Beer Review: Stone Imperial Russian Stout
Beer Sessions

I served this imperial Russian stout from Stone Brewing Co. at our Memorial Day cookout, and to be honest, it was gone so quickly that I barely got in a decent tasting! This is one smooth talking beer, all right. Silky and rich from the first sip to the last, I really can't blame my guests for jealously guarding their glasses.

Beer Details: Stone Imperial Russian Stout from Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA (10.5% ABV, 52 IBUs)

Appearance: Pitch black with a tight cap of mocha-colored foam

Aroma: Roasted coffee beans with a waft of smoke laid on top. Breathe deep and you'll get some spicy hops along with touch of anise.

Taste: One sip and I found myself reduced to mono-syllables: smoky, silky, coffee, sweet, and just plain ol' good. So good that I just kept taking sip after sip, emptying my glass before I realized it was gone. (My advice: buy two bottles.)

The malts are as rich and roasted as freshly-ground coffee, and the woodsy hop flavors add just the right balance of bitterness without actually...well, making it bitter. As it warms, more burnt sugar and herbal notes emerge, especially that sweet licorice flavor. The beer is silky and smooth, but with just enough carbonation to tickle the tongue.

By the by, Stone Brewing Co has also released a version of this beer that they steeped in oak chips and whole star anise pods, and then finished with a bit of Belgian yeast. Look for it labeled Stone BELGO Anise Imperial Russian Stout. I have a bottle on my shelf, and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to share it.

Food Pairings: I'd recommend trying this one on its own first, but the smoky notes in this beer make it a perfect choice for barbecue.

Have you tried this Imperial Russian Stout yet?

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Comments (5)

If you ever get out to San Diego it's worth a trip to the Stone Brewery. They give free tours of their facility and generous samples after the tour. They also have a restaurant there which looks delicious, but we weren't able to stick around to try it that day. Their outdoor space is lovely, too. I'm not a beer drinker, but it was a lovely place to sit and relax while enjoying their craft beers or one of the others they have on tap. They support other craft beer suppliers as well in their restaurant. One thing I did pick up in their gift shop was a bar of beer soap. It's quite nice and manly! :)

One of the best deals for an imperial stout. Surprisingly smooth and balanced on release, with little to no alcohol presence despite the 10.5% abv. As far as I'm aware, the Belgo anise version of the Stone IRS was not barrel aged.

Imperial Russian stout is one of my favorite beer styles, and Stone's is one of my favorite of the style. Yum!

Stone has started their summer Late Night Movies series--I'll definitely be having the Russian Imperial stout while enjoying RiffTrax tomorrow night!

nataku - you're right about the barrel-aging! I just got clarification from the brewery and will update the info in the post asap.

@SewTrashy Next time, plan ahead to go to the restaurant! Seriously amazing dishes and one of my favorite places to eat in all of Southern California!