Southampton Imperial Russian Stout

Finally got a hold of this one. Beautiful and elegant 22 ounce bottle. Pours black with a great white head a long the side of the glass. Nose has roasted chocolate, coffee, espresso, dark fruits, hops, caramel and wine. Great taste with a lot of wine on the palate. A wonderful rich vanilla comes through in the taste. The bitterness works beautifully here. This was an absolute pleasure to try.

Big ups and a happy b-day to boboski for sharing this special beer with me. Your generosity is unmatched. Pours pitch oil black with a thick, lacey, well retained brown head. Extremely thick and rich looking. The head stuck around for a very long time, I couldnt believe it. Unusual for an imperial stout. Big, rich chocolate in the aroma, with a touch of coffee which blends nicely, with just a speck of some hops too. Pretty big roasted malts as well. Taste is pretty big coffee, but nothing overpowering, Rich chocolatey goodness surrounds my taste buds and dances on the tongue. Wow, is all I can say with the flavor in this beer. The mouthfeel is incredible as the finish keeps getting bigger and bigger. The roastiness is incredibly blended wth the chocolate, the balance is incredible. Once again thanks boboski for sharing this with me, it has the honor of taking over my top rated beer!

Courtesy Phil Markowski. This beer could not be any more beautiful. Stunning appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, taste. After much debate about whether or not to start rating, I have chosen my favorite beer, EVER, to begin this journey. Consistency is so velvety and luxurious, I wish I could access this masterpiece regularly. Pours very dark brown with Arby’s Jamocha shake head, good retention. Moderately sweet with ultra-satisfying bitterness. Lingering flavors of chocolate, very good Venezuelan coffee, toffee and earthy herbal hoppiness. I love Southampton.

On tap at the Publick House: This one is extremely black and very thick. Lots of chocolate malt but the big dominant ingredient is Roasted barley. THis one has so much roasted and coffee like flavors. It was exceptionally smooth as well, with jsut enough bittering hops to balance the rediculous amounts of malt but not so much as to make it harsh, or too bitter. This one is a beast. Sooo much better than Storm King. I’d even go as far as saying this is quite a bit better than Stone IRS.

This is one incredible beer! So thick, rich and creamy - heavy and very warming. The alcohol is well-hidden, but one can sure feel it after drinking this beer. I love it! Espresso, large dose of roastiness and very well-balanced.