Russian Imperial Stouts In The Summer
I have been on a bit of a Stout kick lately. I know, Summer is just about here and the temperatures are rising, typically not the time of year to be drinking big, heavy bodied, dark beers. But, I love Stouts and I drink them year round. The other night I had a hankering for a big beer. It was kind of cool and raining, so I dug into my beer fridge and pulled out a bottle of Stone Imperial Russian Stout , 2009 edition. Stone releases this beer each year in April, just in time for warmer weather. Hmm…I guess if Stone can release this beer in the warm weather I can certainly drink it. It’s the least I can do.
Appearance: A nearly completely black liquid with a beautiful, light brown creamy head poured out of the bottle into my tulip glass. There was just a hint hint of dark red in the color as well. The lacing was very good but not excellent. This is a great looking beer.
Smell: There is a ton of dark, roasted malt aromas along with dark fruit like plum, fig and raisin. I also got some coffee and chocolate in the background and also some sweetness (maybe the alcohol coming through). There is a lot going on here.
Taste: This is a BIG beer. The predominant component of the taste is roasted, almost charred malt. The fruit comes through along with coffee (more espresso then regular coffee) and a slight bittersweet chocolate. I got a bit of hops but not much, surprising since the IBU’s are supposed to be 90. The beer coats your mouth and is full bodied and almost creamy.
Drinkability: Considering the higher ABV (10.5%), this drinks very well. It goes down very smoothly leaving a slight sweet malt and coffee fruit followed by a crisp and dry finish.
This is the 1st Stone IRS I’ve had and I’ll be back for more. This is a great beer with lots of flavor. The roasted malts and dark fruits are great and there’s also a nice chocolate and coffee component that balances things out. The beer is big and heavy and coats the mouth as you drink it. It is one of the best Stouts I’ve had. I’m going to try to get a couple more bottles and put them away to try later (like in 1-2 years). I have a 12oz bottle of the 2008 that I’ll try next year. It will be interesting to see how the beer changes over time.
Here’s the score:
1. Appearance- 9 points (out of 10)
2. Smell- 9 points (out of 10)
3. Taste- 19 points (out of 20)
4. Drinkability- 8 points (out of 10)
Total 45 (out of 50) Points -4 Mugs
Nice review. It sounds excellent. I have a 2008 in the cupboard that I’m waiting to drink. I was lucky enough to drink this on tap in London recently and it was stunning – very special indeed. Stone haven’t sent anything to the UK for a while and all stocks have dried up so I’m hoping there’ll be a massive shipment coming in soon featuring this beer and some IPAs. I’m craving Ruination!
This is my favourite beer! Whenever I drink a bottle, I get a buzz that lasts for about two days afterwards.
I bought a case (twenty-four of the smaller bottles, 2008 edition) at the start of the year. I’ve opened a bottle every month or so, and I think that it’s already noticeably more smooth and sublime.
Like Mark D., I’ve got my fingers crossed that Stone send a lot of beer to the UK soon. I’m rapidly running out of Ruination, and missed the opportunity to get hold of their Smoked Porter, 12 Anniversary Ale and Cali-Belgique when they became available last Winter…
I’ve got 1 12oz bottle of the 2008 that I am saving til at least 2010 to try in a comparison with a 2009 and maybe the 2010, a little vertical tasting event. That should be fun!
I want to find the 2009 IRS on draft somewhere, I’m sure it’s fantastic.
Hopefully you guys get some more Stone stuff over there. In the meantime I’l keep buying it and reviewing it. I’ve got a Cali-Belgique I need to try here as a matter of fact.
Looks so nice and gooooooood… oh my I wish Stone was distributed here in Quebec, Canada… Always have to smuggle some illegaly (or legally sometime) through customs. They do great beers! Stone IPA Ruination… oh my god this is one hell of a good beer!!
Cheers everyone!
Just picked up 2 bottles of this. I had one after work today…WOW. Going to pick up the remaining bottles at the store tomorrow, this is a beer to age for sure.
Eric,
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Sorry to hear that you can’t get Stone beers very often. They are a great brewer. I really like the Ruination as well. Keep reading and please suggest some beers for me to review. If I can get them, I’ll review them!
Good stuff, huh? I have 2 extra bottles that I will try over the next couple of years. Should be interesting!