Nikita
Rising Tide Brewing Company

 

Pours black with a finely textured tan head that slowly fades to a ring of foam. Aroma is roasty malt, enticing. The flavor is big and bold and the alcohol is well hidden. Hints of coffee, and dark chocolate followed by the roasted malts and then a bit of rye on the back end. The rye becomes more noticeable as it warms up a bit. Mouthfeel is medium, perfect for this beer imho. A very tasty stout, try it - I don't think you would be disappointed, I personally think it deserves higher ratings here.

 

 

From a 16 oz. can dated 01/26/21. Sampled Feb 13, 2021.

Attractive dark brown to black pour underneath a long lasting tan head.

Aroma of rye malts, roasted coffee, and perhaps a little hint of floral hops. But the dark malts lead the way.

Smooth medium or better mouthfeel.

The taste is at first sweet and coffee like and then it evolves into a cleansing rye malt character. Booze buried. Decent.

 

 

Can to snifter.
The appearance was a sturdy dark brown very close to black color with an eggshell white half finger's worth of head. The head slid off delicately and left a really nice filmy foamy lace.
The aroma smelled a lot like dark rye bread with some dark chocolate tones and milk chocolate layers. The rye spice is so far underneath.
The flavor leaned towards a dry roasty to toasty blend with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, rye bread, cocoa powder and a touch of coffee bean bitterness. Mellow aftertaste of chocolate layers, dry roasty coffee beans and some rye grains.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality about it. Good carbonation. Plenty of dryness gripping my tongue but not burdensome. Finishes slightly sticky but not cloying with a cocoa powdery to rye floral particles.
Overall, it's real "rye" in this despite me not getting the sweet side and a super low key spicy rye portion. Very nice layers of chocolate and coffee tones make this a very well done RIS worthy of more pours.

Poured from a recently purchased can dated? 11531314? into the test glass
A - Deep dark, carbonation provides a thick mocha cap, leaving ring after ring of lacing
S - Cocoa, coffee, tar, tobacco wrap, bitter chocolate.
T - A bit more muted, follows the cocoa thread mainly, roast malts and earthy hops are well executed
M - Silky medium body, excellent dry finish
O - A very good stout, with the feel being the hero here.

 

 

Enjoyed on tap at the brewery today.

A - Poured a nice dark brown almost black with a thin off white head that fades to leave light halo and wisps.

S - Aromas of huge char and roasted malts. Lighter licorice and chocolate.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with loads of slightly sweet malts, little sticky. Really heavy char notes big roasted malts and almost burnt chocolate.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, quite creamy. Alcohol hidden well.

O - Overall this was a solid Russian imperial. Good char notes.

Serving Type: on tap

Draft at the brewery
Dark foamy head with good retention and sticky lacing, jet black beer

Nose super roasty char, smokey almost burnt char, little earthy woody like character, dark chocolate and cocoa, flash of baking spices, creamy lactose hot milk chocolate maybe

Taste rich dark chocolate and cocoa, very roasty char with mild smokey roast, medium bitterness mixed from roasted malts and spicy earthy hops, little marshmallow and baking spice and anise, cocoa like dry finish, dark chocolate very anise and spice lingering,

Mouth is med to fuller bod, rich creamy like, medium carb, light alcohol

Overall not bad, good dark chocolate and roast, light smokey and good baking spice, enjoyable

 

 

 

10 oz. at the brewery in stemware.

Appearance: Dark brown with a short tan head that recedes swiftly.

Aroma: Earth, wheat, pepper, rye, black coffee, chocolate. Nose gets more pronounced as it warms.

Taste: Follows nose. Some very bitter chocolate on the finish. Some grassy hops. Boozy. Very nice big stout. Rye and pepper are right there, too.

Mouthfeel: One to take slowly. Booze is high and flavors are big.

Overall: Really good big stout. Complex flavors. Glad I went with this on St. Pat’s while everybody else had a Guinness.

 

Canned on 1/10/19

Pours a firm, almost glossy shade of black just shy of pitch and topped with a persistent cap of dark khaki foam; great head retention as well as an excellent display of thick, soapy lacing with a good bit of its own persistence, and a thick collar of foam.

Aroma hits first with an overarching smooth roasted malt profile evened noticeably by subtle, earthy rye spice; as it warms, notes of chocolate, toffee, dark fruits, tree branch, and char open further with lighter tones of blueberry and vanilla developing the finer points of the bouquet as a whole.

Taste cascades dark fruits and raspberries down immediately alongside roasty malts intertwined with boozy char, fading to reveal dusted cacao nibs and further char; rather intense, upfront flavor profile that’s hampered slightly by the boozy undertones.

Mouthfeel brings a heavier, robust body with even-keeled carbonation; creamy, very soft on the palate with only the slightest hint of gritty malt/hops, and bolstered by a boozy punch. Finishes wearing the boozy, malty grit on its sleeve, and yet still remains unexpectedly smooth.

A solid Russian imperial, pushing forth an interesting profile at times because of (and other times, in spite of) its burly, boozier characteristics, which ultimately begin to define it. It slides nicely into that ‘intense, but deceptively drinkable’ territory.