Stone Imperial Russian Stout (Bourbon)

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Escondido, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Denver Rare Beer Tasting. Stranahans barrels. Black appearance with a tiny, dark brown head. Sweet caramel, toffee, whiskey, oak, vanilla, dark chocolate malty aroma. Low carbonation. Roasty dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, vanilla, woody, whiskey flavor. I’m not too impressed.

Growler sample at JO’s. Poured a black color with a minnimal frothy brown head that diminished with minimal lacing. Moderate to heavy toasted chocolate, coffee and wood bourbon aroma. Medium to heavy bourbon sweet roasted black coffee malty flavor with a heavy bittersweet and small alcohol bite finish of moderate to long duration. Full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. This is a standout beer with some age.

Had this on the eve of the August 27th JO’s release. Big thanks to Jason for sharing this. 08 vintage from growler. ~4 oz from a tasting snifter. 3.5 A: Black. Pour yielded no head. 4.5 S: The barrel aging is done extremely well. The bourbon portion is perfect. Incredibly smooth with leather, melon, prune, and plum. However, the underlying stout can’t stand tall alongside. Some chocolate and roast, but does not seem to have the subtleties that the regular has at this age. Still, bourbon forward or not, smells delicious. 3.5 T: I have no idea where the Stone IRS went. This tastes a bit like watered down bourbon rather than a bourbon enhanced stout. There’s just a little chocolate and a little roast. However, the bourbon itself makes this still taste great. Leather, melon, prune, and plum. Alcohol is very well hidden. 3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Could be creamier though. 3.5 D: Decent, but stout that can’t stand tall above barrel treatments should not be put into barrels. I’m completely shocked that Stone IRS is one of these. Serving type: growler Reviewed on: 08-31-2011 23:11:14

Sample on Day 3 of the Aces & Ales Strong Beer Festival on 08/14/2011. The beer is a brownish-black color with a thin tan head that evaporates to an outer ring quickly. Spots and strings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of bourbon, roasted malt and cocoa. Medium to full body with a boozy character and flavors of dark malts, bittersweet chocolate and vanilla. The finish is oaky bourbon with a malty aftertaste. Good beer throughout.

This one left me dissappionted...looks and smells great, but was lighter than normal IRS and had lost too much ofo it’s character. No hops left. Tasted like a chocolate bourbon bar and not much else. I like bourbon barreled stuff generally, but this was had waited too long.

Tap @ Portland International Beer Fest... [2008 vintage, Elijah Craig Barrels] Poured pitch black with a brown head. Boost and hot. Vanilla, bourbon-whiskey tones. Oats, oak flavors, cookie dough, roasted malts. Some alcohol flavors very similar to whiskey. Especially towards the finish. Big body, toffee burnt sugar flavors.

RBSG 2008 and Stone’s new bistro. I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of IRS to begin with (it’s aight), which is maybe why I wasn’t blown away by this. Barrel fruit and spice on the nose, like boozy, prickly heavily peppered pork sausage. Pretty astringent in the mouth, but nice; chocolate notes are great and rich; brown sugar; a little acidic from the bourbony fruit. Not super-full, the carbonation is soft and foamy. It’s definitely very bourbon-forward; the barrel character certainly does not get lost in the beer.

On tap at SIB. Pours solid black with a caramel head. Aroma of bourbon, syrup and dark fruits. Flavour of strong bourbon - hits you hard. Smoky and very cloying. Palate is super smooth and luxurious. Very intense bourbon. Doubt I could drink more than a sample though.

Black pour, dense tan head. Very tempting strong, boozey aroma that blasts you with the expected vanilla, wood, and roastiness. Very vanilla forward, but never too sweet. Has some of the dark cherry and anise flavor I associate with Stone’s RIS, lots of roasty char and a oakey barrel flavors. Despite the strength of the various components, particularly the big vanilla bourbon hit at the start, this retains a lot of complexity. Rich mouthfeel without too much detectable alcohol. First beer I had at the SIB, and a tough act to follow.

Sampled on tap at SIB, pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of bourbon (though not too overburdening) and sweet roasted malts. Flavour is a whallop of bourbon barrels that have overtaken this brew, with a little smoke / peat - all of which cancels out the roastiness / coffee and everything else in the original. Very nice adaptation, though I prefer the original.