12oz in bordeaux glass. Pours black with thick brown head. Rich, spicy, grassy are the first aroma adjectives. Then cola. Then coffee, but like roastING coffee where it’s astringent and phenolic. Very clean up front, sweet, and then there’s a wave of middle and finishing characters, like licorice, chocolate, pine, pepper, and cinnamon. Old Rasputin is, FWIW, my prototype for RIS. I had my first one right about ten years ago, and it’s just as good today. I just have a much better grasp on what 9% is now.

What a powerful, gorgeous and friendly stout! It pours with a chocolate drizzle, leaving a rusty brown, creamy head. It is as dark as a priest’s cassock at compline. The mouthfeel is happily playful and unoppressive while being strong, fresh and weighty all at once. The nose gives way to the expected and hoped for charcoal, cacao, cinder, maple syrup, butternut, caramel and cream. And of course the flavor: a ready and welcome transition of what you get on the nose directly to the tongue, a rare occurrence for most brews. As a final note, the ABV is high: 9%. I like this. Seek it out, even. When it gets in the way, it’s rather annoying. This one masks the alcohol with structure and integrity. Thank God for the coming of fall and this beer to share it with.

bottle, balck color with a khaki ring, nose is malty canned fruits, flavors of coffee, caramel and spices, finishes very solid with a warm chocolate cake flavor

Black body, tan head. The aroma is of coffee grounds, bakers chocolate and roasted barley. The taste starts out with burnt malt and finishes with very dark chocolate, while never actually tasting bitter. Well worth the price.

Nearly perfect stout. I am leaving room for the perfect one wich I haven’t tried yet. But, this is the best one yet (10/08). A truly enjoyable beer that you can savor each sip. Good for dead of winter days lounging by the fire. I must have if you can find it.