Stoutnik RIS
Longwood Brewpub & Restaurant

 

Scent lacks behind the rest of the beer. Very solid stout.

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Lift Bar & Grill (Vancouver, BC) served in a shaker pint. Deep, dark cola brown with a good head of tan foam. Roasty malt nose with coffee and bitter chocolate. More roasty malt in the flavor with slight molasses sweetness balanced by earthy hops and charred bitterness. Medium to fuller body with moderate carbonation. Full, malty and drinkable stout with well balanced sweetness, though without the overall intensity and complexity of a RIS.

 

 

 

Appearance: “Traditional Stout Brown” - I really think that “Traditional Stout Brown” should be considered a colour on its own and I would define it as a deep dark brown nearing black. Decent enough tan coloured head not as creamy as some RIS but not bad, and leaves behind an pretty elegant light looking lace as well.

Aromatics: Actually hits with a light floral with roasted malts. Touches of caramelized coffee bean, molasses, and warmed dates.

Taste: I get a non-aggressive super flavourful coffee bitter with a soft liquorice-ness mixed with a light-earthy hop and toasted grains.

Feel: The creaminess is there but there is enough carbonation that it keeps from getting too smooth. I thought it was still a fairly middleweight body but is gentle on the palate and finishes with the slightest of ephemeral flavour linger.

Overall: A really nice RIS. This one has a lot of positives, especially in the well balanced and maintained flavour throughout. It doesn’t have a punch or ramp up and sharp decline, it really enters and leaves with a moderate but deliberate presence, which I believe is a unique quality.

Pairing : The usual smoked/grilled meats is a no brainer. But this beer could use some extra bitter or chocolatey hints and needs a bit of added richness. A Lava Cake or Triple Chocolate Overdose brownie would be really nice with a small ball of vanilla praline ice cream - get a little nuttiness in there as well. You could also snack on a few roasted almonds and pecans for that nuttiness pair.

Reviewed with a 650 mL bottle but I've also had a glass at the restaurant. Great bottle design. Pours with an opaque black body and a brown bubbly head. Not a strong aroma but I pick up chocolate, vanilla-rootbeer. I find the taste similar to roasted dandelion roots with blackberries. There is some licorice in the aftertaste. Feels thick, heavy body but smooth. Overall, good for a stout.

Very dark, large head. Rich, with thick mouthfeel. Roasty flavours, fairly bitter, tastes of coffee with a touch of fruit. Very delicious, exactly what I want in a Russian Imperial Stout. I find a lot of stouts have great initial flavour but no follow-through; the flavour becomes bland or else turns unpleasant. But this one's good all the way through. Well done!

Pours a deep mahogany brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is chocolate , coffee , and a touch of woody hop bitterness. Tastes of milk and coffee and chocolate notes. There is a slight mineral note in the aroma and taste as well. Feels smooth and silky. There's no boozy note so this is a fairly session able RIS.

 

 

 

 

650ml bomber poured into pint glass 31/7/15

A black liquid with a deep cola edge, large dark tan head is a little loose but retains well and manages to leave partial ring deep down the glass

S fairly fruity, cherries, plum, blackberries, charred wood, chocolate milk, cold coffee, maybe a little licorice

T not as fruity but more dark roast notes, some strange earthy notes might be mushroom? Almost funky or mildly infected but it works somehow

M a little thin for the color, could use a few more bubbles and there’s a little heat going down

O a little small for an RIS but has some flavor and easy enough to drink for 7.5%

A little tame for the style and another of those beers I bought for name and label alone, perhaps not the best beer for this hot summer evening