Hales Pikop Andropovs Rushin Imperial Stout

Brewed by Hales Ales
Style: Imperial Stout
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in Snifter

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Pitch black. Dense and creamy, light bronze ring. Tangy aroma with notes of tar, cocoa, blackberry, buttered caramel, and trace oxidation. Bubblegummy yeast, cotton, iron, and roasted barley undertones. Fairly metallic and acidic. Slippery, yet silky smooth texture. Medium body. Starts with a vinous, sweet malt interplay as the phenols lurk beneath the malt barrier alongside tangy iron and black cherries. Dark chocolate and fuzzy notes of cocoa match the delectable espresso onset, which culminates at the core. Charred malts provide most of the balancing bitterness at the finish with a mild cinnamon and earthy hop dusting. Yogurt and chocolate truffles dominate the aftertaste amid continual whispers of espresso, soured plum acidity, and ink. Very faint phenolic belches. Acidity inevitably prevails in the flavor, once you witness the aroma, but espresso dominates the finish, which is what I seek in the style. Highly reminiscent of Siberian Night, from the appearance, to the berry assortment and ink notes; only this has lots more acidity, a less alluring aroma, and a thinner body. In the end, the acidity becomes fatiguing and the mouthfeel loses too much body. Mediocre example.

Sample at the Tap House Grill in Seattle. This beer is a dark brown-black color with a medium tan head that evaporates quickly. Small sticky patches of lacing. Espresso and malt in the nose. Medium body with a roasty coffee character and notes of malt, hops and fruit. The finish is burnt malt and moderately bitter coffee. Lighter for an Imperial Stout but decent overall.

Black in color. with a tan frothy head. Constallation lacing. Nuts and chocolate are noticeable in the aroma. It has a creamy texture that has a black coffee aftertaste. Smooth beer that finishes very good. Great beer.

22 oz. bottle- Pours bitch ass black with a nice creamy tan head. Aroma is dark roasted malts, chocolate really comes through, yum. The taste is the same, chocolatey, it tastes like dark chocolate with a mild hoppy bite, very mellow and drinkable, one of the more sessionable IRS beers I have had. Body is medium to almost full, carbonation is medium to almost light. Overall It is a damn easy drinking IRS with lots of flavor, really liked it.

Shared with Stykzone vai Facebook Chat. Pored a /black color with a big bubbled tan head. Nose of roasted malts with chocolate dominating. Rich bold body and smooth creamy mouthfeel Flavor shows some bitterness on top of the rich malts, and there is some bitterness in the finish. Good drinking.

Bomber from Hayduke. We enjoyed it together via facebook chat. This poured black with an angry looking dark tan head that bubbled up ominously. The nose was primarily coffee and cocoa with soy and beans. The first thing I tasted was hops but then coffee and cocoa. Later some soy and then tobacco were noted. The hops faded but never left. They might have been Cascade with tart bitter citrus. Soy and dark fruit. The feel began creamy with some effervescence but thinned out later. This was good.

Bomber. Pours a pure black color with a medium beige head. A great dark fruit and ash nose. Sweet, some vanilla, loads of dark fruit, some chocolate. Very good. A bit thin.

(bottle 10/14/10). Black color. Medium brown head. Aroma of dark chocolate and roasted coffee. Flavor of the same, with light smoke. Long duration. Moderate bitter finish, with light alcohol. Slick texture. Soft to moderate carbonation. Good lacing.

Pours inky dark, with thin tan head. Sweete and rich aroma. Taste is thick and rich and a little sweet. long lasting flavor, with lots of complexities. Thumbs up for sure.

Tap @ brewpub. Deep black appearance with a dark brown head. Slightly boozy, roasty, charred, deep malty aroma. Charred, super roasty, chocolate malty, Scandinavian-like stout flavor. Below average Imperial Stout in my mind.

Bomber. Obsidian colored in appearance with dense chocolate malt head. Standard strong Stout aroma of roasted caramel malt, bittersweet chocolate and coffee. The flavor begins with a heavy dose of dark, roasty malt and espresso followed by some brown sugar, licorice and dark chocolate characteristics. It’s rounded out by more malt and a bit of sweet alcohol. The body is creamy and syrupy with mild carbonation and a dry, roast finish. A decent RIS that’s a little on the cloyingly sweet side at times.