Russian Imperial Stout
The St. George Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a '10 vintage bottle, I believe.

Looks great, mocha head sticks around awhile. Dark but not as thick as many RIS's.
Aroma is a bit subdued but after a couple of years it's melded very nicely. Smells like chocolate covered raisins, mocha, molasses & roast (almost like charred wood). What's fantastic is the rum-like quality that comes out of nowhere with a little age.

Taste is pretty much the same with the mocha shining though. The roasted quality stands out nicely with some ample malt and hop bitterness still pretty bright. Just enough rum/chocolate sweetness to balance.

Finishes up nicely with a dry-roasted malt & leafy hop dryness.

Where's the alcohol?! Partly why this is so damn drinkable. Still the best beer that St Georgy does.

 

22oz bottle into pint glass. Bottle, coincidentally, was probably 8-10 months old at the time.

a - perhaps because this is a "lower" abv russian imperial stout, it doesn't have that "huge" feel when it's pouring into the glass, but it's deliciously black and the creamy, chocolatey brown head is stubborn. Beer mustache is in full effect. Lacing is prevalent, as is a thin coating of resiny legs when the glass is tilted.

s - deep, baked bready notes, coffee and cocoa. tiny whiff of bourbon.

t - hints of vanilla and barrel, nougat, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate finish. lots of roundy bready malt and some hops to sharpen the profile. While not what I'd consider to be "hot" with alcohol, its presence is certainly there.

m - full, but not sticky or mouth-coating. Mind's eye is remembering it as being creamier when fresh.

o - this particular bottle is above average, but I have had this beer many times and feel it does not adequately represent the fresh version, which is creamy and full and perfectly balanced. That said, it's pretty easily the best things St. George makes, IMO

It pours black and thick. Like old motor oil. The head is brown and very small and short-lived, thick legs slooowly glide down the edges of the glass after every sip.

Sweet roasted scents are abundant in the aroma. Molasses, dark chocolate, burnt sugar, prunes, dried figs and a hint of currant. The aroma is heavenly in its content but weak in its presence.

Heavy, thick, smooth, rich and creamy. The flavors are molasses, burnt sugar, toast (well done toast where the edges are charred black), sweet cream, roasted malt, currants and dark fruits. Very good, very much to the style, very drinkable and all around a very good beer.

A - It pours near motor oil and leaves little for head that's a nice dark brown. There's some minimal air bubbles in the body.

S - Long roasted malts, black licorice, dark chocolate, and a slight hint of clove.

T - Anise is the dominant flavor here. There are accents of coffee, cocoa and roasty malt nearing burnt in the finish.

M - The feel is mildly coarse with small abbrasive granulars. There's a slight stickiness and an even more slight warming.

~ The flavors here are quite pronounced making this for a nice sipping stout. I would definitely recommend this beer to a friend just so he or she can smell the goodness this big Russian offers.

An unexpected, but very welcomed extra from IDateTheFormula

Pours a dark, dark brown into an oversized ridel bordeaux wine glass. 3 finger medium to fine bubbled head rises from the blackness.

Smell is comprised mostly of a hot boozy malty chocolatey melange of smells that intertwine quite well, but the alcohol heat and smell tends to overcome the rest of the senses.

Taste has a bit of coffee added into the boozy chocolate but still ever present in the boozy chocolate territory.

Mouthfeel is a bit watered down for the style and has a bit of a way to go in the mouthfeel dept. to be thick and creamy as expected in this style, though not bad overall it's a bt on the light side.

Very drinkable given the abv but the alcohol isnt exactly well hidden comparatively to other beers in the style.