Favourite Classic RIS

I voted Expedition, but I love all of the others. Never tried Darkness. Parabola is probably my favorite BA stout. Undead Party Crasher is probably my favorite non-BA stout, though.

 

I'd pick Ten Fidy from the list (granted, I have not had them all), but my personal favorite is Narwhal.

 

Ten Fidy is the shelf turd that I wish were a shelf turd where I actually live. I have 5 in my cellar right now.

 

Founders Imperial Stout is the best on that list, hands down! Parabola doesn't belong there. It's barrel-aged.

 

More of a Black DIPA to me.

 

Pretty Things BARBAPAPA ... the best non-BA imperial Stout I have ever had.

After that...
Stone IRS
Ten Fidy
Undead Party Crasher
Yeti

Back in the day, I used to love Old Rasputin. It, Yeti, and Stone IRS, is what initially got me into RIS. Nowadays though, every time I have an Old Raspy, I find it overrated. I'll have to, once again, pay my old frind a visit.

 

Excluding Parabola (and now Darkness) for obvious reasons, it's Stone in the victory lane for me. Used to be Expedition, but my last couple bottles have seemed a little extra boozy somehow (totally due to palate shift, I'm sure, as I highly doubt the recipe has changed in any way). If I had to do a little rank-order:

1. Stone IRS
2. Bell's Expedition (the former champion, though it ages like a beaut)
3. Great Divide Yeti (love the hoppiness of this brew)
4. OB Ten Fidy (probably a coin toss with this and Yeti; thick like motor oil)
5. Old Raspy (ever a classic and one of the few beers that translates really well on nitro)
6. Founders Imperial Stout (good, but I always thought it a touch sweet)
7. Brooklyn BCS (never got chocolate so much as just excessive char with this one)

 

I actually voted Ten Fidy but change to other. I think Plead the Fifth wins.

 

With so many options I figured most people would choose other.

 

I wish I had tried all of these, but Founders, Brooklyn and Surly do not distribute to California.
Of the rest, it was a tight race, but my BA ratings indicate Parabola is the winner. Another beer, Hangar 24's Pugachev's Cobra, would be my #2 choice.

 

Harveys
Luckie 1842 porter
Good King Henry
Buxton Rain Shadow
OAkham Black Baron - been more than a year though

 

Absolutely! A great American beer.

 

Followed an Old Raputin with a FIS one night, Raspy hit the mat pretty hard.

 

FIS if you're drinking it fresh, Expedition if there's at least a year of age on it...

Man, I had a '12 Expedition the other day an man, that ages so beautifully.

 

My vote was Ten Fidy, but my favorite is definitely Narwhal

 

I had trouble choosing between Old Raspy and Bell's Expedition. Both come close for me. Both taste amazing and are generally accessible to my spots. But I went with Old Rasputin.

 

Plead the 5th.
I'm sure availability plays a big roll in a poll like this.

 

Voted for FIS but I would have also voted for Narwhal as well... possibly my favorite SN beer.

 

On the list: Old Rasputin

Off the list: Berkshire Brewing RIS

 

From that list Old Rasputin..

Courage was one that popped into my head as well...

along with... Founders Imperial and Samuel Smith Imperial