Feral Boris the Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Feral Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Baskerville, Australia

Serve in Snifter

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[On-tap at Feral] Pours dark brown with a dark beige head that leaves great lacing. Aroma has a good dose of hops, cocoa, tangerine, peach and brown sugar. The taste is very hoppy--citrusy again, then roasted malt, chocolate (which really comes out as it warms), touch of anise, and a fair alcohol presence as well. Thin mouthfeel, but very smooth and has a long finish. Looks good, smells and tastes very nice, but the mouthfeel really holds it back. This thing has great potential, and if they can thicken it up they will have an amazing beer.

On tap at Biero. Masterpiece, full marks from me. Aromas of chocolate, vanilla, liquorice, and pine. Taste is sweet and bitter, with very long length. Palate is syrupy, and full bodied. Black, with a thin off-white head.

Taster at Beervana NZ. Received a lot of advice on seeking this out as the last beer of the day, and I can see why. Sexy.

Tap at Beervana - pours a solid darkness engulfing the glass, really nice solid flavour the ABV was a bit of a shock hides its self well. fruity notes on the nose, pleasant taste, shame I didn’t have time to let it get a bit warmer.

UPDATED: AUG 28, 2011 Tap at Feral. Superb oily black with a thick, creamy beige head. Best lacing I’ve ever seen left in a glass. Huge notes of cocoa with a piney hop undertone on the nose. Couldn’t notice any booze at all. This is like a thick chocolate espresso milkshake. Huge and full on the palate. Starts like a huge mocha bomb with chocolate and caramel malts leading the way covered in coffee. Very nice. Lost count of how many I had

Had on tap at Local Tap House for Feral Tap Takeover After a decent looking smell and nitro appearance it was all downhill. Boozy, over roasted, fresh licorice, floral hops and what else they could find. Struggled drinking this and gave up half way through. Was not impressed.

UPDATED: JUN 2, 2011 Wow wasn’t expecting this. Floral hop nose with LOTS of licorise. Very straight forward in the mouth - again lots of licorise and the floral hops.A very strange choice with the hops. Really disappointing. A big, boozy mess.

Tap, listed at 10.2% ABV. Black with a dense light tan head. Looks fantastic, settles like a nitro pour over more than five minutes. Aroma of chocolate, nutmeg, some citrus and caramelized bananas. Slightly powdery mouthfeel. Full but not syrupy. Hides the alcohol very well indeed. Very chocolaty taste with banana, vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, aniseed. Fairly light on the roasted flavours with no particular roasted bitterness evident, although given how chocolaty it is it’s not that sweet. Some herbal elements - chicory - that didn’t work for me are maybe what gave a suggestion of sourness. Citrus and spice clean up at the end. Pretty good.

Last of the availables on my visit to the brewhouse and as they say you save the best ’til....
From the tap it takes a good five minutes to settle. Enough time for me to reminisce of the history of Imperial Stouts and there guidelines as far as style and then just enough time for me to fob that off and realise I’m at a brewery tasting beer, who cares!?!
Looks big, viscous, tarry once it finally settles. Body clings like sap to the sides of the glass as I swirl it. Tan head, big but dense and speckled with larger protein sodden brown bubbles. Leaves a lovely lace that dwindles like soap around grime (?) . Black as black in the depths, a touch of deepest ruby in the very shallows. Tarrish, thick, treacly, syrupy body, I reckon you could stand a spoon up in this. Instant bellow of smoke hits the roof of the mouth, the palate reeling a good ristretto coffee. The salivory glands bleed but its pushed back by the weight of the palate. 80%+ cacao chocolate comes to mind, some vegemite yeastiness and mild Bovril, charred wood and damp oak, a hit of vanillin, mulled port and chocolate icecream to soften the blow. Very long swallow, it peaks and falls off malty bitter but smooth as silk and that alcohol is just a lie on paper as it is so well hidden aside the fact it kicks in like a drug late into drinking. A residue of burnt sugar and tar resides with the smoke and chocolaty, oaken malt tones. An absolutely fantastic IS that is up there with the greats. lovely!!! (Draught at the brewery, Baskerville)

At the taphouse. Beautilful beer. Thick creamy mouthful. Coffee, dark chocolate, hoppy and dry. Really complex. One of the best.

Been having some avarage imperial stouts lately but this one comes up ace. Too many imperials are too overwhelming in certain flavours. The boris keeps the complexity of imperial flavour with out a flavour being too outstanding. Smooth, flavoursome, top stout and beer