Exploring the Big Black Myth
August 13, 2004
He looked into her fawn-like eyes and it was easy to see she was pensive but not quite frightened, alive with inquisitiveness. Her lips quivered as they parted she could not believe the vocabulary coming out of her mouth “that looks really thick and so black, I don’t know if I am ready for this.” She looked away not wanting to see the frustration and displeasure on his face.
They had been taking about this for months. Now that the time was here she was not sure if she was going to like it as much as she thought she would. Could she go through with it? He brushed the curly locks away from her face as he stroked her cheek. “Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t ask you to try it if I didn’t think you would like it.” he whispered soothingly in her ear. “I don’t know about this.” She stammered as she finally had the confidence to grasp it. It was so big she needed both of her petite hands just to hold on to it.
She closed her eyes and finally brought it to her mouth. “That’s it, I knew you could do it!” he said in a clear, steady, low voice. “Just relax your throat and swallow” he coached. Before she knew it the deed was done, she was finished.
She licked her upper lip with her slender long tongue and looked to him for approval. She then quickly looked down embarrassed for making such a production out of starting this task minutes earlier. He placed his index finger under her chin raising her head so that their eyes could meet.
“So did you like it?” quizzed her companion. “It was the best thing I ever tasted in my life.” She declared as she finished off the last few sips of her Imperial Stout.
I don’t know if your first Imperial Stout will be as exciting as this. That aside, this is one of the most interesting styles to be created in the history of beer. This is the real deal when it comes to Black Russians.
The Russian Imperial Stout has a birth very similar to its lighter hoppy cousin, the India Pale Ale. This beer was not named for where it was created but for where it was to be shipped. Upon researching this beer further, I kept coming across the chicken and the egg type of conflicts in the history of this deep black brew. The bottom line is the English created this style in the 1800’s to cross the frozen Baltic Sea. The hops and the ABV% of this beer were cranked up to preserve the brew on the long frigid trip.
Once this malty hop laced Stout made it to the Russian shores it quickly became a favorite of the Russian court. The name “Russian Imperial” was dubbed after the huge demand by the royal family for this alcohol-laden rich Stout. The flavors of a good Imperial stout are deep and complex. In most cases you will taste dark fruit tones and roasted chocolate and coffee tones. There are also some great hop flavors in Imperial Stouts. To even be considered as a member of these regal black brews a beer must weigh in at 50-90+ IBUs.
The final requirement for consideration into this class is an ABV of 8-12+%. If a beer falls short it will most likely fall into the Foreign Stout category and not be allowed to don the Imperial moniker. Testing the limits of ABV in this style has to be Dogfish Head’s World Wide Stout. They push the envelope at between 18 – 23 ABV depending on the vintage.
I know the second some of you read the word vintage you were wondering if you could cellar some of this brew. Yes these are one of the best styles of beer to lie down in your basement
We recently talked with Garret Oliver. When asked how long Brooklyn Brewing’s Black Chocolate Stout would cellar, he had no idea what to tell us. What he did tell us was he recently had a 10-year-old bottle from the first batch and it was pure heaven. What Garrett could tell us was “At three years you can expect a beer that has a very smooth, almost port-like quality.”
Yet another great Imperial Stout to cellar is Stone’s Imperial Stout. I know what you are thinking… is Stone the only beer this guy drinks? On a weekly basis I am trying multiple beers for my enjoyment and for the column. That being said, Stone makes one of the best Imperial Stouts in the world. Stone is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to big beers. Let me clarify… when I say big beers I am not talking about the size of the bottle. I am talking about the ABV%. There is no guideline for what is truly a “big beer” But I would give this label to anything over 8% ABV. In my Stout primer I talked about some of the myths that surround Stouts and one of them we talked about was the fact that just because a beer is black doesn’t mean it is going to be big.
In the world of Imperial Stouts, throw that logic out the window. They are all big and black. So does size matter? It looks like it does if you want to be crowned the king of the Stout arena. So the next time some ask you if you think it is true what they say about black beers or if it is just a myth you can tell them “They are not all big… unless they are Russian.”
And the nominees are…
North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout This Imperial stout has a great black body with a blond head. There are huge malt and coffee tones coming from the aroma. The mouthfeel is full and there is definitely a presence of alcohol.
Commercial Description: Contrary to what the name suggests, Russian Imperial Stout was originally brewed in 18th Century England. The name evolved as the Russian Imperial Court developed an early appreciation for this big, intense brew and provided a ready and eager export market. It’s been speculated that no one had a greater appreciation for this rich, roasty elixir than Rasputin, the mystic wag (and favorite of the ladies of the court), who was the ultimate downfall of Czar Nicholas II. Rasputin is probably best remembered for his dramatic exit. Having been deemed politically expendable, he was fed poisoned wine and tea cakes by his rivals. Surviving that, he was shot several times – whereupon he attacked his assailants. He finally succumbed when bound and stuffed through a hole in the ice to drown in the River Neva. Legends that attribute his tenacity to his appetite for Russian Imperial Stout are unproven.
Avery The Czar Imperial Stout Avery is a classic bigger is better brewer. They pulled out all of the stops when they made this beer. It has a super dark opaque mahogany body and tan head. This is a very complex beer with huge fruit flavors and aromas. Licorice is prevalent in the aroma along with tones of roasted coffee and toffee. There is definitlly a kick to this beer and it lets you know that you are drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Commercial Description: Behold the stunning crimson hues through the inky blackness. Inhale the noble Hallertau hops, spicy and floral. Savor the flavors redolent of English toffee, rich mocha, sweet molasses, candied currants and a hint of anise. We highly recommend cellaring additional bottles, as the Czar will continue to mature and become denser and more complex with age.2003 – Gold Medal – US Beer Tasting Championship – Imperial Stout. Beer Style: Ru Hop Variety: Magnum, German Hallertau Alcohol By Volume: 12.2% Color: Black
A. le Coq Imperial Stout vin. 1999 This Stout comes in a 11.2 oz. corked bottle. It pours dark black with no head what so ever. The aroma on the cork is of port wine, as is the stout itself. It is very full bodied with a bit of vanilla in the flavor along with cask wood dark fruits and of course alcohol. I am definitely saving a bottle of this for my next good grilled steak.
Commercial Description: Imperial Russian Stout 2000 Alcohol 9.0% vol. Regarded as one of the World’s most unusual and prestigious beers. The recipe contains a dense concentration of varied malts and hops to produce a bottle conditioned stout. This brew will improve over six months to one year to develop its complexity. This beer has an intense flavour which is complex and distinctive. The roast, alcoholic and spicy notes combine in this unusually sweet & sour beer.
My number one pick this week is:
Stone Imperial Russian Stout vin. 2004 If you are looking for perfection this beer is it in the Stout style, this beer is heavy on the palette and heavy in alcohol content. This is not for the faint of heart. Notes of coffee and black licorice are very notable along with a nice touch of hops.
Commercial description: “Stone Imperial Russian Stout is clearly revered among enthusiasts,” states Stone Brewing CEO Greg Koch. “However, trying to explain Stone Imperial Russian Stout to the average beer drinker might be something akin to explaining the Amazon rain forest to a Kalahari nomad.” Koch says that the imperial stout style offers depth and complexity that is worlds apart from other beers, and thus there is simply no frame of reference to many people. “Bewilderingly, most beer drinkers seem to prefer the windswept, dusty plains of liquid emptiness. It makes me wonder if there is some sort of mental vertigo that prevents them from venturing to the heights of the beer experience”
In this case, the heights of beer can be found in the depths of darkness. Consumers seem to have many misperceptions about dark beers. Dark color in beer is confused with higher calories, carbohydrates, alcohol level, viscosity, bitterness and overall ‘heaviness.’ Brewers know that color need have no effect on any of those attributes. However, when it comes to the Stone Imperial Russian Stout, it has all of those attributes. Extra big time.
Stone Imperial Russian Stout is intensely aromatic, with notes of anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness and alcohol. The beer’s label warns the potential imbiber to “expect this mysterious brew to pour like Siberian crude and taste even heavier!”
