Best Russian Imperial Stout?

So many options to choose from, but I think I have to go with Yeti because I think they do a good job balancing availability, quality and variety.

 

Espresso IRS was excellent, need to find another to see how the coffee is holding up. I'm fond of the GD Yeti series, the chocolate and original are my favorite, especially with around 6 months to a year on them. And OB Ten Fidy is really great too.

 

Stone RIS
Avery Czar
Old Rasp Anniversary

 

50...bottles....*cough cough*...you lucky lucky man. I had the chance years ago to be in the same position but lacked the foresight. And my wife wonders why I''ve become a hoarder.

 

Ten Fidy. Yooooooooo! Can...you...dig it?!

 

Ten Fidy, Old Rasputin, Yeti (Pick your permutation), Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S, Stone RIS, Founders Imperial Stout.

 

how do I say this?

Easiest beer to brew?
All that booze can hide flaws in the beer.
Generally speaking RIS are overrated. that said,
there isn't too many out there that are terrible.
NEBCO's storm trooper is O.K. peeps tend to go crazy for the label. overrated
TWO ROADS made one for limited release and people went crazy for it. overrated.
Does Ten Fidy need to be $15 a four pack? I don't think so. overrated

 

A:

 

Still trying to find one that I like from Russia

 

B:

 

Old Rasputin
Brooklyn BCS
Founders Imperial Stout

 

C:

 

The ususl suspects but I had Treehouse's Space & Time a few weeks back and it was pretty amazing!

 

Using BA listings as your argument already puts you on shaky ground. The listings are often generated by the person who first enters the beer into the database. Entries are not updated unless reported and most people are not taking the time. Since we have no basis for argument on this point lets move past it.

There is a reason they are called style guideline and not style rules, there is and always will be overlap, not everything fits into a nice neat package. While I find that official styles can often do more harm than good, that does not mean we should ignore them and do away with what does not work for us as individuals. I have list plenty of examples of Biere de Gardes that are Saisons, Kolschs that are Blonde Ales and APAs that are stylistically closer to IPAs. Each style serves its purpose, simply because the lines are blurred it does not detract from the validity of the style.

I agree that most comments in this thread are referring to American Double/Imperial Stouts however the confusion speaks more to the lack of understanding of the styles in question. I feel it is more appropriate to educate rather than rewrite history to suit our current desires. There are definite qualifiers that differentiate the two style regardless if people pay attention.

 

Hunahpu for me

 

Best fresh : Darkness
Best aged a few years : Darklord
Best on the shelf : Founders Imperial

 

I had my first craft beer on a trip to Colorado in 1995 - Left Hand Sawtooth Ale. It took 8 years before I really "switched" if you will. Another couple of years to appreciate IPA's, and at least one more after that to start digging sours. Maybe I had to overcome the swill years. Anyway, we're all here and it's all good. Now I'm thirsty...

 

IVAN!

 

This.




This.



Then this. Win