Widmer Brothers Brewing Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout ’12 Russian Imperial Stout at 9.3% ABV | 70 IBU (C$17.25 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, packaged on 4-Apr-2012, acquired 25-Aug-2015, reviewed 12-Jun-2018)
Appearance: nearly solid black with a hint of relief at the margins, one finger of fluffy mocha head diminishing gradually to a thin cap and ring, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: raspberry, chocolate, coffee, molasses. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering and building bitter warming slightly astringent finish. (3/5)
I’m not sure whether this thing is past its peak or not, to be honest. I’m getting no indications of oxidation at all, and the fruit is emphatically present, especially on the nose. However, the body is surprisingly light for the style, and the carbonation surprisingly high. Neither light nor high in absolute terms, you understand, just by comparison to what I’d expect. There’s also a mild astringency in the finish that I’m attributing to that slightly thin body. On the plus side, it’s nowhere near as sweet as you might expect given the aroma, and the elevated ABV is very well-behaved. Not bad, but I’m not sure it’s worth the premium price – though I admit I may have damaged it by excessively long cellaring. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
