REVIEW 98: RUSSIAN MESSENGER

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Round Guys Brewing Company

STYLE:  Russian Imperial Stout

ABV:  9.6%

PURCHASE:  Draft (13-oz.), $6.00

SERVING:  Tulip glass. Head from the tap totaled not quite a full inch; on the second beer, it was half that. Retention is only so-so.

APPEARANCE:  Coffee-brown body with tan head. Opaque, as you would imagine. (I can't think of any see-through stouts.) Lacing is both inconsistent and minimal.

BOUQUET:  Very, very strong aroma of coffee and bitter chocolate, with notes of molasses and--seemingly--even licorice. Hits you instantly.

PALATE:  Rich and strong. This beer starts sweet, and then soon transitions to a toasty bitterness that remains for eons. Again, coffee, molasses, and bitter chocolate are the dominant nuances. The finish seems heavier on the coffee, while the aftertaste accentuates the cacao. A touch of malt rounds things out. Though licorice seemed present in the aroma, it doesn't seem detectable palate-wise. Overall, this is a slightly heavy beer with mild carbonation--and only mild if you give it a chance to assert itself.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Russian imperial stouts aren't Russian. If you're new to craft beer, then I bet you didn't know that. No, they're actually English in origin. The first was crafted in Britain in the eighteenth century specifically for export to Russia, in an attempt to find favor with empress Catherine II, also known throughout history as "Catherine the Great." That's her pictured below. Yeah, she looks like a stout drinker.

This particular specimen, however, derives from Round Guys Brewing Company, another young American microbrew situated in the greater Philadelphia area (Lansdale, in Montgomery County). Whatever its geographical birthplace, these beers aren't for everybody. "Death syrup" is how one associate of mine described this--but he's a Coors Light drinker. 

On the other hand, if you're a stout enthusiast, as I am, this will impress you. It lacks the ideal balance of a truly world-class imperial stout, but it's not that far off. 




GRADE:  B+