Rushin Stout 08

I noticed the new vintage of Pink Elephant Rushin Imperious Stout at Regionals the other day and had to pick up a couple of bottles. I initially intended to sling them both in the cellar and try to forget about them. Then other night as I was sweltering (god I look forward to winter, that my chillies, eggplant and tomatoes are growing is about the only consolation) I had the perverse urge to drink a bottle.

Imperious Rushin Stout 2008

Opens with a pop and a hiss. Pours a viscous black with a tight tan head and an oily slickness. Aroma features smoky bacon, berry fruit a green hop note and roasty coffee. On the palate there is sweet malt, a saccharine slightly unfermented note, smoky savoury notes, a hint of ash , burnt currents all leading to a bitter hoppy finish.

Imperial Stout Tasting Number 2

What better tasting to conduct in mid summer than a range of Imperial Stouts?, well you didn’t think I was going to do wheat beers did you?

With the release of Pink Elephants second vintage of Rushin Imperious Stowt Adam and I decided that we would put the 2 vintages up against each other, I thought I would put out samples from the conditioning tank of the 2 batches of Merchant of the Devil as well.

Comparative tastings always seem to highlight things in the beers you are tasting that you might miss when tasting them in isolation.

Rushin Imperious Stowt 2006 10.5%abv:

Aroma features dark chocolate, bubblegum, artificial lime essence which as the beer warms in the glass almost takes on a brett character

On the palate there is sweet malt, a touch of sour acidity, a confected chocolate/caramel note, roast malt and a peppery finish.

Rushin Imperious Stowt 2007 11%abv:

Aroma features dark chocolate, a lactic milky note, black pepper, and a smoky note like sniffing a smokers jacket.

On the palate this vintage seems much sweeter than last years did when young, it certainly has more body, a caramel milkshake note blends with chocolate and a perceptible although reduced roast character.

Merchant of the Devil 2007/1 11%abv and 9.6%abv:

Aroma features an estery mix of dark fruits, plums some berry fruit, chocolate liqueur, and a bready whole grain note.

On the palate sweet malt, chocolate and dried fruit give way to a slightly acrid roasty and bitter finish.

You can find my notes for Rushin Imperious Stowt 2006 when it was young here and an account of the brewing of Merchant of the Devil here. Notes on the first Russian Imperial Stout tasting can be found here.