By Aimee Fausser ’12
Reviewer

The last time I reviewed beers here, I selected a combination of winter seasonal releases to taste. Because it is still cold out and there’s snow on the ground, I’m still reviewing beers in one of the styles that I touched upon last time, the Russian Imperial Stout, which is characterized by dark flavors, moderate carbonation, and high alcohol by volume (ABV).

All of the beers here can be purchased at Wine Warehouse on Hydraulic Road, and are best enjoyed out of a snifter, if choice of glassware is something that matters to you. These beers change quite a bit as they warm, so I’d also suggest drinking them slowly to be able to experience the tastes fully.

In my last review, I tried the Stone Imperial Russian Stout. I’ll summarize it here quickly before moving on to the rest of the beers I’ll be reviewing today in a more in-depth fashion for those who are interested in comparing it. The IRS is probably best when shared with a friend (as all good beer should be!). It comes in a 750 mL bottle and has 10.5 percent ABV, and despite this quantity of alcohol still manages to be highly drinkable. Smoky, heavy, and earthy both in smell and taste, the IRS’s flavor is characterized with hints of roast coffee beans, dark fruits, molasses, and brown sugar.

The North Coast Brewing Company makes Old Rasputin, a nine percent ABV Russian Imperial Stout that is characterized by a plum-tinted very dark color, and a finger or so of chocolate head that disappears fairly quickly, leaving wisps of what looks like chocolate foam on the top of the beer. It smells of dark chocolate, wood, smoke, and earth, along with some fruit notes—cherries and raisins in particular—and just a hint of anise and vanilla syrup. While it’s still cold, it’s also a bit metallic in smell. The taste is of dark fruits tempered with heavy coffee and a roasted nutty flavor with some lightly burnt toast. Initially quite hot tasting, and with an aftertaste of coffee and hops, but as it warms becomes creamy and slightly minty and sweet. Very light, fine carbonation bubbles are in this very heavy beer, making it go down pretty smoothly. This one was pretty good, but probably my least favorite of what I’m reviewing here.

Bell’s Expedition, a 10.5 percent ABV, is one that you can’t skip trying. The high ABV results in less than spectacular appearance, but it’s still very nice looking for the style—an opaque, dark, cherry-toned beer with tiny, slow moving carbonation bubbles and lacing that glitters down the edge of the glass as it’s drunk. It smells wonderful from the moment the bottle is opened—heavy milky caramel, vanilla, and slight toffee, as well as rum soaked fruits—raisins, prunes, apricots, and sweet cherries. There’s also quite a bit of licorice, particularly when agitated, as well as a hint of sweet apple pie as it warms. The taste is quite earthy and smoky, especially in the aftertaste. The fruit and candy flavors in the nose definitely take a back seat here until it warms, becoming almost syrupy in the flavor. The least impressive feature of this beer is the mouth feel, which I find to be a little dry and smoky. It has little heat for the amount of alcohol in it and is definitely a great beer.

The Victory Storm King pours an opaque dark leathery brown with about a finger of head, which looks like it belongs on a latté. There is little to no motion evident unless the brew is held up to the light, revealing some tiny carbonation bubbles. It smells extremely metallic with coffee and dark chocolate notes, as well as dominant earth and smoke. There are also some subtle fruit notes that aren’t completely swallowed by the heavier flavors—they come across as strawberries while the beer is still cold, and sweet raisins as it warms (though this is quite different from the dark raisiny scent in many beers). It also gets a bit minty as it warms. The taste, again, is very heavy in metal, oak, leather, and earth notes, as well as some hoppy pine. There is a bit of coffee present, but even more than that, I taste a bit of molasses and caramel, which provides a nice counterpoint to the more abrasive tastes. The aftertaste is quite metallic and bitter, and hoppy as it warms. The more it warms, the more intense the hops become, and the aftertaste becomes more and more like a broiled grapefruit with brown sugar. It is quite warming and pleasant and goes down more like a 6 or 7 percent than a 9.1 percent. The very fine carbonation bubbles are done nearly perfectly, and lift the flavors up to your mouth while at the same time not popping too much and ruining the feel for the style. The only thing I can complain about, aside from the aftertaste (which I find to be a little much, personally) is that it’s a bit foamy. The Storm King exceeded my expectations and first impressions as it warmed.

All of these beers are fairly inexpensive and good examples of the style—and a perfect way to wrap up a week of law reading right after break. Welcome back—it’s time to drink some good craft beer.