Ten Years Of Great Imperial Stouts
This year, 2010, is the tenth anniversary of Stone Brewing Company’s Imperial Russian Stout. I reviewed the 2009 version of this beer last June and really enjoyed it. I made a note to get the 2010 version as soon as I could and review it. Well, it’s May of 2010 and I bought 4 bottles of this beer (one for now, three for later). Time to review this beer and see how it compares to the 2009 version. I grilled up a big steak on the Big Green Egg and bought some Whoopee Pies to try with the beer:
Well, the 2010 Imperial Russian Stout lived up to my high expectations. This is a damn good beer! I could pretty much copy my thoughts from last year’s version for this year. Here is what I said in June of 2009:
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.
That pretty much describes the beer. This is a beer that you need to try, especially if you like Imperial Stouts. It was excellent by itself, went fantastic with the Rib-eye steak I grilled up on the Big Green Egg, and went fine with the Whoopee Pie (the real test of a quality beer 
) I had for dessert. I have zero complaints about this beer. I have three extra bottles in my basement along with 3 from 2009 and 1 bottle of the 2008. I am looking forward to doing a mini vertical tasting next year to see how the beer ages. That should be a great time for whoever drinks those beers with me. Stone Brewing has a real winner on its hands here so go out and buy a few bottles to see for yourself what I’m talking about!
Here is the score:
- Appearance- 9 points (out of 10)
- Smell- 9 points (out of 10)
- Taste- 19 points (out of 20)
- Drinkability- 9 points (out of 10)
Total 46 (out of 50) Points- A 5 Mug Rating
ABV 10.5%
Approximate Calories
525-595(12oz)
This has become one of my favorite imperial stouts. I actually picked up a case of it this year, and will try to save a few so I can enjoy them with age for the next few years. I have a feeling I will make it a tradition to get a case each year…they go excellent with a nice Maduro cigar.
Hey Chris,
I’m thinking that I should get a couple more bottles of the 2010. It’s a delicious beer and I could easily see how this beer would go great with a good cigar.
You do a great job with your beer reviews. I’m just an amateur. I do know that hops are bitter and I can get various nuances such as coffee from porters. What do malts normally taste like? Like when you say ‘malty taste’? I’d like to get into reviewing different beers in the future! Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Welcome to the world of Craft Beer! It’s a lot of fun. The mix of hops and malts is wonderful. Malts will contribute a lot of the body to the beer and often have many different flavors, such as sweet, coffee, roasted, chocolate, etc. When I say “malty taste” I usually mean that the malts are more prominent than the hops. If you want to study up on the different types and styles of beer I’d suggest you get a book called Tasting Beer, by Randy Mosher. It’s a fantastic book. Hope that helps!
thanks a lot!!
Beer and Heavy metal to me make the ultimate combo! Oh and add some tasty food too!