History
Imperial stout can trace its roots back to 18th century England, where brewers created stouts for export. These beers needed more alcohol and hops to survive long journeys, especially those destined for the Baltic region and Russia. Legend has it that Catherine the Great of Russia became enamored with the beer, solidifying the style's popularity there and earning it the name "Russian Imperial Stout."
The style typically has low to moderate levels of carbonation with huge roasted, chocolate and burnt malt flavors. Suggestions of dark fruit and flavors of higher alcohols are quite evident. Hop character can vary from none, to balanced, to aggressive.
The practice of aging these stouts in bourbon barrels is a recent innovation. Greg Hall of Goose Island Brewery in Chicago is credited with creating the first commercially available bourbon barrel-aged stout, Bourbon County, in 1992. This sparked a barrel aging movement within the craft beer scene, which would see brewers experimenting with many types of casks, spirits and finishes to enhance their beer.
For this variation, we added copious amounts of raspberry puree to our fermenting Imperial Stout. We then aged it for 7 months in barrels that previously held Kentucky Bourbon, before racking into a tank containing cacao nibs from Woodblock Chocolate.
Tasting Notes
Pours jet black under a khaki head, with a slight pink hue to the foam. Intense jammy raspberry aromas burst from the glass, with undertones of vanilla and bourbon, giving way to flavors of rich chocolate ganache, raspberry tarte, berry liqueur and a warm wood spiced finish.
Food Pairings
A beer this big and intense isn’t the best for pairing with a main course, but small bites and desserts work well. Soft-ripened cheeses with fruit jellies, or goat cheese crostini drizzled with honey for starters. Fruited pastries like galettes or tarte aux framboises for the lighter fare. The rich and decadent desserts really shine here, like marble cheesecake, chocolate ganache, and molten lava cake, all served with raspberry sauce.
