Beer Reviews Plain and Simple

Stone – Imperial Russian Stout

This is the second time I have had this beer and point blank I would have to say I love it.  Many of the brews coming out of Stone don’t float my boat but this one had me thinking about buying a case and seeing how well it ages (it is supposed to age well).  As you might be able to ascertain from the picture there is no head on this beer and it is dark…very dark.  It has a strong lasting taste but is not overly bitter.  The initial taste is very smooth but if left to sit in your mouth the bitterness will hit you and a hint of coffee will leak through.  The smell of the beer has no prominent scent except for alcohol. The pour of this beer is thick and is almost too easy to pour .

The website for this beer describes the beer as having hints of “anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness and alcohol.”  Since I am not exactly sure what anise and black currants are I will have to take their word on that.  I can taste a very, very faint hint of coffee but the roastiness and alcohol are definitely there!  This beer has an ABV at 10.8% which makes it a decently strong beer, although not the strongest I have ever tried.  The taste of the beer changes as it warms up, becoming more mellow, less bitter, and the flavors more distinctive.

The Good: Delicious taste in an utterly dark beer, this beer truly could be chewed.

The Bad: I am not sure what type of food would go with it, that would be the one down side I could think of, it would probably kick the living shit out of any food you had.

Overall taste:  

Bitterness:  

Smoothness:  

Cheers!

Related posts:

1. Full Sail – Black Gold Imperial Stout
2. Stone – Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
3. Beer Review: Stone – 14th Anniversary Imperial IPA
4. Beer Review: Brewdog Paradox Smokehead – An imperial stout matured in islay whisky casks
5. Beer Review: Southern Star Brewing Company – Buried Hatchet Stout