Hargreaves Hill's Russian Imperial Stout is a bit of a perennial favourite of this publication, a beer that comes out in the depths of winter and ticks all the boxes such as complex, big and boozy yet made without the assistance of barrels – aside from one very special release last year. It's a beer that's given lots of time to mature, though, with each brew spending months conditioning before release. R.I.S 2019 follows that same path but this year it’s been given one noticeable change: it’s out in cans for the first time.
Other than the change in format, it’s the same old R.I.S; it’s warming, smooth and packs many layers of chocolate, caramel and molasses into its 11.2 percent. I found this year’s a little more of a throwback to earlier releases thanks to some stronger roasted notes too, along with liquorice, coffee and a hefty bitterness that keeps creeping up as the glass disappears.
Will Ziebell
Published July 3, 2020 2020-07-03 00:00:00
