Stout Impériale Russe, 8%
VISUAL |
 |
FLAVORS |
 |
SENSATIONS |
 |
BALANCE |
 |
INTENSITY |
|
FRESHNESS |
 |
COMPLEXITY |
|
APPRECIATION |
|
Imperial Russian Stout, 8%. 6 months old bottle : Almost opaque very dark brown color with a copper hue. Creamy brown 2 finger head, lasting around 5-10 minutes, with decent legs. Flavors of plums, dark berries, orange peels, coffee beans, toffee, vanilla, liquorice, clove, peppercorn, walnuts, oak and smoke, dark roasted malts with leafy herbal hops. Slick and creamy full body with light crispy carbonation. Very strong finish, dry and slightly vinous, thick resinous feel on the tongue that last for a moment, although very well balanced and still enjoyable. Deeply sweet and earthy, while highly acidic. So it’s a pretty good solid interpretation, highly spicy as it should, still with an inch of remaining freshness that makes it more drinkable. Densely malty and fruity similar to a barleywine, while smokey and coarse like a Baltic Porter. Very tasty with a comforting warmth. Lots of character and refinement. Overall excellent quality craft.