On tap at the brewery in the Hunter Valley. One look at this Russian imperial stout and you will know you are in for a rich and moreish treat.
It pours a dense mat black with no carbonation and crowned by a dark brown head. Laced well. Off the nose we get dark chocolate, roasted malts, licorice, coffee, sourdough and alcohol. The mouth feel has a sharp astringency but also offers a smooth velvety texture to it as well. Mildly carbonated with medium-full body. The flavour is rich and super heavy with dominant roasted characters. There’s also a nice espresso bitterness that adds to the complexity. There are hints of chocolate and mocha on the back end that linger nicely, offering good duration on the tongue. 8% ABV is well buried. All up a very nice stout, the secret is that it’s been aged, and can be stored for years after its been bought. Remember, especially when drinking imperial stouts that you keep the bottle out of the fridge for about 20-30 minutes before drinking it. This is because the colder the beer, the more it shocks your taste buds which means the less you are going to bask in the richness and flavours that are being offered from a stout.