4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20Bottled. An opaque black beer with a large and creamy beige head. Aroma is roasted malt, caramel, burnt sugar chocolate and hops. Taste is malty, roasted, caramel, coffee, dried fruits, licorie. Alcoholic and but balanced. Nice thick texture. Bitter finish. Amazing beer
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
I received a 12oz bottle of a 2008 vintage in a trade with "Ding" (thanks, man!). It actually had an "enjoy by" date of 1/1/2013. I poured it into a tulip glass.
Appearance: Completely opaque black of the deepest shades. Forms a small, brown, foamy head which mostly dissipates but not completely and leaves minor lacing on the glass.
Smell: An interesting combination of red grape, orange citrus and chocolate syrup.
Taste: If you know me you’d probably assume I drink "Stone IRS" every year, but I actually haven’t had this beer in quite a few years. I was definitely excited to try a 5-year-old vintage of it since I do remember it being quite an intense beer when it was fresh. The aging has definitely helped to take the edge off, though the flavors seem a tad muted as well. It’s a small price to pay because the net result is still a complex and delicious beer.
A delicious blend of chocolate, black licorice, red grape, some orange fruit and just enough bitterness to balance it out. I do remember a fresh vintage having a slightly sour/tart note, which is barely recognizable this time around. Chocolate syrup is still quite prominent, as is some black licorice or root beer flavors but without any spiciness. There’s some black cherry through the middle along with slightly dank hoppiness coupled with some orange flavor. A beer this beer needs plenty of hops to balance it out and after five years they’ve faded a bit as it’s not exactly a bitter bomb, but still retains enough hop character to maintain the balance as the sweetness never becomes cloying. The alcohol has faded to the background well, though it’s still noticeable and does tie all the flavors together. This is definitely one of the best examples of the style I’ve ever had.
Drinkability: After five years in the cellar, Stone Imperial Russian Stout has mellowed wonderfully. The mouthfeel is soft, smooth and slightly slick but not oily. It goes down remarkably easy and is only slightly dry in the aftertaste. The 10.8% ABV weight is quite efficient as the beer is still overtly strong, but its actual boozy character has mellowed and is easily tolerable. I highly recommend cellaring a bottle since the results are this good.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Smell is a little boozy with roasty chocolate/coffee flavors. Taste is a little on the sweeter side. Mouthfeel is very smooth. Very good flavors, time in the bottle (1 year+) should do this beer very well.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Sweet, roasty, malty, boozy aroma. Pours opaque brown almost black with a thick lasting dark tan head. Smooth, roasted cocoa, dry slightly bitter finish. Hints of toffee sweetness.
3.8 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 9/20
Aroma of dark roasted malts, nuts, chocolate, and brownies. ( Yum!)? Pours an ink black with a quickly dissipating tan head and no lacing. The taste is complex and wonderfully bitter! Dark roasted malts, and bitter coffee grounds, dark chocolate, and hints of fruit. Full body with medium carbonation. Overall, this is an excellant bitter imperial stout. Would buy again.
3.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
I feel like i should have waited a few more months before i had this, still a very young Imperial stout as it was brewed this year. Although it was still very enjoyable stout, with big coffee flavours and well hidden alcohol. Definitely need to let this one warm up a little!
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours dark black with a nice brown head. Taste is roasted malts, coffee, dark red fruit and anis. Too much fruit but still very nice.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle from capitol beer. Pours black with Brown head. Taste is lots of toasted malt and coffee. Great stout
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
Pours black with a brown head. Coffee, chocolate, molasses, some sweetness but well balanced with bitterness, alcohol but still drinkable. This is one of my favorite imperial stouts.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
2.7 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
shared with ships liloangel
pours black, grey/brown foam .
much coffee in the smell , low carbo. buitter, coffee, caramel, dry sugar and very smoked as it warms up . TOO smoked ( everything smoked is TOO smoked for me)
got to be one of the worst beers in the top 50 . for sure...
groundpour as NOBODY liked it ...
note : has been in contact with ( undirect) sunlight for a month or 3 ... so if i have it again withoud that issue, i will, as always, re-rate
3.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 9/20
A stout stout for sure... .................................. ....... ....... ....
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