Review – Lagunitas Imperial Stout

From Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Having downed his forth Imperial Stout of theay, the wild eyed charlatan from Voldvostogniaky belched and hollered for the Czarina to enter his chamber and bend herself to his will. The economy was a wreck and revolt was just around the corner. Nicky the Czar dude was off playing soldier like any pale nobleman wioth a hemorrphagic skin condition would. Such were the final days of the old empire. Reactionary, decadent, sputnik, stroganoff, wierd, and drunk. But even as the proletariat countryside labored under inhuman conditions and a threat of being sent to futile war in the east, they wisely took the time to slam back an Imperial Stout or two. After all, life can be a real “suka”, as they say in the old country. Big, black, bourgeois, bolshoy, belligerent, buxom, and scary – this is our version of the chaotic end of an era in a bottle.

Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Imperial Stout – 22 oz. bottle into a tulip glass. 8.2% abv.Purchased from Dawson’s Liquors in Severna Park, MD.

Appearance: Creosote brown (not quite black) that lets no light through. A relatively thin, light brown head with little lacing.
Aroma: Toasted pumpernickel with hints of black tea and ripe, black plums.

Taste: Sweet molasses at first, but gives way to heavily toasted (almost burnt-tasting) malt and a goodly amount of hoppy bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel: A bit thick, just as you’d expect from an Imperial Stout.

Overall: I’m not sure how I feel about this beer. It’s not a bad beer, but I’ve had several Imperial Stouts (and even non-Imperial ones) that I’d rank higher than this. Still, along with the Bear Republic, it’s the cheapest 22oz Stout that I’ve found that isn’t named Guinness and, as such, isn’t a bad buy.