Anniversary Ale 1 - Imperial Stout
River North Brewery

 

Picked up a bottle of this in a trade. Poured from a bomber into a snifter, the beer is jet black, oily thick, with a sparse, light, dark tan halo of head. Aromas of tangy caramel and molasses forward, with boozy overtones, stone fruits, subtle chocolate and caramel notes, and hints of roasted bitterness. Flavors are tangy sweet and rich forward, with dates and raisins blending nicely with cocoa nib, molasses, caramel, and subtle coffee notes. Woody and earthy highlights throughout, as well, with a building alcohol warmth as you go. Pretty layered, velvety smooth in mouth, with a more pronounced bitter chocolate aftertaste. Slick, oily, lingering finish, with remnants of the caramel and molasses hanging out to keep the alcohol warmth company. Good beer...that's celebrating an anniversary proper!

aging quite nicely, smoothing out with a rich chocolatey flavor, just a touch of dark malt astringency on the finish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a bottle from the brewery. They said that there's only two beers that use a different yeast, this beer and their quad. This is significant to me as I find it would be useful for to use some different yeasts than their house yeast.
Poured in a St Bernardus chalice.
Pours a dark brown with brown head.
Aroma of dark roasted malts, chocolate, peaty smokiness and slight espresso.
Modest carbonation and big mouthfeel.
Flavors of dark roasted malts, burnt malts, carob, molasses, peppercorns...let me give it a few minutes...
Yeah, there's a bitterness and roughness that makes one squint a bit...rough and rowdy. I may have done well to age this another half a year or more but it's tasty now, just not smooth and relatively easy like a Yeti or Speedway stout.

 

 

 

Wheres the head? Thick caramel colored brew with lots of black.

Very fruity for a stout. Pear, raspberry, chocolate, chalky.

Near sourness, up tight, creamy, thin, chalky, wet, and milky.

Opens more when approaches room temp. I wanted more from RN Anny #1! Can't recommend @ $10/22oz.

 

Pours black with no head. Light on scent, faint tartness. Medium body but it does have a sticky mouthfeel. I'm seriously trying to pull some additional flavors out of it, but all I'm getting is a Belgian tartness, almost like it was aged in a wine barrel.

Since RN does primarily Belgian styles, I was curious to see what they came up with for an American Imperial Stout: I'm not so sure they did any such thing. It sure tastes like they stuck with their Belgian roots. It doesn't taste like Avarice, but it isn't too far off.
If you like Belgian stouts with a touch of sour, this will work. It isn't my style, however.

Edit: confirmed from the brewery, they did use a Belgian yeast