Stone – Imperial Russian Stout w/Steve Wagner (Video)

Considered one of the foremost examples of this Old World style available in the American craft beer market, Stone Imperial Russian Stout is thick, rich and complex. Nearly jet black with a fluffy hot chocolate-colored head, a goblet held to the sky could block out the sun. This obsidian wonder is also adept at eclipsing palates, smothering taste buds with a sensory overload of flavors. Dark chocolate and heavy roast come on strong up front and are granted graceful support by nuances of toast, anise, juniper berry, pepper, sassafras, molasses and more. It’s a symphony in a glass, where every member of the troupe is properly tuned to produce one outstanding symbiotic performance.

We’ve been producing IRS since 2000. The recipe is timeless, yet, being the never-satisfied, forward-thinking-to-the-point-of-dreaming craftspeople we are, we can’t simply rest on our laurels and just stick with the tried-and-true. In 2011, we instituted our “Odd Beers For Odd Years” program wherein, in odd-numbered years, we produce two versions of two of our special release beers, Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout—the original plus a reimagined, more out-there alternative version.

It’s 2013, so fans of IRS can expect to see two versions of the beer on shelves. This year’s “Odd” version isn’t really all that outlandish. In fact, it’s more a no-brainer than anything else. Brewed with espresso procured from our North County San Diego neighbors at Ryan Bros. Coffee, 2013 Stone ESPRESSO Imperial Russian Stout bursts with intense added roastiness that serves to magnify underlying flavors. Think of it as an amplifier for all of those symphony instruments.

You’ll want to stockpile multiple bottles of both versions of 2013 Stone Imperial Russian Stout, one for cracking immediately—as always, while young and intense, it’s perfectly drinkable right now—and several to lay down and open years from now. We’re still sampling bottles from the first vintage of IRS and finding they hold up and continue to transform with age. Take your tax return and invest in something that will certainly appreciate and be appreciated over time!

2013 Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Stats: 10.6% ABV, 60 IBUs

Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning April 15

Hops bill: Warrior

Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, and WA