After first hearing about this one last year, I’ve been on a constant look out for it. For nearly two years I’ve toiled, fought and searched for this elusive beer. I’ve… oh, who am I kidding? After not being able to find Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout, one of my local shops all of a sudden had a bunch of it about a week ago. At the time I only picked up a couple of bottles as I had already spent enough money running errands that day.
This past weekend the shop still had a few bottles and I had a few more dollars to my name — and now the remainder of the store’s stock. Having finally enjoyed this stout I may have finally found that beer to overthrow the mad monk from the top of my favorites list.
Appearance
Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout pours nearly black in the tulip glass with a large, full brown head that, as it faded, left nice sticky lacing.
Aroma
Upon the first sniff, I wanted to dive into a sea of this brew. It smells heavenly. Roasted coffees and rich, dark chocolates prevail as a clear alcohol presence made it’s appearance known.
Taste
Yup, I’m not sure the rest of these bottles are going to last long. This is one of the tastier stouts I’ve enjoyed in a long time. It’s thick and smooth with rich coffee tones and a sweet chocolate presence. There’s also a subtle, yet undeniable smoke that really comes through in the finish.
Overall
Sorry, Old Rasputin, but there’s a new king in town. Now, that’s not to say that I am going to abandon my favorite North Coast beer (I’ve got several in the cellar that I’m excited about), but it has now be replaced by a gargoyle as my favorite stout.
Rating: 4.5/5
May 19th, 2008
Chipper Dave said:
It’s a hard toss up between my love for Old Rasputin and Stone IRS. I equally loved both. I also have to throw in Oskar Blues Ten Fidy into the mix as well as a hefty stout contender. So many good dark brews out there. If one happens to be within reach than I’m most likely grabbing for it. I’m aging some Old Rasputin myself. Problem is I probably will open them up sooner than I was planning.