Russian Imperial Stout
Meantime Brewing Company Limited

Pours a light small fizzy off-white head with low retention, barely head covering, but some lacing, dark but not too dark chestnut brown color

Nose smells a bit like a Russian Baltika or eastern European extract malt liquor like beer, lots of paper cardboard oxidation, malt extract syrup, some dark malt notes

Taste is a bit better, some malt extract syrup again, as well as oxidation paper cardboard characters, a little vegetal notes, some cocoa and dark malts, very big chocolate almost fake like, touch of hop, sticky sweet finish, bit more alcohol

Mouth is med to a bit fuller bod but a bit thinner than expected and very low carb, light warming alcohol

Overall this was a mess, thin cork lead to a lot of oxidation, base beer seemed like a messy malt extract beer with a bit of overly chocolate almost fake like, just not enjoyable, there's no way I'm going to get through a full glass let alone a 750ml

 

 

Taste: a rich toasted dark malt, bakers chocolate, molasses, subtle creamy finish. Deep black malts dark chocolate malt, oak nose. Black, mostly opaque., refined head with some lace. Medium body. Not a heavy RIS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 11/29/2013. Pours crystal clear very dark brown color with a 2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toffee, toast, brown bread, light coffee, raisin, plum, brown sugar, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, earthy hops, and fruity yeast notes; with solid strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toffee, toast, brown bread, light coffee, raisin, plum, brown sugar, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Slight roast/herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toffee, toast, brown bread, light coffee, raisin, plum, brown sugar, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity and robustness of dark/bready malt, earthy hops, and fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/yeast balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a smooth and moderately creamy/bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice English style ale. Good complexity and robustness of dark/bready malt, earthy hops, and yeast ester flavors; and very smooth to drink for the ABV. I really see this is more of an imperial brown porter in style with the flavor profile. Very well balanced and pleasant, and felt like the flavors should have been bolder considering the ABV; but nicely enjoyable overall for an English style beer.

 

 

 

 

02/20/14 On tap. I cut my wisdom teeth chewing on as much Imperial stout as I could find. This did not disappoint. It's late and that was strong. Conflicting ABV data that I'll settle at 8.5%.

The lack of reviews/exposure here reminds me how lucky I am to have found Rattle n Hum in NYC. There are probably 150 bars between my apartment and their 40 craft lines and I'm lucky to call it my local and to know I have friends there.