Worthy Adversary
Fulton Beer

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with a tan film that fades; a few speckles

Smell: Char, chocolate, tobacco and licorice

Taste: Charred malt and chocolate forward with tobacco and licorice tones developing; additional char on the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation

Overall: This bottle has been in my cellar for quite some time so I presume it is at least six years old; a bit oxidized but a pleasant drinker; it doesn't have the dark fruit aspect I like in an RIS but that is a quibble

Vintage 2015 - consumed on 3-22-2020

Pours a thick pitch black. There's actually a 1 finger tan head, and the head actually lasts a very long time. Not much lacing on the glass.
The nose is very strong and powerful. Got a nice caramel aroma. Chocolate. Maybe a hint of coffee. Very rich smelling.
Taste - Almost a nutty flavor here. Tons of caramel. A hint of chocolate. I don't get the coffee that I was smelling in the flavor. It says it's 81 IBU, but not getting much in the way of hops.
Thick, and very rich feeling. Very full bodied. Not much of a boozy flavor.
Solid RIS, and I'm a huge fan of "big beers" being in a smaller bottle.

 

On-tap at Fulton Beer, Minneapolis, MN

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a narrow beige collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of dark malts and licorice are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell, except that it has a bit more flavors of licorice along with notes of dark roasted malts.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. The roasted malt flavors also contribute some dryness.
O: This isn't as heavy or intense compared to there beers in the style so it is relatively easy to drink compared to other Russian Imperial Stouts.

Serving type: on-tap

 

 

 

Got this one hopsolutely this past summer. Cheers!

From a 16oz can into a snifter
IBU: 81

APPEARANCE: A clear black pour yields a 1+ finger, medium-thicker, creamy, light brown head with great retention. Black body with no real carbonation. Head slowly fades to a thin wisp. A ring and dots of wisp remain but leave no real lacing on the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Roasted aromas with dark chocolate, leather, molasses and licorice on the nose. A bit of tobacco as well. Bold.

TASTE: Leather, molasses and some tobacco up front. Some dark chocolate and more leather at the swallow, moving into a bold and persistent finish of leather, sweet molasses and a good deal of hop bitterness as well.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy on the palate, a bit light, goes down fine with a bit of a burn and finishes a bit sticky.

OVERALL: This is okay. I prefer more chocolate and coffee character in this style, but this is still a well-executed, more European style big stout. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of the Euro-style side of the story. Thanks again, guys!

12 oz 2015 bottle on 8 October 2018.
Pours opaque and near black in color with a short but very durable tan head.
Roasted grains and chocolate notes dominate the aroma, but there is also some sweet caramel and coffee as well as alcohol esters.
Flavor: some sweetness that is balanced by bitterness and a hint of smoke. Notes of coffee, cocoa, and chocolates mix together nicely.
Feel: thick and full but not syrupy. Smooth with some warming alcohol but not hot or harsh.
Overall: a well crafted, straightforward RIS.

 

My second Fulton brew, second Fulton big stout, second winner.

It pours black and opaque, with little bubbles, but not a lot of them. Nice lacing. The aroma is sweet and malty. The taste is well settled in on this 2016 dated bottle. Mild, sweet and easy drinking for the huge style. Alcohol is obviously there, but nicely balanced with the malts and some hops. It was nice of them to make a 2016 sample available through their distributors, but I preferred the exceptional imperial Russian coffee stout from them, War and Peace.

Recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

Echoing what others have said, just a well executed RIS. Keep looking for adjuncts because of the balance between sweet and dry, but they’re not needed. Comparable to Expedition, well worth picking up.

 

 

some next level imperial stout right here, no barrels, no force fed adjuncts, just a really solid stout, technically near perfection, and something i think the beer community is thirsting for more and more as cocoa vanilla marshmallow coconut cinnamon almond stouts seem to be taking over the market, and anything that goes in a barrel gets instant cred, deserved or not. this is short of a middle finger to all of that, but to my palate it is, and i love it. near black in color with a solid half inch of deep mocha head, looks the part, smooth and sturdy. aroma and flavor are classic but so dialed in. tons of roast and mash character, some caramelized elements but balanced by a lot of bitter, burnt layers, and even a hint of smoke and cocoa. its thick but it isnt syrupy, and the finish is dry and bitter for what it is, with some warming alcohol to clean it away, but not hot or harsh even at temperature. its smooth and relaxed all the way, is surprisingly versatile with food, and doesnt drink as strong as it is at all. i love the earthy chocolate and coffee layers from the grain, and the minerals this seems to have in it. suggestions of root beer, oak, and molasses in here too, all very well tied in. this beer needs nothing, and reminds me of when i first had old rasputin all those years ago and thought how remarkably well made and classic it was. this is in that same high level category for me. one of fultons best, one of the best anywhere!