Bourbon The Russian
2SP Brewing Company

3.91/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by stevoj from Idaho

12oz can from my brother. Black pour with a thin beige head which fades to ring. Aroma is sweet, chocolatey, with minor bourbon notes. Taste brings more chocolate, sweet, minor bourbon presence. A bit sweet and not overly strong. Approachable. Follow on: much better as it warms. Sweetness fades, bourbon picks up. Still chocolatey AF.

Oct 19, 2021

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania

Can dated 2/5/21 into pint glass. Pours a very dark brown with a surprisingly robust tan head (for an 11.5% RIS). Initial impression is cocoa, restrained bourbon, vanilla, roasted malts, and a touch of oak. Mouthfeel is medium-thick and sticky; alcohol is pretty well hidden. Finish is more chocolate and bourbon, with a slight bitterness. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable RIS!

Apr 15, 2021

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by FBarber from Illinois

Pours a dark brown color, opaque but thinner in appearance. A head like Ive never seen on a BA beer - a full four finger mocha colored head forms before slowly dissipating until just a quarter inch of foam remains on the beer. However that last quarter inch or so remains for the duration of consumption. Aroma has notes of roasted malts, leather, pine, cocoa, bakers chocolate, with just a hint of bourbon on the nose. Its largely a Russian imperial stout that I'm not sure I could tell if it was barrel aged or not if I drank this blind.

Taste largely follows the nose with notes of roasted malts, cocoa, bakers chocolate, pine, leather, and some oak on the back end. The bourbon and oak really do come through moreso in the flavor. Moderate bitterness on the back end. Feel is on the thinner side, very smooth and silky. Mild carbonation.

Overall a really enjoyable bourbon barrel aged imperial stout.

Dec 13, 2020

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by thebeers from Pennsylvania

Pours a rich, chocolatey brown with two fat fingers of dark tan head. I thought the head was looking a little fizzy at first, but it does have some heft and body to it and lasts a good while, despite leaving almost no lacing.

Smooth, light-ish bourbon aroma with almond, toffee, chocolate and cherry notes.

The taste is fairly similar. It comes across as light and approachable for the genre, with chocolate malt and a little almond, toffee, coffee and an even lighter hint of cherry and prune. It has a mildly bitter finish, tempered by a sweeter biscotti character.

Medium bodied for the style with an oily, lightly tacky slickness and strong carbonation.

The barrel aging adds a definite sweetness that cuts into the bitterness of the base. A pleasure to try.

Feb 20, 2019

4.29/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by 2beerdogs from California

With deep gratitude to larryi86 for this dark beauty.
Pours a deep, dark mahogany. The roil brings a frothy cocoa colored foam that rises 2 fingers high, and then retreats to a solid, milky finger.
Aroma is light bourbon, bakers chocolate, some caramel, and gentle roast.
Flavor is much the same, but with a full, round chocolate brownie batter like flavor. Sweet and a tad bitter, but subtly so. Also has a nice roasted barrel quality that shines through in a gentle way.
Mouthfeel is full and warm. Really involves the whole mouth in the experience.
Overall, a damn solid Impy Stout without going hog wild on the ABV.

Nov 27, 2016

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by q33jeff from New Jersey

**
11/??/2016

On tap at Churchville inn. Took a while to find this beer in BA.

Quick hit.

LOOK: Dark black, white head, fades.

TASTE/AROMA: Vanilla, oak, chocolate. Some whiskey, not a ton.

Sep 05, 2016

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by Stinkypuss from Pennsylvania

Pours dark motor oil black with a mocha head. Aroma of black malts, vanilla, and bourbon. Tastes strongly of roasted grain and a soft vanilla note. Alcohol flavor is scaled and not distracting. This is their best beer.

Jun 22, 2016

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by larryi86 from Delaware

750 ml bottle, batch 1 bottle number 250, poured into a snifter

A- Black with a three finger dense mocha heads

S- Mild bourbon, some vanilla, charred oak, some bitter chocolate, some coffee.

T- Dark chocolate, some mild bourbon, vanilla, hints of charred oak, hints of roasted coffee, some caramel malts, touch of earthy bitterness.

M- Smooth, creamy, full body.

O- Bourbon is mild and tastes very similar to The Russian. Is it a little high in price, yes, but it is a quality beer that I'm happy to drink. Biggest "flaw" on this beer is that the bourbon isn't a big part of this, but the base beer is not lost or muted in the bottles.

May 01, 2016

3.77/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by epyon396 from Pennsylvania

Full disclosure: I loved the standard Russian. I gave it a 4.19/5.

This version is a step backwards in every possible way. The chocolate malt and roast in both the nose and taste have been diluted and replaced with notes of cheap bourbon. Oak and vanilla are present, but the addition doesn't add much. The feel is far too thin for a 9.5% stout.

Horroribly price prohibitative and hard to find especially considering that this is probably the most disappointing beer that I've had from these guys.

Apr 30, 2016

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Had on tap at Bottle Bar East, $8.50 for a snifter. I was looking forward to this, and was bummed that I couldn't make it to the brewery release. But boy, is this disappointing.

Not enough bourbon or barrel presence, just a tad of faint wood.

The chocolatiness and roastiness of the original Russian has been tamed, and this is just neither really good not an improvement on the base beer. Also, it is a wickedly expensive pour.

Apr 25, 2016