Beverage of the Week 4/20/2006
      Stone Brewing Company Imperial Russian Stout

One of the nice things about running your own publication or web-site is that no one can tell you what to do.  VinoCritic is, of course, a web site about wine.  But this week I decided to highlight a wonderful alcoholic beverage that is not a wine.  It is the Imperial Russian Stout, brewed by Stone Brewing Company, a San Diego local microbrewery based out of Escondido.  Stone has been around since 1996, and makes a variety of full bodied ales, pale ales, and India Pale Ales.  From time to time, they release small batch special brews that are available for a limited time, and then disappear for a year.  The Imperial Russian Stout was released last week, and will probably be gone soon.  It is released once every year.

This stout has a lot in common with fine wine.  It has a complex bouquet, it presents several flavors to the palate, it has an interesting mouthfeel, and a real finish.  For those wine lovers who crave an interesting brew, look no further.  I would imaging that this brew will appeal to those who like Barolos, traditional Brunellos, and other smoky, tarry, full bodied vins.  Greg Koch, CEO of Stone, tells me that this stout can age like a wine if kept under proper conditions.  He states quite emphatically that if one goes to the trouble of ageing this brew properly, it will change and mature and become more complex, without breaking down for several years.  Proper cellaring techniques must be used, however.


The 2006 Stone Imperial Russian Stout has a very dark color.  In fact,  it is really more black than brown.  As you can see from the picture, it has a lovely cafe-au-lait colored head.  When you pour the "beer" from the bottle, you can see that it is a thick, viscous brew as you watch it slide down the side of your glass.  Just like with wine, this stout will be better enjoyed with proper glassware.  Don't drink it out of the bottle.  The bouquet is smokey, and has notes of fresh roasted coffee, dark roasted malts, and sensual dark chocolate.  The chocolate notes carry on to the palate, as do the roasted malts, as you would expect.  Toffee notes and a bit of caramel are also present.  There are even some very subtle flavors of stewed plum here, but this IS NOT a fruity beer.  Not even close.   I think this is the most complex "Beer" beverage I have had, and I have had a lot of beer in my day.  The mothfeel of this full bodied brew is  soft and creamy.  The finish is smooth, but has a wonderfully bitter kick, like a fine dark chocolate.  The finish also has a warming sensation.  This is explained by the 10% alcohol content of this brew.  The alcohol is so well concealed that the warming sensation is the only clue I had that this brew was twice the strength of most beers.  Ordinarily I dislike high alcohol beer, since it usually overpowers the rest of the flavors.  But here the alcohol is seamlessly integrated, just like in a nice wine.

This brew pairs well with food, and will complement a roast, a stew, or a hearty red meat sandwich.  I actually drank the beer with a decadent chocolate dessert, and it paired as well as any port would have!

The only problem with the Stone Imperial Russian Stout is that it is produced in minute quantities.  It was released April 17, and when it's gone, there won't be any more until next spring.   The brew can be found at several retailers across southern California that ordinarily carry the Stone line of beers, (such as Stone Arrogant Bastard, Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Pale Ale, etc.).  Your best bet is to call ahead first, since not all stores that carry Stone will be getting an allotment of Imperial Russian Stout.  I do know that many of the Beverages and More stores received the beer, but they are selling out fast.

This is a 5 star brew.  Bravo, gentlemen!

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To go directly to Stone Brewing Company's website, click here.