Imperial Stout
Sequoia Brewing Company - Tower District

Had this on-tap at the Champlain & Perrin location. Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Muddy brownish black body which is totally opaque other than some very faint shades of red around the upper edges. A thin, light brown, foamy head sits on top. Low retention but very nice web-like lacing all the way down.

Smell: Tons of rich, creamy, dark chocolate, followed by black coffee, charred wood, and caramel. Even got some sour cherries the second time around (two days later).

Taste: This tastes damn close to Old Rasputin. Dark chocolate, mocha, roasted malt in the forefront, with burnt wood and tons of piney, resinous hops in the finish. Sour cherries mingled with alcohol toward the middle and end on the second go around. A really harsh, tough, bitch-of-a-beer... and fucking great!

Mouthfeel: Very, very thick; also malty and creamy. A meal in itself. Carbonation is just a bit on the high side, but suits this beer very well. Finishes warm and dry.

Drinkability: I hate to score this one low in any category since it was soooo good, but this is a very delicate sipper. One of the harshest (for RISs anyway) and heaviest beers I've had. I feel like I should get a free T-shirt or trophy just for finishing it.

This beer pours a very dark brown bordering on black. It boasts a thin, brown head, fading fast, but leaving a massive lacing.

This beer has a very malty, caramel aroma. I smell some toffee, coffee, and subtle milk chocolate. It smells quite robust.

This beer tastes exactly like it smells. Caramel malt up front with a very robust flavor. Coffee and chocolate flavors also. Alcohol is hidden in the flavor and the aroma.

This beer is very full bodied. It goes down smooth, leaving a caramel malty aftertaste. Carbonation is great.

This beer is nto the best session beer since it is 10%. It is very easy to drink however.

Overall: This beer tastes great. I will definately try it again.

It's nice that the Fall/Winter beers are starting to show up. The beer poured a dark chocolate brown with a carmel brown head. Head was not too thick but it did last most of the beer with a medium amount of lacing. The smell was a mixture of chocolate, carmel, coffee, and hops.

The taste was really good, a nice rich malty flavor that was slighty sweet with a hint of roasted chocolate, balanced nicelly with a really nice hop flavor similar to Sequoia's IPA. The mouthfeel was good, CO2 was just right and this beer was very smooth, almost creamy for a CO2. REALLY NICE!

A beer to try, at 10% alcohol and they limit you to 2. Stop in and have a couple, you will not be dissappointed.

The brewpub's title for this is just Imperial Stout, no Russian.
I haven't spoken with Kevin the Brewer, but I'm guessing that this is more like an authentic English Imperial Stout, and less like the huge hoppy ones I've had lately. [Rasputin, and Stone's RIS]

As it is nitro pushed, it comes with a nice creamy head.
Smells of roasted malts with some light coffee, and chocolate.
Nice full roasted malty flavor, not very hoppy [as i was getting to abo0ve]
The alcohol is very well hidden, so be careful!
Very smooth, creamy easy to drink!
another fine addition from Kevin the brewer!