Okay, so this winter has been a bit...light...on the cold weather that is usually perfect for rich, dark beers like stouts and porters.
But I am nothing, if not a rule-breaker.
Bell’s Expedition Stout came very highly recommended, and I was able to find it in the fall, for waaaaay more money than I wanted to spend on a single six pack. A single bottle was a little more reasonable. And quite frankly, 12 ounces of this bad boy is about all you’ll really want in a single setting, unless you don’t plan on eating or...doing much else.
One of the earliest examples of Russian Imperial Stouts in the United States, Expedition Stout offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with aging in mind.
A huge malt body is matched with a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruit and other aromas. The flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages in your cellar.
Russian Imperial Stouts are typically the heaviest, both in terms of texture and alcohol content, and this Rooskie does not disappoint. It also sits right at 10.5 percent alcohol-by-volume.
Review
Think oatmeal when you watch this thing pour. It’s thick, like syrup almost, and the bouquet is very rich and flavorful, almost like a piece of warm bread. That first taste is a bit neutral, with a little bit of sweetness, but on the back end you get a heavy, HEAVY taste of rich, roasted malts. And the roasting is just right — full and sweet, but not too sweet and never bitter. Which, of course, can occasionally be a problem with really dark beers. A perfect one-pour beer for a cold night in front of a warm fire. Or whenever you just feel like having a single beer. 4.5 out of five stars.