Your Top 5 Imperial Stouts?

Once again, Founders Breakfast Stout is not an RIS... Mephistopheles, also not an RIS...

 

No particular order:

Yeti
Narwhal
Expedition
Old Rasputin
Marshal Zhukov

 

Only traditional RIS. No coffee, vanilla, etc.

Zhukov (best straight up RIS made)
Darkness
Expedition
Ten Fidy
Stone RIS

 

straight RIS... no added treatments or BA:
1. Zhukov
2. Plead the 5th
3. Ten Fidy
4. Founders
5. Old Rasputin

 

I'm sticking with non BA and no additions (coffee, coconut, unicorn horn, Scarlett Johansson's pubes, etc.). No strict order.

Expedition
Ten Fidy
BORIS
Founders IS (with a year on it, though this year's is pretty tasty already)
Plead the 5th

 

I guess for straight forward imperial stouts without adjuncts, added flavors, or barrel-aging involved my favorites would be Sierra Nevada Narwhal, year-old Goose Island Nightstalker, and Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (note: not actually made with chocolate). I am inclined to include Hoppin' Frog BORIS in here but I haven't had it often enough.

If we expand to include barrel-aged/spiced stouts the list would change. My favorite ever was probably a year-old 2011 Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout.....so much fudge. Palo Santo Marron is a stout for all practical purposes. Year-old or more Bourbon County Stout from Goose Island is obvious; Bourbon County Cherry Rye was even better. And although I have only tried one bottle, Boulevard Imperial Stout was pretty damn phenomenal. Pipeworks Raspberry Truffle Abduction was unreal.

Funny how my favorite straight-forward imperial stouts tend to be relatively cheap. Consider the price difference between Narwhal and Black Chocolate Stout on the one hand, and the likes of Expedition, Yeti, and Ten FIDY on the other. Though in fairness, I've never had Ten FIDY and I've seen Narwhal sell for much more than it is supposed to.

 

Sticking with the thread (no BA, no breakfast, ect)

No order:
Founders Imperial
Yeti
BORIS
Southampton RIS
Narwhal

 

1) Ten Fidy
2) Expedition
3) Old Rasputin
4) Blackout Stout
5) BORIS/DORIS
5a) Stone IRS

 

everyday stouts
1.speedway stout
2.founders imperial
3.stone espresso imperial stout
4. storm king
5. frost monster
breakfast stout would sit up there at no. 2 but since its not technically a RIS i left it out.

 

1993 Courage Russian Stout
1992 Courage Russian Stout
Harvey's Russian Stout
De Molen Rasputin
Pretty Things Barbapapa

 

1. Dark Horse pt5
2. Ten Fidy
3. Founders RIS (with at least 6 months to a year on it)
4. Black Husky Twelve Dog
5. Stone RIS

 

Going by what my untappd considered RIS's:

1. Parabola
Founders Imperial Stout
Blackout Stout
Dark Lord
Aun Mas Cafe Jesus

 

#1 is Ten Fidy.

After that in no particular order is Zhukov, Narwhal, Stone RIS

 

Non flavored/BA;

1. Struise Black Albert
2. Lervig Brewers Reserve Konrads Stout
3. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
4. AleSmith Speedway Stout
5. De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis

 

Top 5 Regular RIS....

1. Stone IRS
2. Narwhal
3. Ten Fidy
4. Old Rasputin
5. Siberian Night

6. Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

 

Talking strictly straight to the style, no frills or barrel aging.

1. Founders
2. Ten fidy (just barely the slightest notch below)
3. Old Rasputin
4. Stone irs
5. Blackout stout

Honorable mention: yeti.

 

1. Dark Lord - I like them sweet.
2. Ten Fidy
3. Narwhal
4. Founders Imperial Stout
5. Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout

 

1. FIS
2. Treehouse Space & Time
3. Great Divide Oatmeal Yeti
4. Otter Creek RIS
5. Narwhal

 

Expedition, Founders Imperial, Yeti family, Narwhal, and I might have to throw Sierra Nevada 30th anniversary Fritz & Kens ale in there, it was a one-time brew, but I still have bottles and I still drink it, damn good too.

 

1. Founders RIS
2. Bell's Expedition
3. Brooklyn Black Chocolate
4. Great Lakes Blackout
5. Great Divide Yeti