UPDATED: JAN 25, 2021 Stout impériale russe 2019 dégustée le 2021-01-24. Bouteille 341ml. Robe noire, impénétrable. Fine mousse brunâtre homogène. Tenue de mousse éphémère. Arômes: riche, bourbon, boisé, café, grains torréfiés, chocolat, vanille. Saveurs: équilibré avec des notes similaires aux arômes et une moyenne amertume durable en finale jouant sur le grain torréfié. Texture: corps dense, carbonation faible, bonne buvabilité. Caractère corsé.

UPDATED: JAN 26, 2020 341 ml bottle. Very thick dark black beer. The head retention is quite good. Aromas of coffee and chocolate. Taste of chocolate, dark roast coffee and quite detectable alcohol. The bourbon flavor is not overwhelming and quite enjoyable. The wood aging smoothed the mouthfeel and it's quite appreciated. Maybe not a standout, but very good in my opinion. Very well balanced beer. I'd definitely recommend it to any stout lover.

Bouteille de 341 ml. Couleur noir avec un mince col beige. Arôme d café et d'alcool. Goût de café, de caramel, de bois fumé, d'herbes fraîches et de céréales torréfiées. Bonne bière noire.

Une bière noire, dense, avec une petite couche de carbonatation et une petite effervescence qui se distingue de la robe dense. Au nez, très caramelisée avec des notes de mélasse, on dirait plus un barleywine qu'un stout - avec une mini touche de torréfaction en finale. En bouche, assez alcoolisée, avec des notes de malt grillé assez présentes, et un goût de sirop d'érable que j'attribue sans doute au passage en barriques de bourbon. Ça fait une bière assez explosive. DIfficile à boire, une chance que j'ai seulement un 341 mL.

UPDATED: APR 14, 2018 Pours a nice rich foam. This is the 2012 Vintage. Now turned to bitter dark chocolate, leather, black coffee. This did improve over the years IMO

341ml bottle. Pours pure black with a one finger cocoa coloured cap. On the nose, molasses, dark chocolate, faint nutmeg, and black licorice. Full bodied and sweet, but not cloying with lots of dark dried fruit notes, molasses, and a faint taste of dark maple syrup that heads into cocoa, molasses, an almost buttery graham cracker like note, mineral bitterness, and huge tannic espresso finish. This is a beast. I honestly wasn't expecting something this great, but wow, this is exceptional.

Bottle at the bow bar. Pours deep brown, nose is soy sauce, caramel, chocolate, taste is chocolate, roasted, bitter, dry.

UPDATED: JAN 22, 2018 Bottle from LCBO in Toronto at home in HK. Think I’ve had this before - I thought when I bought it that it was a different release. Thick black pour with thin medium tan head. Aroma is big roasted coffee leather and wood, and boozy warmth. Taste is similar - big sharp bitterness at the beginning, rich chocolate and coffee, with leather and alcohol. Palate not that rich, good. Lingering earthy bitterness. Very good stout, and would get again but probably not bring home from Canada.

2013 Bottle Opened January 2018. Cellared in Tube. Constant Temp 17C. Pours thick jet black with a big blooming dark brown creamy head. Some residual fingers, bubbles, and some sticky lace. It's completely perfect to look at. Nose of alcohol, chocolate, coffee, molasses, sharpy, paint, vanilla, wood, mushrooms, leather, earth. It's just about perfect as well. Mouthfeel is big, full, silky smooth and supple. Hops are hiding in there, somewhere carrying a bit of cedar/pine needle and evening out the beer with some mild, yet grounding acidity. There is a trace of grit, but it's pleasant in the way of lightly pressed coffee, or a non filtered hot chocolate. Cocoa Nibs and Espresso. Lots of very soft carbonation lifting the bittersweet cocoa/coffee/earth above some chewy tobacco, leather, mushroom (umami, soy), wood, in front of a little milk chocolate, cherry, and very faint citrus. Burnt sugar and beef bouillon through the finish. Absolutely stunning.

Always loved this brewery's beer. Another great one brewed. Not sweet and not overly bitter. Really well balanced. Alcohol is well hidden. Amazing finish and after taste, bit of espresso and chocolate. Bourbon gives it strength, but its very mild taste from it, which is nice since i am not bourbon drinker. Medium to heavy body, low carbontation which suites style.