“A black, velvety Russian imperial stout with characters of liquorice, coffee and molasses. Roasted malts and a rich alcohol presence drive the palate, with a lingering bitter finish.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black with a short tan head which holds together well. We’re always a little skeptical of Russian Imperial’s that don’t have a dark brown head but we’re not going to write it off this early. Excellent cascading lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: Big, deep and roasty. The aromas aren’t jumping out of the glass by any means but dig the nose in far enough and you’ll get a plethora of dark, malty essence that should warm the bones. The booze burn is there but it isn’t prominent which is a plus. Rich dark chocolate, molasses, ash, sweet espresso, coffee, Galliano/licorice, woody spice, burnt vanilla and sponge finger make up the bulk of it.

Flavour: Sooo rich and indulgent. Again, like the nose, the booze burn is noticeable but not overcooked. If anything it adds more heat and bottom end to the base flavours of dark chocolate, molasses, espresso and licorice. Hits a bit of an astringent note midway but it’s short lived and the quartet of richness surges into the lavish and warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Velvety and full bodied but we can’t ignore that slightly sharp booze burn (11.2% ABV). Low Co2.

Overall: We haven’t reviewed one of these since their ’19 vintage. Re-reading that review and then reflecting on this one, it appears nothing much has changed. It’s still a decent R.I.S.