Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

ABV: 12.7 IBU: 70.0

96/100
Aroma: 12
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 19
Mouthfeel: 4

Fort George Brewery Matryoshka

What the brewers say

Bourbon barrel–aged Russian imperial stout.

What our panel thought

Baker’s chocolate and cinnamon aroma with a touch of leathery sherry. Taste is classic American imperial stout. Well-rounded edges. Roast, barrel, residual sugars are all in balance. Dried dates, dark chocolate, dry espresso, touch of toasted coconut. A really good example of a classic barrel-aged stout.

What our editors thought

Very light chocolate and oak notes on the nose. The body is clean but spartan, with a very classic and time-less approach.

Review printed in: Stouts for All Seasons (Oct-Nov 2019) (View All Issues)


REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Odell Brewing Company Jolly Russian

__Aroma:__ “Rich roast and chocolate up front, with a light smokiness and a touch of malt sweetness. There’s a light dark- fruit/date note, with cherry, dark fig, and vanilla. The sugar sweetness and smoke reminds me of candied bacon.” __Flavor:__ “Chocolate and roast add complexity up front, with a light alcohol warming toward the finish. Notes of rum, but also a note of tequila. The oak quality of the barrel is evident. Flashes of cocoa and vanilla weave through dark fruits of fig, plum, prune, and raisin. Intense flavors, but no single flavor dominated.” __Overall:__ “This beer is hot and boozy, with a rum presence that’s really just complexity and heat. Could use some aging to let the alcohol mellow out and the flavors shine through. A beautifully rich and complex beer that takes a minute to wrap your head around, but once you’re into it, you don’t want to leave.”

Fort George Brewery Matryoshka 2022

“Aroma is a balance of roasted malt, alcohol, oak, vanilla. Light chocolate, soft espresso, fig follow. Flavor features sweet roast malt, chocolate, light whiskey, espresso. Pine notes balance the barrel vanillin.”

4 Noses Toasted Coconut & Vanilla Ryeciprocal

Cinnamon, coconut, nutty aroma. Extremely rich flavors—sweet marshmallow-like vanilla and coconut. Toasted notes at the end. A divine sipper that would stand out as a dessert pairing.

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