Barleys Alexanders Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Barleys Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Columbus, Ohio USA

Draft sampler at Barleys Smokehouse (Ale House #2). Dark, almost opaque brown color, sweet malty aroma, deep rich malty flavor with some coffee notes. Another fine beer from Barleys. Judging from past visits to Ale House #1, and the eight beer sampler I had on this trip (August 2007), I wonder if Barleys is capable of making a bad beer.

From growler. Drunk 6/2. Dark brown almost black with nice sized head. Coffee aroma with nice roasted notes. The taste was the same with lite sweetness. Smooth on the palate. Thinner body.

Pours very dark brown with a light tan head. The aroma has very roasted malt, coffee bitterness and vanilla. Full bodied beer that is slick with nice soft carbonation. The flavor has deep roasted malt, coffee, whiskey booziness, cream and some nuttiness. The finish is fairly sweet and exposes the alcohol content. A very nice imperial stout from Barley’s.

Name: Alexander’s Russian Imperial Stout
Date: 11/07/1997
Source: Brewfest, Real Ale Festival

black, tan head, roasted malt aroma, rich roasted flavor, low apparent alcohol,
-------- /> Name: Alexander’s Russian Imperial Stout
Date: 07/06/2006
Mode: growler
Source: tasting

creamy body, rich roasted malt flavor, light bitterness
-------- /> Name: Alexander’s Russian Imperial Stout
Date: 08/03/2006
Mode: growler
Source: aa

frothy brown head, lots of lace, light coffee character,
-------- /> Name: Alexander’s Russian Imperial Stout
Date: 07/22/2007
Mode: cask
Source: brewpub smokehouse

black, wispy tan head, creamy body, rich roasted flavor is quite mild and subdued on cask, lots of dark chocolate showing up, way too easy drinking on cask

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Draft. Served in a pint glass. Okay. Appearance is light black/dark brown with shades of red coming through at the top and bottom when held up to the light. A little light in color for my tastes, but whatever. A small tan head sits on top but disappears quickly. Aroma is rich, malty grains, sweet chocolate and a wee bit of roastiness. Taste is rich, chocolately, a little bit watery. Body is too thin for the style. This seemed like a very robust stout more than an imperial stout. This was certainly tasty but cannot hold a candle to many in this style.

Served in Pint glass. Poured dark black with minimal tan brown head once arrived at my table. Brown sticky lacing was left around the outside of my glass for the duration of the sitting. Smells of sweet sugar and dark malt. At first, taste is of bitter chocolate, but at the end of the sip at the back of my tongue there is a sweetness from molasses. It is not overpowering but adds a very unique characteristic to this big stout. Enjoyed this drink very much!

Growler from the brewpub. Poured a dark purplish-brown color with a thick light-brown head. Strong lacing. Nice aroma with a blend of roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. Flavor is smooth, with a nice malt taste and a coffee-like finish. A very nice offering from Barley’s.

Looks are deceiving as this RIS gives a first impression of thinness, with a watery view thru the top of a headless, dark brown body. Dark roasted coffee aroma with a mild alcohol presence. Thick, full body without being sticky nor choking. Chocolate & coffee flavors lead to a dry finish. Well, maybe the flavors are a little thin, not quite living up to the aroma. Great potential here but it needs some work.

<font size=-4>On draught at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/ohio/columbus/b Barleys’s Ale House #1, Columbus, Ohio 43215</font>