Stone Imperial Russian Stout

This was once my favorite beer and I have drank over a dozen bottles of it over the last 3 years. I gave up my love affair with it due to inconsistent quality. On 2 or 3 occasions my experience was transc endently good and I would have gave it 6 out of 5 stars if such a thing were possible. On all other occasions it varied in quality from 2 to 4 stars. Most of the bottles were I purchased from John’s Market in Portland, Oregon. I do not have reason to think that any of them were very old.

2007 vintage. Pours black and oily with a brown head. Aroma of vanilla, dark roast, some dark fruits and a little alcohol. Flavors are semi-sweet cocoa, alcohol and more roast. Medium to heavy mouthfeel with low carbonation. Nice.

Bottle from Kegs & Barrels in Plano, TX. Pours a great looking black with rich chocolate head. Aroma of strong dark roast, hops, baking cocoa. Flavor is strong dark roast, baking chocolate, hops, nice bitter. Mouth feel is heavy body, silky, low-medium carbonation. Overall, very good stout.

On draught at Rattle N Hum (NYC): Black pour, brown head. Intense flavor hits the palate with roasted coffee, nutty and chocolate flavors. Heavy. Balanced. Usually not a fan of stouts but this one has won me over. Best stout I’ve ever had. #009 on 14062009, DG.

Bottle shared with slines and barrios. Beautiful black pour with great sustaining brown head. Coffee, milk chocolate, alcohol, cherries, roast nuttiness. i’d actually say this should be called imperial milk stout. Simply wonderful.

Pours a tan, lacing head with an opaque, dark brown body. Smells of coffee, milk chocolate, and bubblegum. Flavor is roast, bubblegum, coffee, milk chocolate. Finish has an excellent hop bitterness with a coffee profile.

Bottle claims to be limited spring 2007 edition. This review starts with the horrible image of beercronic deep throating the bottle while crouched in ball because we did the entire review within the confines of the conversation hut. Dark brown to black body very dark brown cap that wasn’t all that thick. Aroma is very smooth , coffee, not bitter chocolate, possibly blue berry but this might only because gully swears he smells it, possibly some liquorish, and I think cinnamon. This smell fairly similar to most other impy stouts only this is a billion times better. Sweet smooth coffee, chocolate cinnamon, fresh baked bread, peach, this taste is fawking awesome. It like liquid dessert. The chocolate is so rich without being overly bitter. Alcohol comes through very mildly. Mouth feel is beyond smooth and creamy. Burnt marshmallow is showing up in the finish or this could possibly be vanilla. Just like the aroma the taste isn’t all that different from other impy stouts it’s just way better than them somehow. I’m starting to taste nut now that the beer is warm. This truly lives up to its hype and the stupid high Quality of Stone beers. I would gladly trade buddy the cat for another bottle.

This is finally available in Texas! Looks as black as possible with a little brown head. Smells of coffee, roasted malts. Flavor was very smooth and balanced with coffee, chocolate, a little hop bitterness to balance it all out. Very good but I liked Black Albert more.