Ahlafors Russki Imponerande Stout

Jet-black beer under slightly irregular, dark beige head; Very sharp scorched/burnt/roasted malt and -... nose. Alcohol jumping out of the glass. Very nice, much milder taste with bog myrtle, subtle chocolate, billberries, laurel. And some roasted malt coffee/chicory. Well bodied, but not overly thick. Nice, even rather complex I.S. Pity about the aggressive nose. Abject thanks to conniving Thomas D.

Bottle. [thank you, omhper!]
[Vintage 2006]
Pours a stunningly pitch black with a firm, cappucino-creamy beige head. Aroma is an experience in itself, the vanilla pops out at me like a tiger at Indian amateur photographers. Tobacco, chocolate, port and a salty sea feel takes me on a mental trip to a Caribbean port. Creaminess is subdued with a relative nice carbonation. Flavour is balanced. First it seems a little tart with coffee and tobacco. The tartness is slightly fruity, and the vanilla is still apparent. The Caribbean port is a bit hazier in the flavour than in the aroma. It still manages to give a final suckepunch in the aftertaste, where milk chocolate and sharp roasted malts dominate.

Dark brown. Snugly composed beige bubbles stick around up until the last sip. Strong molasses, ink, sugared prunes, allspice, and black licorice aromas. Hints of iron and oxidation. Deeply buried char tickles the nostrils. Soft carbonation. Bottle conditioned. Initially light, airy, and tangy with sour touches of plum skin. Ensuing metallic-bite further accentuates the tangy prune and meaty port aspects. Short-lived char is gritty and crisp, and somewhat compensates for the flabby estery fruitiness. Body remains mostly limp and the malt rather dull, with that said. Oxidation imparts a wafery element to the malt, but doesn’t happen to be overly detrimental to the flavor. Just a lot of hollowness in the center and devoid of any malt lushness or bright esters. Irony acidity tingles the cheeks and negates much of the deeper malt richness with a gentle scratchiness. Finishes with stale coffee, dull roast, and milk chocolate as notes of tangy prunes and iron linger. Serviceable, but uninspiring.

Dark brown with a small tan head. Fruity and sour tones. Roasted, sour with some fruit. Full bodied with a dry finish.

It’s black with a huge, creamy head. The aroma has notes of roasted malt, sweetness, some fruit/berries and a light sourness. The flavour has sweetness, roasted malt, licorice, a little dark fruit/berries, grapefruit and a light sourness, almost like in infected, and that pulls down the overall impression for me. 2397