Outer Darkness, Russian Style Imperial Stout ("Russian Style"? I don't think there's a single Imperial Stout from Russia. It's not in the style of a Russian Imperial Stout. The style is named after the Russian Empire.)
Squatter Beers, Reserve Series, Salt Lake City, Utah, Utah Brewers Cooperative.
10.5 % alcohol by volume.
"Russian Style Imperial Stout is one of the most intensely flavored beers a brewer can create. Outer Darkness goes through multiple mashes to achieve it's high original gravity. Outer Darkness has 65 IBUs, is black as night and cold cellared like a Siberian winter. We hope you have as much fun drinking it as we did making it.
Please share with a friend and consume responsibly. (nope, drinking alone.)
Brewing a more Sudstainable future." Oh, terrible puns.
Let's drink it up!
Deep, stygian darkness (what?), creamy, cocoa/tan head, lush and lively. Looking great.
Vast aromatics…rich cocoa, and espresso notes, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting…lightly hoppy, massive malt. Very nice.
Taste: all that and more. Richness aplenty, deep malt flavor, nicely textured…but, all in all, this one doesn't go far enough.
Or is it me? I'm going to open a bottle of Expedition Stout, and drink them side by side. See if this Outer Darkness is really lacking. (Mmmm, I'm tempted to compare with a Surly Darkness, but that would be a long night!)
(I have to admit, and I didn't realize it at first, but there's an advantage the Expedition has…it's a 2008.)
We have to adjust for temperature, as the Expedition bottle came straight out of the fridge, but, to take a phrase from "Community", the Bell's beer is streets ahead. More flavors, more depth, more charcoal, tar, more sweet molasses, mixed with bitterness, hops, char, …the expedition has an edge on it that the utah beer wishes it had. It's a boozy stout, that lack s the extra character a great one requires.
The squatters beer barely tastes "imperial"…it may be strong, it may be full-bodied, but it's a minor league player. I'm getting the feeling these guys don't really understand imperial stouts. They can't just be high alcohol, it has to have more. This one just lacks, and lacks, and lacks.
They'll have to try harder to get a "Russian Style Imperial Stout" worth anyone's attention.
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