St-Ambroise Stout Impériale Russe
The LCBO got a very limited suply of these last winter. I don't think the Loo saw any of them, but my friend Jill was able to secure a couple in T.O. Thanks Jill! From a bottle into a snifter. Vintage: 2009 APPEARANCE: Pours out pitch black and produces a medium-thick, one finger brown head with great retention. Jet black body with higher levels of carbonation for the style. Head slowly fades to a good wisp, but only a ring remains until the end and leaves a few dots down the glass. SMELL: Lots of roasted or burnt malts, with a good coffee aroma and hints of dark chocolate. Bourbon and vanilla notes in there too, but they aren't overwhelming. Decent strength and well balanced. TASTE: Just fantastic. Very bold flavors and plenty complex. Roasted malts and some nice bourbon and vanilla notes from the barrel, though not overpowering. A good dose of bitter coffee and dark chocolate through the middle and into the finish. A big, bold and lingering aftertaste full of all the above flavors, with the bourbon tying it all together nicely. Bold and well balanced flavors, with nothing standing out but everything playing a role. Phenomenal. PALATE: Thick, full body and medium carbonation, even though there was higher levels of carbonation visible off the pour. Vicious and very creamy smooth on the palate. Goes down smooth and finishes slightly mouth-coating. No bite or alcohol anywhere. A great feel that allows the flavors to shine. OVERALL: This is a superb example of an American bourbon barrel aged stout. Insanely good; I had a tough time pacing myself with this one. All the flavors balance in perfect harmony, and the big, full palate gives everything a solid platform to perform on. This is one I'd like to set up beside Goose Island's Bourbon Stout for a showdown. Finally a Canadian brewer has put our a barrel aged stout that competes with the big boys. I should have taken the chance to get more of these when they were around, but we'll keep our fingers crossed that McAuslan turns this into a yearly brew. Thanks heaps Jill for making this happen, and thanks McAuslan for brewing up this gem.