Portsmouth Kate The Great Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Portsmouth Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Pours solid black with a thick brown head that lasts. Aroma- dark chocolate, vanilla, slight alcohol, roast malt. Taste is thick sweet rich chocolate and roast malt with some dark fruit. Bitter cocoa finish.

Shared by some great friends from New England, they love this beer like it’s their child, you would almost think its made from Tom Brady’s ball sweat. Poured deep espresso brown with a thin tan head. Nose was heavy with dark chocolate, roasted barley, and caramel. Taste was a little thinner than I wanted, no real chewiness or creaminess, a little bitter, dark chocolate, a really solid RIS, but nothing that would get my dick hard.

2008 bottle via trade thanks to TheRealBastard, shared at a tasting with some BeerAdvocate people. Pours nearly black in color but not quite, with a tan head and some decent lacing. Aroma is caramel, toffee, wood, chocolate, and roast. Caramel is a little stronger than with other hyped up RISes, but the overall aroma is less intense than something like a Dark Lord. Flavor is heavy on chocolate, caramel, and toffee. Slightly roasty, without much coffee presence. A little alcohol. Very well balanced - that is where this beer really kicks ass. Medium body for the style with a smooth, creamy palate and soft carbonation. Very long on the finish. Highly drinkable for the style. This is one imperial stout that it may not be too tough to take down a whole bomber of. Good stuff overall, although falls just a bit short of the hype.

Bottle. Perfectly balanced between the roasted coffee and malt, vanilla and caramel sweetness, bitterness and very slight acidic tastes. Good Stuff.

Thanks again to "hannont" for a chance to try a another phenomenal beer that I’d not otherwise get to try. Colour... onyx with a thin dark head. Nose... gobs of dark brown sugar, molasses, mocha and a hint of soy. Palate... holy sweetness!! Nice CO2, extraordinarily coating and viscous, caramel, treacle, high cocoa mass chocolate, creme brulee, and a finish that is usually reserved solely for grandiose operettas by Gilbert and Sullivan!

Brewed in the USA.... Courtesy of Dan from Beer Advocate, thanks again for sharing this hard to find Imperial Stout with us. Pours black, like old engine oil with a thin off white head. Aroma of chocolate, molasses, dark fruit and malts. Taste is also of molasses, with some bitter chocolate, burnt malts and vanilla flavors. Mouthfeel is kind of thin in body, slick on the tongue and has a wonderful smooth finish. This Imperial has been on my radar for some time now and thanks to a new friend this has become reality. :)

Bottle shared by Dan (FooFaa) at the Beer Advocate - Brass Rail gathering. A 2009 vintage. Many thanks for opening this. Poured a black viscous liquid, much like used motor oil that is 1000s of miles overdue for a changing. The smell was of molasses, cocoa, and maple syrup. The flavor had a ton of molasses character along with some coffee and chocolate notes. Thick and very smooth for it being so young. It reminded me a lot of Dark lord albeit with less coffee flavor and a bit thinner in the mouth. Still quite fantastic though.

#826, my daughters birthday, and a tribute to the 2009 Phillies on a great season regardless of the outcome in the next two games. I’ve been trying to get this beer for a while and finally landed one. 2009 bottle, pours a thick black, light tan waterfall leaving a tall frothy light brown head that laces the glass all the way down. Really strong aroma, hit me as I was pouring. Tart red wine, roasted malt, some vanilla and coffee. Also an orange juice kind of note.....really interesting. Hmmmmm......this is special. Black cherry and sweet red wine mix well with roasted malt and some oaky earth notes. Mouth is creamy with light carbonation. Lots of lingering tart and sweet syrup in the finish. This is a special beer, now only if I had more!