on this one as well. Just an all round good beer that went down dangerously fast. Well worth checking out if you find it. Recommended.