Contrary to the geography suggested by the name, Russian Imperial Stout was originally brewed in 18th Century England. The name evolved as the Russian Imperial Court developed an early appreciation for this big, intense brew and provided a ready and eager export market.
It's been speculated that no one had a greater appreciation for this rich, roasty elixir than Rasputin, the mystic wag (and favorite of the ladies of the court), who contributed to the ultimate downfall of Czar Nicholas II.
Rasputin is probably best remembered for his dramatic exit. Having been deemed politically expendable, he was fed poisoned wine and tea cakes by his rivals. Surviving that, he was shot several times - whereupon he attacked his assailants. He finally succumbed when bound and stuffed through a hole in the ice to drown in the River Neva. Legends that attribute his tenacity to his appetite for Russian Imperial Stout are unproven.
A rich, intense brew with a robust palate, a fruity nose and a warming finish. Very complex.
Beer Ratings and Reviews:
[1] Review by pootz from between Calgary and Waterloo, Canada who has tried this beer once. (11/20/2008 7:35:58 PM)
"Bottle from trade:
Pours black, light will not penetrate through the glass, Rich mocha colored cap that lasts and laces.
Aroma is ambrosia: dark cocoa, coffee, plumbs, burnt toffee and a deep grassy tone over some sweetness.
The flavor has all the tastes expected in an imperial stout but in spades, and this makes for a very complex amalgam of flavor mid palate and this changes as it warms with every warming sip giving a new set of tastes impressions... here are just some of the notable tastes: dark chocolate, mocha, cherry pipe tobacco, burnt toffee, licorice, anise, figs, prunes, toasted bundt cake, smoked cherry wood...wonderful complexity.
Big full bodied with a viscous mouth fee hugely complex. The best American Imperial.Russian stout."
Aroma:
9/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
8/10
Flavor:
9/10
Overall:
9/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4.3)
Sample Size: 12oz @ $0 Unit Cost: $0 per Pint
[2] Review by changeup45 from Orlando, Florida, USA who has tried this beer once. (10/18/2008 11:31:15 PM)
"Black color and pours with a fairly thick head that settles down to a thin layer rather quickly. The aroma is coffee, molasses and some alchol fumes but it's not that strong of a scent. Roasty malty flavor and lots of molasses with some notes of strong black coffee and dark chocolate as well. Long-lasting bitter finish with some alcohol showing. Tastes a touch flat or thin. Pretty solid beer but I do think it's over-rated. "
Aroma:
7/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
7/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
7/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3.7)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 12oz @ $2.49 Unit Cost: $3.32 per Pint
[3] Review by R.Roux from Chicagoland, IL, USA who has tried this beer a couple times. (9/27/2008 1:01:09 AM)
"Pours an rich, dark brown with a tan, foamy head which disapates rapidly. Smells of chocolate, vanilla, coffee and raisins which mimic the taste. Velvety smooth with a mild alcohol bite. Not nearly as bitter as I was expecting. I'm a hophead whose tastes are now expanding to stouts. Recommended."
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
8/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 12oz @ $1.5 Unit Cost: $2 per Pint
[4] Review by mmmmBeer from Edmonton, Canada who has tried this beer a couple times. (8/7/2008 2:36:00 PM)
"Extremely dark brown pretty much black with a thin film floating on top and a thicker layer ringing the edge of my glass, fairly standard look for the style. Coffee aroma with a nice bitter chocolate and sweet berries. Yum yum yummy aroma maybe a touch mild though, alcohol starts to show up when warmer but its very mild. Very burnt flavor with a sweet creaminess in the back ground. Lots of coffee in the flavor but its not a coffee bomb. Beer has a nice thick full creamy mouth feel. The burnt bitterness of the flavor lingers for a very long time. Flavor becomes chalky when beer warms. Nice impy stout very easy drinking. Nat says this smells like prunes and booze."
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
6/10
Mouthfeel:
9/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
7/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3.8)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 12oz @ $3.6 Unit Cost: $4.8 per Pint
[5] Review by beercronic from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who has tried this beer a couple times. (7/16/2008 1:08:37 AM)
"i remember the first time I drank this beer - back in '02 in my oversized hotel room in Temecula, CA. I used a lamp to open this beer and all the other ones. I had no idea what this was, I'd never had a beer remotely near to this... I almost died but somehow loved it none the less. At the time is was the harshest beer I'd ever had. I followed it up with some DFH Chicory Stout, which was another sodomy of the mind. I digress....
Poured out a large, creamy caramel coloured head that has amazing retention and leaves 360 degree lacing that layered like a well poured Guinness. The aroma is interesting but not the headliner for this beer. It's a really good even mix of biscuit, chocolate, coffee and orange with smoke and grapefruit. Gets fruitier as it warms. This is an incredibly soft and creamy beer! The taste revolves around lots and lots of malts (roast, caramel, biscuit), lots of chocolate, coffee that is more in the background and tied in with the bitterness, roasted nuts, grapefruit, alcohol, sweet cinnamon candy, more fruit. So complex. Smooth beyond smooth. Full bodied, super fine carbonation, very thick indeed, very very long lasting bitterness with the mildest of coffee, obvious citrus hop finish. Ooop - just had some bakers chocolate show up right at the end. The after taste during the first quarter of glass was pretty harsh, almost bad in the way that it pulverized the end of the flavor but thankfully that fades. Wow - incredibly drinkable. My only qualm is that I think this beer would benefit from a bit less hops, not much, just a bit as they are fine in this brew."
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
10/10
Mouthfeel:
9/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4.3)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 12oz @ $3.6 Unit Cost: $4.8 per Pint
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(4.3)
