B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

bishopdc0

Maine

3.94/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

My wife got a bottle for me on a work trip, she is great.

Poured into my specialty pint glass. The beer is dark, black with a think very dark head very pretty beer.

The nose was apparent from the moment I popped the top, dark chocolate, slight roasted with chocolate being dominate. The nose is classic imperial stout but a little more aromatic.

The flavor is initially full of dark chocolate, with hints of dark fruits. there is a slight off flavor, mainly bitterness that is left on the tongue as it drys. I very much like the complexity of this beer, however the slight bitterness is a little odd.

Overall a great beer, great with the steak I grilled.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:23:14 | More by bishopdc0

Stunmai

New York

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The problem with this beer isn't that its a good beer - it is actually quite good, the problem is that there are many other, cheaper beers that do it a lot better. This one was a pretty steep price to pay for a good, dark, strong ABV oatmeal stout but in comparison to Sam Smith's, Rouge or Wolavers Oatmeal Stouts they all do it a lot better and Wolavers and Sam Smiths do it for a reduced price.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 15:08:05 | More by Stunmai

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Didn't have too many bombers to choose from at my local Giant Eagle so I finally gave up the coin (10 bucks) for this imperial stout.

A - Very carbonated with over a inch of deep mocha head atop of a deep dark bodied beer. Didn't poor as thick as I expected for such a world class stout.
S - Deep coffee roast and anise, mild molasses, and some cocoa powder.
T - Very silky flavors of coffee roast, mild anise and some chalky yeast and some chocolate malt with a dash of cocoa powder. Hops and roast is kind of dry with a bitter finish. Overall quite tasty.
M - Silky, somewhat overly bitter, and kind of thin especially for a stout.

Overall it's a very traditional RIS not too sweet or too roasty, maybe could use a bit more balance since to me it's very bitter. To me though not worth the price of admission, hell for two dollars cheaper I could have got a Stone RIS... shit.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:19:16 | More by DrDemento456

Gmann

New York

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a near black color with a frothy brown head, mostly dense with some moderate sized bubbles, that settles into a sparse cap.

The aroma is of heavily toasted pumpernickle with some caramel and dark fruit sweetness. Some carob and earthy wood aromas.

Moderate to full roast. Quite bitter but the bitter seems to be more of a coffee ground bitter than a heavily roasted malt. The taste starts off with more of a sour dark fruit, unripe plum, flavor. It actually feels weak but then the flavor transitions. From dark fruit it goes into a wet bark to coffee ground flavor. A good amount of anise. Some scorched caramel sweetness. Quite flavorful though I thought that oat would have smoothed things out a bit.

Well bodied feel with quite soft carbonation. Smooth but not velvty. Some sweetness on the palate but mostly bitter. Quite sticky in the finish.

Good imperial stout. Again, i thought it would be smoother with the additon of oat. Pretty big roasty bomb.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:52:37 | More by Gmann

brureview

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a very opaque chocolate into a pint glass( second night in a snifter).
Very little head.

Noticeable coffee-chocolate from the head. Not strong, but good.

The mouth feel was lightly carbonated, negligible bitterness.

The taste is highly complex.
Oatmeal, chocolate, lemon, hops. This is a slow sipper, worthwhile to contemplate the taste profile changes with warming.

One of the most complex Imperial Stouts I have tasted. Changes considerably with warming while reaching greater complexity.

Serving temp. I am beginning to prefer colder serving temps for Imperial Stouts. The brewer does recommend refrigeration, although I only refrigerated it before serving. It was better the second night at a colder fridge temp, and was mellower.

Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 02:03:23 | More by brureview

minterro

Michigan

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought at Ross' Deli in Lakewood Ohio.

camel colored head that dies quickely.
Alcohol is extremely well hidden.
Lots of sweet milk chocolate in the taste and smell.
not much head or lacing, super smooth. Very big body and low carbonation.

chewy texture.
Oily feel to the mouthfeel, that is perceived as a bitter coffee touch.
The texture and taste hangs around for a long time.

Pretty impressive taste and texture for a beer that is about 10%.

Very long taste

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 01:06:08 | More by minterro

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Half Acre sifter.

A- pours black with a 1 finger dark tan head. Minimal lacing on the glass.

S- big chocolate, maple syrup, molasses

T- roasted malts, chocolate, molasses, light pine.

M- medium body and carbonation. Slick and slightly syrupy.

O- very good stout. Nice balance of sweet and roast.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 03:49:07 | More by kawilliams81

kojevergas

California

3.64/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottle acquired at Binny's in Chicago. Reviewed live. Expectations are extremely high given its history on top 100 rankings and Hoppin' Frog's reputation. 9.4% ABV confirmed. 60 IBU. 22 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard unbranded gold pressure cap served into a Mitchell's of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a quarter finger dark rich ran colour floater. No real head per se. Body colour is a solid dark black; nontransparent and opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. No lacing as the head recedes. It's appealing and the floater - though not a head - is attractive.

Sm: Dark malts, chocolate malt (with a bit of bitterness), caramel, and deep roast. I dig the roast. Cocoa. Lovely oats. Light proteins. A moderate strength aroma. Burnt malt. Fennel. Dark fruit emerges as it swarms. Milky. Marshmallow. Balanced and inviting. No hop or yeast character is detectable, nor is any alcohol.

T: Rich oats mix well with burnt malts, chocolate malt, and grains. Rich cocoa. Marshmallow. Buried roast. Light vanilla. Cream. Burnt bread. Chocolate bitterness. Charred bread. Light raisin. Well balanced; very drinkable for the style. Complex and tasty. Well put together. I do like it, but I'm not blown away. I don't find the "robust hop character" mentioned on the label, but the sweetness is nicely checked - I assume by the hop bitterness. No yeast character comes through, nor does any boozy alcohol.

Mf: Silky. Smooth and wet. Well carbonated. Good thickness. I love the smoothness contributed by the oats. Good thickness. Full body.

Dr: Drinkable, especially for its well hidden ABV. A solid Russian Imperial Stout that pushes the style. I'd get it again on-draught, but given its reputation I expected better. It's a tasty beer. I'll actually be able to kill this bomber alone, though I do wish I had a friend to help me. Luckily, it's not too sweet.

B

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 01:47:06 | More by kojevergas

nataku00

California

4.24/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. I've had this bottle for about two years at least, before I found it in a box recently. Beer pours pitch black with a finger of dark brown creamy head. Head dissipates quickly leaving minimal lacing, to a thin collar of foam around the edges. Good amount of alcohol legs when swirled.

Nose is dark chocolate, cocoa, fudge, roasted malt, savory soy sauce, dark fruit.

Taking a sip, roasted malt, burnt sugar, dark chocolate, mellowing to sweeter fudge and cocoa. Some dark fruit sweetness mid tongue. Finishes with a salty and savory soy sauce along with the roasted malt and dark chocolate flavor, lingering for a bit on the tongue.

Full body, thick and creamy with moderate carbonation. Plenty of body and mouthfeel from being an oatmeal stout. Alcohol is non existent, making the beer really smooth and easy to drink right now.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:37:00 | More by nataku00

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours very oily and black with an inch of dark brown head. Nice and thick. Good legging on the glass. Looks great.

Dusty dry cocoa, major roast, char, burly oats, a touch of holiday spices, and hints of black coffee. Faint nuance of black licorice. Good nose.

Charred and exacting. Lots of husky black grains, black chocolate, licorice root, booze, hard candy, and burnt raisin. Awesome stout-y flavors. Has a firm roast bitterness all its own. Dark, gruff, and decadent.

Alcohol level is awakening, and rightly so. Body is thick, dense, and chewy; yet without being super-viscous. Feels great with this slow-releasing carbonation.

A killer brew. I have no idea why I waited this long to enjoy one. More enjoyable than D.O.R.I.S.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:13:13 | More by thecheapies

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black with absolutely no opacity and a brown head. Roast almost burnt coffee on the nose.

Very long finish on this beer.big toasty flavor of both malts and coffee. Very smooth rolling body.a lot of stuff going on. Lots of layers of flavor going on with a distinct roasted character to it all. Lots of complex coffee notes.the oats really add a nice sweetness and mouthfeel that counter some of the most stringent and harsh flavors of the beer.

While there are some harsh aspects to this beer, they cover it up and compliment them pretty nicely. Oddly no alcohol detection

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 01:02:15 | More by jtierney89

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

year old bottle, stored in the cellar for 11 months, then into my wine fridge for a month. poured a dark brown/black with a finger of dark tan colored head. smells of roasted grains, licorice, dark chocolate, toffee. the flavor profile is sweet up front, like molasses, then goes straight into a roasty wood-like flavor. getting a hint of cedar in here. chocolate, slight grape-like flavor, coffee. definitely a unique flavor profile.

medium body with low carbonation, silky smooth mouthfeel.

this is an outstanding stout, and wonderfully enough can be found off the shelf. a year in the cellar did this one some good, but honestly, it's just as good fresh.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 13:17:02 | More by facundoCNB

weonfire

Kentucky

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Jet Black. zero head. Aside from the thick look- initially, not impressed.

S - Very nice Roast. chocolate, coffee, oatmeal, biscuit and vanilla.

T - Strong roast. but not the smoked kind. Real smooth- like a nice coffee but my smell deceived me- no coffee taste. Alcohol has bite.

M - Thick- descent froth as it goes down.

O - Excellent roast flavors. Leaves a very nice aftertaste. Only downsides: missing the velvety/creamy mouthfeel and the alcohol taste is a bit strong.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:49:14 | More by weonfire

ngeunit1

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a touch of brown and a thin layer of frothy chocolate colored head. Fades quickly.

S - Dark chocolate malts, some dark fruit, molasses, oatmeal, coffee, black licorice, vanilla, with a touch of smoke and citrus hops, and a bit of booze.

T - Dark chocolate malts, raisin, date, and other dark fruits, oatmeal, coffee, black licorice, molasses, some citrus hops and vanilla, a bit of smoke, and a bit of booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and a bit velvety with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Nicely balanced with great mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 07:02:04 | More by ngeunit1

Raven3464

Japan

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It pours a pitch black body with a one finger brown, almost crimson, head. Retention is good.

Smell: Dark malts, chocolate, licorice, oatmeal, and a pinch of citrus can all be detected.

Taste: It mainly follows the nose. Dark fruits and licorice are noticed early before blending with a creamy oatmeal touch. Chocolate is noticeable towards the end along with a slight hop punch. Bitterness lingers on in the aftertaste together with a reminder of the licorice.

Mouth feel: Big, thick, and creamy are the best adjectives to describe this beer. There is a slight amount of carbonation which compliments the hops nicely. It is very refreshing.

Overall: Sweetness, bitterness, and a creamy feel are balanced wonderfully.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 10:38:06 | More by Raven3464

daledeee

Iowa

4.39/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A 750 ml bottle that has been in my frig for maybe 6 months.

Poured into my Stone glass. Got a big head if I really tried. Poured slowly into my friend's glass and got hardly any. The head was pretty dark brown with an absolute dark body.

Nose was charcoal and malty and chocolate.

Taste was one of the best balanced stouts I have had. It had chocolate, sweetness, bitterness(not much) and malt balance. Really easy to drink and the mouth feel was just right. This is a heavy bodied beer with medium carbonation. One of the best stouts I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 21:33:17 | More by daledeee

Dope

Massachusetts

4.29/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

No bottle date, but probably 2-ish years old.

A: Pours a very dark born with a nice, good sized and dense medium-brown head. Fades very slowly. Top-notch head retention with a thick layer of foam persisting. Moderate splotches of lacing is left behind.

S: Dark fruits initially. Lots of oatmeal give it a creamy, grainy quality. Mild roasted malt character, some char and chocolate mainly. Hints of smoke.

T: Lots of chocolate with hints of char and smoke. Super creamy oatmeal smooths it out immediately but is most apparent in the middle where it is pure creamy oatmeal. Chocolate shows up in the finish again but it's more of a bitter dark chocolate here. Goes great with the oatmeal. Hints of anise and chocolate and oatmeal in the lingering aftertaste. Lightest hints of smoke throughout.

M: Heavy, thick, amazingly creamy and smooth. A wonder to drink.

O: This is one helluva beer. Great RIS but with a strong oatmeal character, making it oh so smooth and creamy. A little age may have mellowed it out even more. Flavors are well integrated and smooth. Beer goes down amazingly easy for a 9.4% RIS. I really enjoyed this one. Only reason I can't give it top marks is because of the relatively simple flavors (not as complex as some big RISes can be) and plain, mellow aroma.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 05:22:10 | More by Dope

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

BORIS pours a mahogany molasses brown, nearly black with a frothy mocha brown head.

The nose has some milk chocolate, dark chocolate, roasted malt, a bit of smoke, coffee grounds, and some vanilla. It is fairly sweet, but there is a coffee bitterness on the back end.

The flavor starts with a bit of milk chocolate and a strong roast malt character. Dark chocolate, vanilla, and some coffee add some depth to the flavor as the bitterness grows. There is a modest coffee bitterness that peaks toward the end. There is a bit of bitter chocolate and coffee in the finish.

This has a nice, thick, viscous body with a light to medium carbonation that stays out of the way. A bit sticky on the lips.

Overall this is a very nice imperial stout. The bitterness from the middle of the sip on is not my favorite, but this is very nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 05:06:08 | More by KickInTheChalice

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.61/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a balloon glass.

The beer is black, dirty motor oil black. A dark mocha head slowly recedes to a thin wisp while light lacing sticks to the glass initially.

The beer smells a bit alcoholic up front with faint licorice notes. There's a real subtle yet hearty oatmeal note in the middle, and some sweet chocolate as well.

Exceptionally sweet and smooth dark chocolates come first in the taste profile, followed by hearty oat flakes and bitter roasted coffee and dark rich chocolates. Delicious!

Mouthfeel is dry, sweet, and exceptionally smooth, a tad heavy.

Overall, just damn delicious, smooth, a great slow sipper with great character. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 02:36:19 | More by JuicesFlowing

ONUMello

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Pitch black color with a one-finger mocha-colored head that slowly settles
S: Very rich nose, with deeply roasted malt, mocha, vanilla and a hint of spicy hops
T: Matches the nose- deep dark malts, a bit of spice, coffee, but a bit too bitter on the finish
M: Smooth, full-bodied, with a pleasant carbonation
O: A rich, tasty, complex stout. Easy to see why this rates as highly as it does; very well made

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 02:26:00 | More by ONUMello

Redrover

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I split this one with my wife. Poured into a pint glass the beer is jet black with a smallish tan head.

I liked the aggressive aroma of darkly roasted malts, baker’s chocolate, a bit of coffee and toffee.

I was kind of surprised the alcohol is almost nonexistent in the taste. There are heavily roasted malts, dark fruits (plums and raisins), sweet oatmeal, coco, and molasses. It’s all there and it all works. Its rich and roasty on the best way.

The beer has a substantial and thick mouth. Just a great beer that I will purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 17:07:41 | More by Redrover

superspak

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours very dense pitch black color with a small fairly dense dark tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lingers. Slight spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass, with a nice amount of alcohol legs. Aromas of big dark chocolate, oatmeal, roasted malt, toast, coffee, toffee, molasses, vanilla, light char, dark bread, and light earthy hop spiciness. Fantastic aromas with huge complexity and balance of roasted malty notes. Taste of big dark chocolate, roasted malt, oatmeal, caramel, toast, coffee, toffee, molasses, vanilla, dark bread, light char, and light earthy hop spiciness. Fair amount of roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, caramel, toffee, molasses, vanilla, dark bread, light char, earth, and light earthy spiciness on the finish for a while. Fantastic flavor complexity and balance of roasted flavors; with a nice malt/roasted bitterness balance; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and very full bodied; with a thick, creamy, and slick mouthfeel that is excellent. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an incredible Russian imperial stout! Huge complexity and balance of highly robust roasted flavors; and extremely smooth to sip on. An incredibly enjoyable offering; one of the best RIS I have had for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 05:25:44 | More by superspak

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Hoppin' Frog Brewery branded snifter

Pours nearly pitch black with a dark beige two finger fluffy head. Dark fruits, berries and chocolate on the nose. Smooth dark fruits, smooth coffee and chocolate notes that are never bitter-almost like a mocha latte but much more subtle. Likewise, regarding the roasted grain and malt. The roastiness is there, but smooth, absolutely no bitterness. Finishes with underlying warming alcohol. Creamy and velvetly full-bodied, exceptional mouthfeel. Excellent variation on an RIS. A perfect example of how a "big beer" can subtlely deliver a very high level of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 05:35:59 | More by chanokokoro

grover37

District of Columbia

4.51/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased around in mid to late 2010 for $9. Poured into a Delirium snifter.

Appearance (3.5): Dark, oily black with only a touch of brown around the edges. Brown head recede to almost nothing and doesn't leave lacing.

Aroma (4.25): Dark, roasty malts. Dark chocolate and some toasted bread. A touch muted for how strong the flavors are.

Taste (4.75): Full flavored and aggressive lots of cocoa then mocha through the middle. Finishes with bittersweet chocolate with a lingering slight burnt flavor.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Very smooth but not creamy. A touch of bitterness in the middle but well masked by the chocolate in the finish followed by the char. Full bodied and medium-low carbonation.

Overall (4.5): This beer aged really well. You can tell there was a bit of heat that has faded and this is smooth and enjoyable. Really glad I kept this one to myself.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 00:46:49 | More by grover37

JEdmund

Kansas

2.95/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pure black color, but sadly no head formation. Aroma is somewhat mild, but I do get the normal RIS notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and even a light cherry/raspberry fruit. Big flavor with a really big blast of alcohol heat in the finish. Mouthfeel is disappointing; not only is it somewhat thin for the style, but I’m not getting any of the creamy/silkiness you normally get when oats are added to the mash. I was really looking forward to that component of the beer. Those complaints aside, the flavor was still good and I enjoyed the beer. It just didn’t live up to the hype and my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 19:21:44 | More by JEdmund