Russian Imperial Stout
Walkerville Brewery

750 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before Nov 2020 and served slightly chilled.

Pours black like motor oil, producing nearly a finger of foamy, tan-coloured head that melts off within a couple minutes' time. A soapy, bubbly collar is the main remnant, surrounding a few islets of froth; no lacing at first, but there's nice coverage as the level drops. The aroma is malt-forward as you'd expect, yet understated for the style: there's molasses and caramelized sugars, as well as hints of raisin, cocoa, coffee and alcohol. It kind of has a boozy fruitcake vibe going on - I like it, but even as the glass warms it's just too restrained.

It's a pretty tasty stout overall - lots of molasses and caramelized sugars right off the bat, with flavours of milk chocolate, cocoa, raisin and prune not far behind. The alcohol makes its presence known on the back end of the sip, with hints of licorice, herbal hops and a touch of coffee grounds bitterness persisting into the aftertaste. On the lighter side of full-bodied, with low carbonation levels that meekly nudge the surface of the palate, resulting in a smooth, slick texture. Reasonably drinkable, with well-integrated abv that is present without being a detraction.

Final Grade: 3.84, a B+. Walkerville's RIS is a well-constructed imperial stout with no unneeded frills, unless you count the sleek-looking bottle. I'd recommend splitting this format with someone else, as it's really a bit much for one person... I managed to finish it without a problem, but even 500 mL would've been more than enough, I think - and such a change would also knock the price down a bit. Don't get me wrong, I understand that beers like this are not cheap to produce, but $11 is a tough sell when Wellington's IRS - a similar offering that I'd consider to be comparable in quality - is easier to find, cheaper per oz, and sold in a much more convenient format.

750 ml bottle served cold into a chalice. LCBO purchase for $10.95 CDN. Very excited to give this Imperial Stout a go. Awesome looking label with St. Basil's prominently featured.

Appearance - Pitch midnight black pours into the glass. A small half finger of light tan foam rests on top and lasts only a couple minutes before coalescing into some wispy froth at the edges.

Smell -Lots of chocolate, some hints of coffee and a slight licorice undertone. A little leather mixed in. Great smells but quite muted honestly.

Taste - A little cocoa powder and blended milk and dark chocolate, molasses, roasty malts with some smoke a touch of wood and charred wood and some bitter astringency at the end that transitions into a heat and maybe green pepper.

Mouthfeel - Heavy bodied to no surprise, carbonation is sufficiently prickly and yet the overall texture is creamy and quite smooth. Probably the highlight of the brew.

Overall - A tasty imperial stout, worth the price of admission, but maybe not one I'd rush back to given that many breweries are now releasing big imperial stouts and porters and many of them are slightly ahead of Walkerville on the curve in terms of refinement. Still very glad to have tried and will likely keep my eyes peeled next year if it is released again.

Look is dark brown-black with a generous two finger head. Retention and lacing are excellent.

Smell is a bit muted for what I prefer for the style. I get smoke, dark fruit, roasted malts and a touch of leather. The issue is that it takes a few sniffs to get all this.

Flavor follows the nose. Sweet from the malts, toasty, and then some smoke and leather. It tastes good, but it has potential for much more.

Feel is heavy and creamy/rich. Carbonation is on point. Finish is a little boozy with the roast bitter lingering.

I'd have this again. I feel this is a very good attempt at the style, and I think with a few refinements, it could be outstanding.