Stone Brewing Company Imperial Russian Stout (365 Day 329)

By scot in 365 Days of American Craft Beer, Beer on Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

After enjoying Stone Smoked Porter for American craft beer number 328 yesterday, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to check out another Stone Brewing Company beer for number 329.

A bottle of Imperial Russian Stout from 2009 was beckoning. Earlier this year I had a 2010 bottle that I split with Chuck. The 2009 bottle proved to me that the 2010 bottle should have been aged another year before partaking.

By comparison the 2009 bottle had lost a lot of residual sugars becoming drier. The molasses and cloying nature of the 2010 version was gone, creating an easier beer to drink, raising my level of appreciation. The smokiness that I picked up in the 2010 vintage seemed to turn more to an ashy flavor that came late in the taste. That would be the only change that I didn’t really care for in the older vintage. Enjoy!

Aroma: 8 (25%), Taste: 9 (25%), Look: 9 (15%), Drinkability: 8 (35%), Overall: 8.4

Useless Fact: President John Tyler had fifteen children.