BOMBER BREWING (B.C.) RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
ABV: 9.5% IBU: 80 SRM: 30
AMANDA NEALE
Despite my initial hesitation at the strength, this Imperial Stout delivered no reason for apprehension. Caramel, coffee, and dark chocolate compliment a roasty, burnt malt aroma with fruity esters of dried cherry and a lightly floral hop aroma. As the beer warms, there is a hint of alcohol on the aroma. The beer pours almost black with a garnet tint and holds a creamy, light brown head. Flavours of roasted malt, coffee and cocoa are intense, yet harmonious with dark fruit esters and a piney hop flavour adding complexity. The roasted grains lend a lightly burnt character, and combined with a moderate hop bitterness results in a dry finish with a faintly bitter aftertaste. This beer is full-bodied, yet the moderate carbonation results in a lighter impression on the palate. Smooth and creamy, this substantial ale is artfully balanced and very drinkable.
STEPHEN BEAUMONT
Bomber went on to my ‘breweries to get to know better’ list after last fall’s Great Canadian Beer Festival because of beers like this. Jet black with a creamy, non-nitrogenated brown head, the aroma is subdued but attractive, with espresso and dark chocolate notes mixing with hints of burnt toast and, unusually for a beer of this style, soft florals. The body is so rich and creamy it makes me wonder if oats might have been added to the mash, while the (again) subdued but alluring flavours of scalded cream, toasted and roasted grain, coffee and raisin are well-balanced by a steadily growing hoppiness that culminates in a drying, burnt lemon oil bitterness on the finish. For a beer of its not inconsiderable strength, this is remarkably more-ish.