Style: Imperial Milk Stout

ABV: 11.3 IBU: 75.0

99/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	5

Hardywood Park Ruse (2017)

What the brewers say

“Patiently aged in red-wine barrels. Port-like qualities with distinct dark chocolate and molasses characteristics. Oak and leather dominate the aromatics. Ruse offers a rich mouthfeel with a deceptively dry, tannic finish.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Rich chocolate roast character with vinous dark fruit and white pepper.”

Flavor: “Fantastic rich and chewy stout character, huge chocolate and dried cherry, with hints of vanilla. The finish is quite sweet, but cut by the tannic barrel-aged character. Not as much red-wine character as in the nose, but it still adds some complexity.”

Overall: “Wow! This is an awesome beer. The milk stout borders on being overly sweet, but it has some really nice complexity and when paired with the barrel-aged qualities, it leads to a fantastic rich and chewy finish. The red-wine qualities from the barrel are evident throughout and accentuate the complexity.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: Porter & Stout (February-March 2018) (View All Issues)

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Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout

Aroma: “Medium strong roasted malt, some chocolate notes. Low spicy hops aroma. Some light earthy notes from esters and aging. Fruity esters—cherry and plum—combine with dried fruits from dark malt.” Flavor: “Sweeter and less burnt than some Russian imperial stouts. Lingering semisweet chocolate flavor in the aftertaste. Alcohol hides until you swallow, then reveals itself. Flavors of dried raisins, chocolate, and coffee. Some pleasant oxidation character, and a warming finish. A bit of roast astringency sticks out on the swallow giving it a husky character.” Overall: “The nose promised so much, but the flavor didn’t quite deliver. Too dry for the level of roast and there’s a harsh note on the swallow.”

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Kentucky Christmas Morning

**Aroma:** “Suddenly, it’s Christmas! Cinnamon/clove/nutmeg spice with a bit of ginger, too. Moderately strong coffee. Moderate vanilla and caramel. A bit of chile aroma with a touch of chocolate. As it warms, more earthy coffee notes with a light amount of alcohol.” **Flavor:** “The ginger is stronger than the nose, but I still get the other Christmas spices in spades, along with vanilla. The roast malt grounds it with an earthy bitterness which emphasizes the perception of gingerbread. Mild cocoa and a hint of coconut with mild warming alcohol. Moderate coffee.” **Overall:** “This is the perfect balance of coffee, chile peppers, and sweetness in a low roast, high chocolate beer! The coffee notes are earthy, which plays well with the light amount of roast astringency. Nice alcohol warming stays in the background and really highlights the coffee.”

Funky Buddha Mexican Coffee

Aroma: “Massive cinnamon aroma, pretty much overwhelms everything else. Hints of spice and coffee.” Flavor: “Strong cinnamon and coffee with some vanilla background. The roasted stout comes through nicely and the barrel character not as strong as the coffee and spice. Rather boozy.” Overall: “The nose had us worried, and the underlying beer might be a bit too sweet for some, but that seems to balance with the other qualities in the stout. This is a great imperial Mexican stout. Olé!”

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