Well, Five Stars nonetheless. Maybe not perfect golden rings. In fact.. Maybe not even four gold rings. Sam Adams, Longshot Five Crown Imperial Stout. A brew that they produced on account of Joe Formaneks homebrew recipe. Now Joe has been brewing this Russian Imperial Stout for fifteen years, He has the bugs ironed out. The beer itself is a solid Russian Imperial, but with a hop kick. It is intriguing. It weighs in at a solid 8.9 ABV and has an intriguing flavor. The feel is one of a third quadrant. that is to say between a medium and full body. The flavor is mellow, albeit not crisp. The stout flavor is very complex and the hops only add to that cacophony. The head on this brew laced very well, and it persevered throughout my indulgence . I love Russian Imperials, I really do. , well, I thought I had reviewed more Russian Imperials than I could actually find in my notes. I will have to write up some of the other wonderful brews that I have tried.

Anyways, long story shot, I love a good Russian Imperial Stout, whether it is Real Ale’s 15th Anniversary stout (which I can no longer find), or Outer Darkness by Squatters, or Courage, or any other number of excellent Russian Imperials that are out there.

This Sam Adams though let me down, not because it isn’t a solid brew (it is, and I would snag it if you can manage to find it) but because the hops I feel contaminate the style. I thoroughly enjoy a good IPA, I just don’t feel that Russian Imperials should be mixed with IPAs. However, my feelings on the matter aside, it is a good brew.

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