Stone – Imperial Russian Stout
Jan5
Like the bottle says it pours like crude oil!
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!
Avery – Mephistopheles’ Stout (2006)
Dec0
a devilishly strong stout
When I chose this stout, I was going off of a few things I know I like. Firstly, I love darks, and stouts are one of my favorite. Second, I’ve had a few Avery beers, and usually they have a way of putting a spin on a beer that’s a little bit different, a little better. Finally, I wanted a nicer, more expensive beer, to have with a nice meal. Oh, and I have a history of drinking beers with Demon heads on them, but that’s a different story.
So when I was at my local bottled beer retailer, Bottleworks, and I saw the red foiled, shiny stout, I thought I would give it a whirl. Little did I know, this devious brew was going to give me a whirl!
What I didn’t take note of, is that this beer has a 16.03% alcohol by volume. Once again I remind you, this is not a tipple or IPA, but a stout. I opened and it poured nicely, with a beautiful rich and dark head. However on first sip, Mephistopheles informed me why this was his stout. The first sip is almost antiseptic in nature. The malted barley and hops were not meant to be bent and twisted to this high of an ABV. The after taste is barely recognizable, like fine vodka. I’m drinking it straight out the refrigerator, and even at this cold, I can smell the mouthwash aroma.
I decided to finish my meal, and let this beast sit. Perhaps patience will dominate it.
15 min later, the brew is losing its alcoholic punch, and the Stout is coming out to let its self be know. It still needs to still a bit longer.
I’ve finished my meal, cleaned the dishes, and I look across the room, at this dominating stout, and give in, and decide to finish it. The alcohol flavor has passed as much as it is going to. What’s left is one of the strongest stout flavors I’ve ever imbibed. There is almost an oaky finish, while maintaining a velvety smooth texture. I like it, but I know that this beer is my better. I doubt I will finish it within the hour. Avery has twisted this stout into a demon, only those strong enough should attempt to drink.
The Good: When you get to it, it’s got a super flavorful body. Very Stouty, very smooth.
The Bad: Huge ABV. “This is going to hurt” kind of ABV.
The Evil: Meph’s Stout is 100% evil. it makes you want to drink it, and punishes you the whole way.