Anastasia Wine Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout
Chama River Brewing Company

Chama River Anastasia 750 into Stone IRS glass (bottle 285 of 586)

Only beer ever bottled by Chama, served aged in Sep 09.

A small medium brown head that fizzles off quite quick. What a bummer,
maybe its because it was served below 40 degrees. Will update on the
next pour. Body is dense with faint brown and gold around the edges,
otherwise completely opaque. Second pour: generates a thicker head
leaves trails of lace. Much more impressive.

Nose is intriguing. The use of cab and sangiovese barrels instead of
whiskey lends some unique properties. Tangy dark cherries, rum soaked
raisins, sawdust, roasted malt, wilted roses, port wine, old oak. Nose
has a big complexity, but it doesn't seem to mesh well. Maybe the
taste is more integrated.

Oh yeah, there is a serious wine barrel presense. Sweet, sticky malt,
roasted barley, tangy red wine, soft barrel tannins, lots of cherry.
Too cold and this thing is a mess, but as it warms it comes together
nicely. The wine influence is present without overpowering, bringing a
nice tangy balance to what's traditionally a big roasty brew.

Mouthfeel is heavy with a low level carbonation, it seems to finish
pretty clean though.

Drinkability is tough. I'm enjoying it because its different and I
didn't know what to expect, but it just isn't an amazing beer. Its
very good, but not mindblowing. Definitely memorable though.

750ml bottle from Jubilation Liquors in Albuquerque, NM. $20. Waxed bottle, number 242/586. Celebrating 2 years with my girlfriend tonight with this beer.

A: Very dark brown when poured from the bottle which yields an immensely dark beer, very black. A few spots of bubbles around the edge and a few small bubbles on the top of the beer.

S: Deep dark roasted malts, oak wine barrels, can definitely tell this is aged in cabernet barrels. Has a strong earthy woody note. Coffee, molasses, brown sugar, and a few notes of booze. Slightly chocolatey as well. Vanilla.

T: While not incredibly overpowering, the flavors are quite robust, first and foremost a strong chocolate malt profile, followed by a nice roasted malt. A strong oakiness really presents itself after the initial imperial stout flavors. Not a real wine presence but there are hints, mostly just a strong woody oak profile. Molasses and brown sugar, and just a faint bit of bitterness, behind that are some berries and dark fruits. Overall very flavorful.

M: Nice heavy body with mild carbonation, fairly sticky on the lips. The heavy body disappears with the dryness from the wine barrels, this is where this beer really shines. Not quite a 5.0, but so damn close.

D: High alcohol, heavy body, and strong dryness really make this beer a sipper. But when split with my girlfriend it isn't too hard to polish off the 750ml. Great beer, highly recommended if you can find it. Glad to get the chance to try this fantastic stout.

Bottle at PPRBSG09. Pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of bourbon and chocolate. Flavor is dominated by bourbon with a smooth roasted malt finish. This beer is similar to many barrel aged imperial stouts that are just completely dominated by the bourbon. I didn't dig this one like everyone else did.

750 shared this past weekend by Yobs, the pickle man. :)

Hard pour into my Yards tasting mug. A muddy black, with dark tan lining of head.

Smell is of prunes, Wild Turkey, blood, & sawdust. Fumey macerated bread crust & cheap cocoa.

Taste is much better. Gentle whiskey, sweet cereal, mellow coffee grounds, a fitting slice of barky bitterness, & a moderate dose of warming alcohol. Subtle, dark, cooked fruit. Finish is a little dusty, but didn't detract much from the whole picture.

Average body & carbonation & none of the expected barrel acidity. Soothing.

A rarity when I praise something in this style. Very tasty. :)