This is the last in the line of Texas beers that I got from my brother. They haven't all been spectacular, but the experiences have been worth the effort. I always appreciate a sibling sending me free beer, and I'm certainly not going to look that horse in the mouth. This is another entry from Real Ale, and this was the brand that he sent the most of. This one being an Imperial Stout means that it will have to overcome the stoic nature of the style while bringing the warmth that I know it can have. At 9.8% ABV, they appear to have colored outside the lines on this one.
First sip is shockingly smooth. The roasted malt seems to turn almost into a mellow cream as light hop bitterness joins the smoke, dark chocolate, and earth to intermingle as a satisfying and solid brew. There are very few beers that come across this substantial with just a sip. Ordinarily, you would have to tease something like that out with a big gulp. So, already, this beer is starting to impress.
Tip-in is gentle carbonation fizz with smoke and earth joining dark chocolate sweetness with a hint of mocha on the way. The middle is a good, dense hunk of earth and roasted malts that might benefit from the addition of some sweet cherries, but it lacks any kind of complexity. The finish is where bitterness comes in from the hops that I couldn't taste and it heads hand in hand with the bitterness from chocolate and smoke into the trail off.
Bottom Line: It's not Russian, but it's imperial enough to get good Marx.
3.25/5
