Portsmouth Royal Impy Stout - Portsmouth Brewery

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Special thanks to Camden for graciously volunteering to grab me a few of these bottles. Much appreciated buddy! Thank you for the opportunity.

11.16 oz stubby bottle featuring a delightful display of Royal Russian Midgets. Will they ever get their due?

Pours a very dark brown with some burnt reddish highlights along the edges and some soapy mocha bubbles to boot.

Smells of toffee, raisins, and molasses with a prelude of some nice boozy hots.

Rich and sweet from the starting blocks. Huge raisin notes and prunes charge head first into a cavalry of toffee laden ice coffee surprise. Melted dark chocolate along the back end gets swallowed up by a wave of tempered, yet focused, alcohol. I'm not sure if this is port barrel aged or there's some deep recess of my primitive bear brain that points me this way, the there's a grapeesque sweetness along the back end that lingers and lasts.

Feel is oily and supple with a nice weight that sits along the tongue and slides all along my tasting places.

This is really good. I really enjoy Kate and I really enjoy this as well. I am happy to have had the opportunity and should I not die along my next salmon raid, or perhaps during one of my long ass siestas in some far flung cave, I have another bottle just waiting for me. Thanks again Cam!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 02:20:21 | More by BarrytheBear

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery

A: pours pitch black, very little head as it arrived at the table. Agitation led to about a half inch of head. Thin rim of mocha head around the glass

S: lots of chocolate and a little coffee. Dark fruits and a little alcohol, fairly roasty. Floral hops noticable. Honestly does remind me just a bit of Kate.

T: follows the nose. Very balanced mix of mocha, dark fruits, hops - getting a touch of citrus- and complimentary alcohol. Big maltiness and fairly complex.

M: just about a full body, great smooth mouthfeel, just a touch of alcohol heat. Very pleasant finish.

O: while its not kate, its still a very well executed RIS that is reminiscent of Kate.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2013 22:54:47 | More by Satchboogie

CooperEllis

New York

4.63/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle from my brother, cheers. Stubby.

A fine effort all around, with the light and effervescent characteristic I love about New England beers in general and PB in particular.

Highlights from this bottle are the nose, with plenty of action. Dark fruit - raisins, plums - light cocoa, and faint oak/booze around the edges. The booze is certainly right there in this one. In that one regard, this is reminiscent of Kate. The booze is evenly balanced throughout, with the malt and booze blending. I'm in no way a brewer but I wonder why more of their ilk do not use spirals over barrel aging. Seems gentler.

Flavor mirrors the nose perfectly. There is something of a rich malt missing from this. Given that it is an RIS, I'm rating to style, not preference. For me, this is a straight-up 5. It is in line with one of my all-time favorites: Foothills Baltic Porter. Speaking of which...

Dear Foothills,

This year I would like you to take a few barrels of your Baltic Porter and toss in a stone of bourbon barrel spirals. Thanks.

-CE

Mouthfeel is smooth, on the light side, without much of a presence beyond crossing the palate.

I'd be happy to see this in the annual rotation and hope to catch it on tap sometime.

(202nd)

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:30:22 | More by CooperEllis

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had last night, taken from my notes.

Pours a dark dark brown, essentially black color, about half a finger of a tan head, left some bits of lacing on the glass.

Smell is primarily roasted malt which aspects of chocolate and caramel, not picking up much dark fruit as I would have expected though.

Taste is dominated by the roasted malt, chocolate is the most prominent flavor after that, dark fruit or any type of wood aging is weak which makes this RIS a bit more straightforward, alcohol heat is present but for the most part is very well hidden, body is not as thick or viscous as others, carbonation a touch high but not distracting enough, not a cloyingly sweet RIS or one that pounds you with many flavors.

Overall, good but not great, definitely not something I would take the day off for as some might. I don't see this as replacing Kate in the hearts of beer geeks, but then again, no beer should really try.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 17:13:16 | More by deltatauhobbit

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.49/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An excellent beer!
In a tulip the beer was very dark brown, near black in color. There was a good-sized tan head that subsided quickly and left a little lace.

Rich dark chocolate aroma, some dark fruit.

Taste followed form. Lots of dark chocolate with raisins. Fairly sweet. The alcohol was very well hidden, not noticeable at all (until I stood up after my second one).

A rich but not heavy beer. Wonderful!

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2013 21:45:44 | More by lordofthewiens

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.54/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Wicked day at work today, so I said WTF and blew off to Portsmouth after work to "relax"... The fact that this new RIS was on tap had no bearing on my decision whatsoever.... ;-)

Battled through the snow, rain and wind and settled down in the fishbowl for a few small tulips of Tylers RIS.... It was a deep, dark opaque brown/black, looking oily and thick. Head was mocha-hued and creamy, though it thinned rapidly, leaving some rim-job lace. Had a lovely aroma, with rich choco and mocha, currants and dates. Nice!! Body was medium-plus and a bit chewy, plus being quite smooth heading down.

Flavor had lovely sweetness without being cloying. More choco notes plus some light roastiness hit the palate, accompanied by espresso, raisins, and black currants. Had a little floral hoppiness in the finish with subtle bitterness, but it mostly had smooth, chocolately sweetness while closing things up. Real nice... real!!!! Nice work, Tyler!!

Prosit!!

4.54/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

1562

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2013 02:34:51 | More by Bierman9

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: On tap at the Brewery served in a Portsmouth Brewery tulip. Pour is around 10-12 oz. I've had this on tap three or four times since it went on and decided to finally review it.

Appearance: Dark brown to black in color. Pours a pretty nice, one finger, beige head considering the 11.5% ABV advertised.

Aroma: Big milk chocolate and fudge cake tones really take over. A touch of light oak with some booze tones that contribute some nice character. The alcohol is pretty much spot on for the style and blends incredibly nice with beer. Lots of caramel, molasses, and dark fruits.

Taste: The chocolate and fudge cake notes really stand out and make for a sweet base beer that is also really tasty. The ABV is there, but the sweetness makes this scarily drinkable. Lots of caramel, molasses and dark fruits create a really nice malt interplay. Some light oask as well. Perfect as a desert beer and a nightcap.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and a touch creamy. Carbonation is there but on the lighter end.

Overall, this beer really stands on its own and comparing it to Kate is really not fair. The big chocolate notes and strong malt sweetness really make this stand out. Really well balanced and easy to drink. I keep going back to this time and time again at the Brewery despite the other really good options on tap lately. Definitely looking forward to this being brewed yearly.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 19:52:35 | More by Gosox8787

lostsurf24

Massachusetts

4.86/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Grabbed myself a Snifter on tap release day at the Brewery, so about as new and fresh as it gets. Wonder how this would do with some time?

Apprearance - Dark, oily, brown 1.5 finger tan head. Receded somewhat quickly but some nice lacing on the glass

Smell - Caramel, dark fruits, Toffee, raisins, Chocolate

Taste - Hard to tell served cold, First was some sweetness of the caramel and chocolate then the dark fruits, raisin, toffee and molasses blends all together with a faint hit of alcahol but damn does she OR he hide it well. Easy to drink but enjoyable and still a social sipper. That should be a class of beer???

Mouthfeel - I find it to be quite nice, a bit oily and chewy and coated the mouth nicely. It invited me for another sip right away. I hadn't felt that in quite some time from a beer. Warming but not boozy. Again she OR HE hides "their" strength well.

Overall - Be aware...and respect the new Brewers Beer. He made a New beer people SHOULD hype and COULD hype as in years past. Excellent beer for the style. Well done...

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 03:07:15 | More by lostsurf24

Auror

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured a typical black stout color with a 2 finger light tan head.  Receded at a moderate pace for a stout.  Nice lacing on the glass.

Smell- Raisins, dark fruit, chocolate, alcohol, vanilla, and oak.

Taste-  Starts out with a lot of chocolate and oatmeal.  As it warms, there's plenty of dark fruit and vanilla/ caramel sweetness. The flavors shine pretty bright. Not much roastiness, and only slight hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Coats the mouth, medium body and chewy.  Carbonation is a little low.  That makes it pretty drinkable though. Very little alcohol presence felt, only a very slight warming. Impressively hidden for 11%.

Overall-  She who must not be named is a hard act to follow, but this is a damn good Russian Imperial stout from Portsmouth Brewery.  It's very smooth and pretty dangerously drinkable, with nice flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 21:37:11 | More by Auror