Wellington Imperial Russian Stout

Brewed by Wellington County Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Guelph, Canada

Serve in Snifter

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jet black colour with a tan head. I find the aroma quite mute but there is roas, espresso and a cereal sweetness in there. I find this beer quite lite considering the style, a fast palate that has all those roasted and malted notes but lacks any complexity. Boring brew if you ask me, for an imperial stout I was expecting more flavour.

Appearance: Black, opaque, tan head which dissipates quickly but has a nice ring remaining around the edge of the glass. Aroma: Less roasty than I expected, kind of florally, not much complexity in the nose, some alcohol aroma. Flavour: More coffee/chocolate in the flavour, very tasty, not too bitter, not too sweet. Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy, long dry finish with some warming alcohol in the aftertaste. Nice flavour. Medium to full bodied with good balance. Overall: Very drinkable imperial.

Cask at Beer Bros Bistro. Pours black with no head or lacing. Nose is espresso, dark chcolate and roasted grain. Flavours are mostly the same with a really nice espresso bitterness to the finish. Medium body with low carbonation. Alcohol really well hidden, dangerously drinkable. Nice beer!

Tall can from LCBO. Pours a jet black topped with a thin beige head, specks of lacing here and there. Aroma is a pleasant mix of roasted malts, coffee beans and dark chocolate, maybe a tad reserved for the style. Good bitter, roasty flavors up front in the mouth, balanced out by a caramel sweetness that gradually tapers off into a slightly dry, earthy cocoa finish. Body is on the thin side, yet makes for easy drinking. A good stout, though those of the Russian Imperial variety demand a certain boldness that is lacking here.

Can @ Chriso. Pours a black color with a small tan head. Has a roasted malty chocolate and caramel aroma. Roasted malty sweetish chocolate and caramel flavor. Has a roasted malty chocolate and caramel finish.

473 ml can thanks to (non-ratebeer) Andrei/Torpedo20! Sampled on December 2, 2012.
Dark brown to black color, dark brown head. Sweet, malty, salty, rich taste. Roasted aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, medium bitterness. Sweet, dried fruits, roasted scent.

Fizz and liquorice sort of ruin this beer for me. It has some nice reasonably deep roasty elements and the colour is fine but it lacks the core strength and structure to hold onto anything more complex. Time to go back to the drawing board I’m afraid.

Nov 28 2012. 500ml can pours black with 2 inch thick bubbly tan head. Head settles to a thick cap and leaves a little sticky lacing. Looks and smells rich and strong. Dark bitter chocolate on nose with hints of hops and sour bread. Flavour is bitter chocolate, black licorice and toasty malts. The licorice overpowers much of the depth and hides any alcohol. Palate is a tad fizzy but bitterness cuts any sign of alcohol and leaves lasting finish. Too bad I don’t like black licorice, otherwise this would be great.

Can at Chriso Tasting, London. Thanks, Chris! Pours oily black with a brown foam cap. Dark malt nose with notes of tar and rich bread. Burnt toast and dark sugars in the flavor, with some baking cocoa as well. Medium to full in body, lightly chewy. Sweet finish, lightly sticky with licorice, chocolate and modest roast. Good balance, nice nuance.

Poured into a stout glass from at tall can from LCBO. Aroma is dark chocolate and nutty, with a bit of musty-ness. Not really picking up anything in particular from the hops (to be expected from this style)... maybe a bit of piney-ness. Pours with thick mocha head that quickly subsides to tan miniscus. Some lacing. Deep dark brown in colour. The taste is a very nice dark chocolate, the bitterness from the hops almost perfectly replicates what you would experience with a very dark chocolate... very nice. For 8%, you can really only pick up a bit of alcohol in the taste near the finish, but it blends so well with the bitterness... Good stuff. As for the mouth feel, the beer feels fairly dry for what it is, and carbonation is best described as ’fizzy’ - I could probably do with a bit less. Overall an interesting beer with amazing taste, and nice appearance. Worth trying for sure. Fizzy on the tongue.