Russian Imperial Stout

Stone’s Odd Beers for Odd Years

In 2011, Stone Brewing will be throwing a curve ball.  2 of the brewery’s popular released will be Belgian-ized  going “Belgo”.  Stone calls the program “Odd Beers for Odd Years”.  The stone Russian Imperial Stout and Old Guardian Barleywine will undertake this transformation.

From the Stone Blog:
Starting in 2011, we’re kicking-off a program we’ve dubbed “Odd Beers for Odd Years.” Translation: in odd numbered years (2011, 2013, 2015, etc…) we’ll be releasing new variations on Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout in place of the classic version. A radical redirection for two reliably wonderful beers, we know, but we think you’ll be pleased with the results.

2012 will bring the regular editions back of course, only to have Belgian style counterparts in 2013.  Read on for the full blog post.

Brooklyn Black Ops 2010

There is always mystery surrounding this beer.  Only 2 people at Brooklyn Brewing know the recipe.  No one knows when this beer arrives until it hits distributors.  There are variances to each years release also.  What you do need to Continue Reading →

HITTING SHELVES: Terrapin SP# 13 Big Daddy Vlady

The 13th edition of Terrapin Brewing’s (Athens, GA) Side Project series has shipped and is now hitting shelves.  Vlady is a big Russian imperial stout perfect for cold weather drinking, or cellaring.

From the label:
“Terrapin’s “Big Daddy Vlady’s” Russian Imperial Stgout Continue Reading →

NEW RELEASE: Left Hand Wake Up Dead

The newest barrel aged offering from Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO) and its a doozy.  “Wake Up Dead” follows on the heels of the sophomore release in the Fade To Black series – “Smoke Baltic Porter”.  It’s brandy barrel aged, Continue Reading →

PRESS RELEASE: Left Hand Wake Up Dead

Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO) sent out a press release yesterday about their upcoming beer “Wake Up Dead”.  It’s a barrel aged Russian imperial stout.  I cut the info about Fade To Black out, as this is a post about Continue Reading →

Boulder Beer Co’s Obovoid

A limited release from Boulder Beer Company (Boulder, CO) is Obovoid.  Obovoid is oak aged oatmeal stout and is a limited seasonal release.

Commercial Description:
Brewed with an abundance of black and chocolate malts then aged on oak to add an Continue Reading →

Posted in Beer News, Coming Soon, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone’s Odd Beers for Odd Years

In 2011, Stone Brewing will be throwing a curve ball.  2 of the brewery’s popular released will be Belgian-ized  going “Belgo”.  Stone calls the program “Odd Beers for Odd Years”.  The stone Russian Imperial Stout and Old Guardian Barleywine will undertake this transformation.

From the Stone Blog:

As a Stone fan, you undoubtedly know and love two of our long-standing special releases: Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout. We love them too. We think they’re great beers and both receive sterling marks from BeerAdvocate and RateBeer, the two most prominent craft beer rating websites.

But we’ve been making Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine since 1998 and Stone Imperial Russian Stout since 2000, and if you subtract those numbers from 2010, you arrive at a long time to be making the same beers. So being the dynamic young go-getters that we are, we felt like mixing things up a bit.

Starting in 2011, we’re kicking-off a program we’ve dubbed “Odd Beers for Odd Years.” Translation: in odd numbered years (2011, 2013, 2015, etc…) we’ll be releasing new variations on Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout in place of the classic version. A radical redirection for two reliably wonderful beers, we know, but we think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Hell, we are.

The first Odd Beer for Odd Years release will be rocking your collective world in the form of Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barley Wine, which hits shelves in February.

While brewing up 2010 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, Stone Brewing Head Brewer Mitch Steele redirected 30 barrels of the batch into a fermenter containing the Belgian yeast we love from Stone Cali-Belgique IPA. After 8 weeks of comingling, bubbling, and resting, the results were ready for sampling. And sample we did. The English/American/Belgian chimera was so delicious, we quickly decided to make it the “Odd Beer” version of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine for 2011.

So entranced were we with the effects of Belgian yeast on our barley wine, that we chose to go in a similar-ish direction for 2011 Stone Belgo Imperial Russian Stout. It will be an approximately 50/50 blend of classic Stone Imperial Russian Stout and the Belgo-ized version, with a hint of star anise added during the brewing process. You can expect to see this blendo-rific version Stone Imperial Russian Stout on shelves in April of 2011.

Arrival: Dates TBA

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, Coming Soon

Brooklyn Black Ops 2010

There is always mystery surrounding this beer.  Only 2 people at Brooklyn Brewing know the recipe.  No one knows when this beer arrives until it hits distributors.  There are variances to each years release also.  What you do need to know – it’s a Russian imperial stout aged in bourbon oak barrels.  Bottled flat, and bottle conditioned with champagne yeast.

Black Ops is a big beer, 10% abv, and should be on your beer bucket list.   Great news, it just hit the distributor.  Be on the lookout for it.  You’ll be happy you did.

Stay tuned for more info, and follow me on twitter – @ATLBeerMaster

(Thanks to Mink’s Package for the heads up…)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Terrapin Beer Company

HITTING SHELVES: Terrapin SP# 13 Big Daddy Vlady

The 13th edition of Terrapin Brewing’s (Athens, GA) Side Project series has shipped and is now hitting shelves.  Vlady is a big Russian imperial stout perfect for cold weather drinking, or cellaring.

From the label:
“Terrapin’s “Big Daddy Vlady’s” Russian Imperial Stgout is Number 13 in our Side Project series of beers.  Brewed under the strictest of Socialistic guidelines, this Imperialistic Stout will be carefully monitored and allocated accordingly.  Black as the coldest Siberian winter’s night, this colossal, viscous, elixer will bring the hammer and sickle down on your little girly man’s palate.”

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Taste Expectations: Coming soon

Availability:  22oz Bombers.  Draft.  One time Side Project Release

10.3% ABV


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Left Hand Brewing, New Releases

NEW RELEASE: Left Hand Wake Up Dead

The newest barrel aged offering from Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO) and its a doozy.  “Wake Up Dead” follows on the heels of the sophomore release in the Fade To Black series – “Smoke Baltic Porter”.  It’s brandy barrel aged, for a fruity complexity to compliment the oak and dark roasty flavors.

From Left Hand:
Wake Up Dead hibernates in our cellars for 12 months in Heaven Hill Brandy Barrels before being blended to woody perfection. Hints of raisins, cherry, licorice and toffee, followed by earthy, herbal hop notes rise up, joining you in your fight for the hope of a better life.  Barrel Aged Wake Up Dead is brewed every 2 years, so it will re-appear in 2012 in oak barrels yet to be disclosed. It is very limited, as we only brewed 100 barrels.

Style: Russian Imperial Stout (barrel aged)

Taste Expectations: Dark fruits.  Cherry mixed w/ oak.  Raisins. Bit of chocolate.  Touch of coffee.

Availability: 22oz Bombers. Brewed every 2 years

10.2% ABV

Looking for this? In stock Green’s.  Old Crabapple Bottle Shop, Hop City, Thursday. Have it?  Let me know.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Left Hand Brewing

PRESS RELEASE: Left Hand Wake Up Dead

Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO) sent out a press release yesterday about their upcoming beer “Wake Up Dead”.  It’s a barrel aged Russian imperial stout.  I cut the info about Fade To Black out, as this is a post about wake up dead!  Check out the info :

Left Hand Fade(s) to Black & then Wake(s) Up Dead
Longmont Brewery releases beers to fight SADness (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

(Longmont, CO) – Yet creeping into your bedroom & slipping into bed to hide from your own darkness won’t lessen the pain, as the shortest day of the year is quickly approaching. The night is long, but the morning does arrive. You’ve woken up dead. You’re in ruins. On the brink of catastrophe. But don’t be discouraged. You are ripe for a revolution! But like the Bolshevik Revolution of the early 1900’s, Wake Up Dead, our 10.2% ABV barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout doesn’t happen overnight. Patience is required. Wake Up Dead hibernates in our cellars for 12 months in Heaven Hill Brandy Barrels before being blended to woody perfection. Hints of raisins, cherry, licorice and toffee, followed by earthy, herbal hop notes rise up, joining you in your fight for the hope of a better life.

More about Barrel Aged Wake Up Dead

Part of our Big Mo Series of limited edition beers, Barrel Aged Wake Up Dead is brewed every 2 years, so it will re-appear in 2012 in oak barrels yet to be disclosed. It is very limited, as we only brewed 100 barrels. Non-barrel aged Wake Up Dead in 22oz bombers will be on shelves starting in 2011.Available in 22oz bombers and kegs, and distributed throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan (western only), Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Washington, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, New Releases

Dogfish Head’s Bitches Brew Returns

Dogfish Head Bitches BrewIt was here and gone in a matter of a day or 2, then featured on Sunday’s Brew Masters program on the Discovery Channel.  The beer I speak about is Bitches Brew, Dogfish Brewing’s (Milton, DE) imperial stout commemorating the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis’s “Bitches Brew”.  If you know Dogfish, you know it’s not just an imperial stout. It’s actually a blend of an imperial stout and honey beer with gesho root.  To help ease a bit of the demand for this beer, the brewery made more.  It hits the shelves today.

Style: Russian Imperial Stout (blended)
Taste Expectations: Roasty.  Coffee, honey, bitter chocolate.  Little malt sweetness. Bold
Availability: 750 ML champagne bottles. Capped. Limited brew.

9% ABV

Check out the full story –>  http://bit.ly/f9v6G3


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Boulder Beer Company, New Releases

Boulder Beer Co’s Obovoid

A limited release from Boulder Beer Company (Boulder, CO) is Obovoid.  Obovoid is oak aged oatmeal stout and is a limited seasonal release.

Commercial Description:
Brewed with an abundance of black and chocolate malts then aged on oak to add an earthy character.  Obovoid is a rich smooth stout with a creamy, off-white head.

Beer Rundown:
Style: Russian Imperial Stout (oak aged)
Hops: UK Progress, US Cascade, UK Fuggle
Malts: 80L Caramel, Roasted Barley, Black, Rolled Oats

Taste Expectations: Oats, coffee, chocolate. Oak lacing throughout the flavor.  Nice chocolate sweetness. A flavors play well together.

Availability: 12oz/6pks.  Draft. Oct-Dec. Limited seasonal.

6.8% ABV

40 IBU’s

by Reid Ramsay