Hello, Faithful Readers, and welcome to another beer review. This time, I bring you the third and final brew from the Samuel Adams Imperial Series, the Imperial Stout.
I have previously reviewed the other two beers in the series, the Double Bock and the Imperial White, here. I liked neither, although to be fair, I am not really a fan of the doppelbock style in general. Still, for a die-hard Sam Adams fan like me, disliking 2 out of 3 was a major disappointment so everything came down to this final beer. Fortunately, I really like Russian Imperial Stouts, and besides, how can anyone screw up an Imperial Stout? Read the label and find out:
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If you took a good look at the picture above you realize that aside from giving us some history on Russian Imperial Stouts in general, and info on this brew in particular, you see that they call this their 'take' on a RIS. And take it from me, a faithful interpretation of a RIS this is not.
As is typical for a stout this beer is thick and black. Light will not make it through. Sadly, not much head is formed. It takes a rough pour to get a finger or so of khaki colored, foamy stout head. The retention is not good at all and the lacing is very scant.
It doesn't smell like your average stout but that doesn't mean it's not inviting. There are notes of licorice and dark chocolate and roasted malt. It's also slightly bready and sweeter than expected, although there are hops back there somewhere. Complex indeed, with a hint of alcohol drifting up as well.
Upon tasting this viscous brew there is a thick hit of chocolate malt upfront. The licorice sweetness is apparent and consistant. The finish is of hop and alcohol, which makes sense since this is a 9.20% abv brew. While the alcohol taste is not strong, it is not inconspicuous.
I had a hard time pinpointing the odd mix of flavors present here but be assured that this is not your typical RIS at all. There is more to it but the bitter fruity sweetness mixed with the alcohol bite made me wish I had an Old Rasputin instead.
This stout isn't a bad beer, and it gets a B+ on Beeradvocate.com (out of 347 reviews so far), but it's nowhere near what I was expecting. Much like the Imperial White, the Sam Adams folks tried to experiment and failed with this idea, at least in my opinion. Some of you might disagree and I can understand why, therefore I will call this a Glass 1/2 FULL but include the following warning: This is a slightly different take on the RIS, it deviates from the norm and the taste reflects it. If you can handle that then you might just enjoy this well-made beer.
Now, as far as what I think about the Imperial Series as a whole? It is a plain and simple disappointment. They tried to get creative and make some really big, colorfull beers and fell short. Thats ok though, not every experiment is going to be a success. I still consider Samuel Adams to be the top brewer in America. But don't take my word for it, go find out for yourselves. Cheers!
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