Dual Citizen NOT Grand Russian Imperial Stout

On the 3rd of May, I went on a little bike tour with my friend Ed to see some breweries in St. Paul. The first stop was new to me, Dual Citizen, open for about 5 months. I had two beers, an IPA and a Belgian golden strong, and I liked them both, but I wasn't taking notes. I thought I would try out their imperial stout at home, and took home a crowler of that. Waited a solid month to open it, and what happened next is something completely unprecedented.

Dual Citizen Grand Russian Imperial Stout. 8% ABV. Date: 4/27. Dual Citizen Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

Huh. I poured this out into the glass and I'm thinking....this is not the color of an Imperial Stout. But that's what it says, that's what they told me it was, I'll go forward thinking that that's what this is.

So, it's a clear, crimson color. Off-white, lace-leaving head. Definitely does not look like an imperial stout. And I tasted it before I bought it. A month ago. Does the label not say "Grand" and "8.1% ABV" ? It does.

In the nose: Bright, fruity, beautiful. Stone fruit, apple, berry. Moderate bitterness.

In the mouth: Fresh and fruity. Low hop bitterness. Big malt backbone. Tasty and drinkable. And an utter mystery. Definitely mislabeled. But what am I drinking? Is it the red ale? The pale? Not one of their several IPAs. Not the Belgian IPA. Or is it? I'm getting a lot of fruity funk.

As you can tell, I'm disappointed. If I knew that I didn't have their RIS in my possession from a month ago, I would have bought one yesterday. (I went back on another St. Paul jaunt, this time with Jason, and it was his first time.) And what if I open up the crowler I did buy then (the University IPA), and find out it's the same as this one? (Probably not. Not hoppy enough....maybe.)

Again, a first for me. I've bought a growler of a crowler that was completely mislabeled. I paid for an imperial stout, and I did not get it. I sincerely hope this never happens again.