Grand River Brewing Russian Gun Russian Imperial Stout at 8.5% ABV (C$6.01 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 29-Apr-2016, reviewed 4-Oct-2016)
Appearance: nearly opaque black with only the faintest hints of clear brown around the margins, two fingers of rocky beige head, excellent retention and good lacing. (4/5) Aroma: roasty malts, coffee and chocolate, liquorice, vinous dark fruits, molasses and toffee. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter and mild warming finish. (3/5)
A bit thin and light for the style. Having no intrusive ABV is all well and good, but this style can and should exhibit much more warming presence than is present. I’m usually all about the hops, but to be frank the little hop character here isn’t helping much. Really more like a Quad than an RIS, but without any of the deep barrel-aged complexity I look for in that case. OK, but not better than that. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
