Scofflaw
Excelsior Brewing Co.

Received from @vidblain in a BIF box. Poured from 750 ML bottle into a tulip glass. It pours nearly ink black with two fingers of foamy, khaki-colored head and thick lacing; a most attractive pour. You can smell the Wild Turkey immediately, along with roasted malt, caramel, vanilla, earthy char, and subtle dark fruit. The taste has a lot going on: the Wild Turkey in unmistakable but it's complimented by roasted malt, burnt coffee, bakers chocolate, earthy char, and nuts. At first I didn't notice any vanilla or caramel but as the glass warmed they surfaced. I like dark fruit in a RIS and over time the black cherry also emerged. In fact, as the glass warmed and breathed all of the flavors popped nicely. It finishes with quite a bit of bitterness and char (the IBU is 75). This Stout features a rich, creamy mouth feel with low but adequate carbonation, and with an ABV of 10.6% it's a sipper. Overall, this is very good; it's just a notch below such leaders of the style as Parabola, Founders Imperial Stout, and Marshal Zhukov's. Russian Imperial Stout is my favorite beet style and I'm thrilled to have had the chance to review this gem!