Right. Who knows history better than us? And who knows a better bourbon barrel aged stout than Bourbon County - coz we want to drink independent if we can!
Revolution in Chicago knows a few things or two. And Hardywood Park in Richmond VA brews a wide range of solid stouts, including barrel-aged imperials.
Well done on managing to make the fact that you're both in two different locations still work so compellingly as a video! Big fan of the Imperial stout. Sank a Space Coyote from Gipsy Hill Brewery last week and it floored me. Literally and metaphorically!
Most of my very favourite beers are imperial stouts, but I often find the brews that are still called Russian Imperial Stouts too boozy and out of balance. My top recommendations for this style would be Sori (The Shadow Game series is hit or miss for me, but try both of the Harrier's Dive: amazing!), Fierce (most VBM variants), Central Waters (the Black Gold is literal gold, the Cassian Sunset isn't far off), Omnipollo (too much to list!) and as you rightly said Lervig! I have the new Lervig Cheap Lunch ready to crack open, looking forward to it! Cheers!
So I'm a big fan of Imperial Stouts, I agree that Bourbon County is wonderful, and I could care less who owns it. Another really good one is Samuel Smiths from your neck of the woods. Brooklyn makes two wonderful imperials, Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, and Black Opps, and finally one of my favorites, actually made in Russia, Baltica Russian Imperial Stout. You should also look into Baltic Porters, which are high alcohol Porters. There are some American craft brewers making them, plus what's imported from Poland, Russia, and other areas on the Baltic.
The Porterhouse in Dublin has a fantastic barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout. Tried it last summer and it was very rich in flavours and, well, damned good.
Just discovered your channel and glad that I did! Stout is my favorite style of beer, including all its sub-genres lol. If you guys can get ahold of Prarie Artisan Ales' Bomb! out of Oklahoma, US do it, you won't regret it. Rated as one of the best stouts in the world. Cheers!
Barrel Aged Stouts are amazing and Goose Island is up there, in quality. I just picked up a 2022 bottle this morning, which has been better than the 2023's I've had. I don't know if that's an age factor or simply a difference in the batches.
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout is my Imperial Stout of choice! Brewed by the Brooklyn Brewery. I live in Brooklyn and have been enjoying it since the 1980s when it was first introduced! Goose Island Bourbon Barrel Stout is also very nice as you know. SLAINTE Mike
Few months ago, I had an "Imperial Baltic Porter" by Pöhjala, called Kolm Null Null Kolm...it was absolutely delicious, but what the hell is this in terms of beer classification? 😂 And I read that Porters are usually top-fermented (Ales), with the exception of Baltic Porters which are bottom-fermented (Lagers) and Pöhjala gets criticized for selling top-fermented Porters as Baltic Porters... so confusing 😅
Thanks for the video guys. Very informative! I do want to point out one flaw in the logic of that article in regards to higher abv to avoid freezing. This very well may have been a concern on long ship voyages. Due to the small amount of liquid in a bottle (or even a barrel) of beer, it could freeze in just a matter of moments or hours when exposed to air temperature below its freezing point. Ocean water takes many days of extended exposure to air temperature averaging below its freezing temperature (~28.4°F) to really have an effect, purely because of the volume of water. You could certainly have issues with beer freezing while the oceans remained accessible, and higher abv would impact the freezing point a ton.
I too thought about that, but some quick research implied that the baltic would VERY rarely freeze, so only reached the temps that would freeze 6-8% beer or the sea (way under 28F) a few times a century.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel I appreciate the response. I think this again comes down to the difference between what it takes to freeze beer vs freeze a significant section of an ocean or sea. As far as air temperature of the Baltic in winter, you can use Helsinki as an easy reference. Daily lows in February average around 18F, which could certainly freeze a bottle of beer, and likely also barrels.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel great channel guys, i am a brit living on the island of Gotland in the lower middle of the baltic sea. As a part of Sweden we are known for our mild winter and warm summers! it was a cold winter but 10 years ago when we moved here it was -20 deg celcius air temp day and night for a week. On old photos at the ferry terminal you can see early 1900s the sea would freeze out to the closest islands 5km out from shore over shallow water. Larger bodies of water will not freeze if at 0 degrees allowing ships to navigate in very cold conditions. It must be much colder up north like St Peterburg, so it is perhaps not far fetched to think the Abv. was increased to protect the beer from freezing as it not circulating in a large body of water but in a bottle or cask in some times extreme minus weather. thanks again for the great programs
If you can get a hold of them, give Bellwoods Brewery in Toronto a try and either Bring Out Your Dead or Skeleton Key are pretty bloody special Imperial Stouts but... that Goose Island is a different level.
The definition of beer styles change over time. Also beer styles or types are often defined by regional factors thus IPAs certainly like most styles a british creation is today defined by the two coasts of america. The current standard of the imperial stout is defined by the american midwest. Like Russia the midewst is cold & have a lot of working class people whom might even have a bit of drinking problem. Unlike russians however they are mostly those of german decent thus beer in lui of vodka is there drink of choice. The midwest added the wrinkle of aging beer in bourbon barrels. Certain goose island of chicago was the 1st, then michigan added it's culture by making an affordable BBA stout with KBS & dragons milk. I live in michigan & even many microbreweries around here typically have one imperial stout on the menu. My favorite being "no rules" by perrin brewing. You might consider it more of a pastry stout. It has a lot of adjuncts, but its aged for 1 year in bourbon barrels & is 15%.
If this coronavirus thing ends somehow I gonna schedule a trip to the UK and hang out with these lads (english slang included by force). Great channel, it deservers way more views!!!
Nice! I was waiting for such a video for a long time as I had heard many myths about the origins of the imperial stout but had no clue what to believe! On another note, I think it’s a pity that the porter is shadowed by the stout in craft beer, probably because of what you said: higher ABV is considered a higher quality standard.
Glad it cut through the nonsense! Re porters and stouts, I don't think porter and stout is differentiated by ABV these days - more by roastiness and dryness (stout) and fruitiness (porter), and I'd say the latter is more common now!
Not a fan of bourbon barrel aged stouts, but I'll try this one when I see it. I have really like Russian Imperial Stouts from Cigar City, Bell's and Weyerbacher, all in USA.
Had a Bourbon County night before last, A Speedway Imperial last night and will be enjoying a Firestone Parabola in a couple hours! Life is better with imperial stouts! 🥰
Here a brewery added chile serrano (serrano spicy pepper) to an imperial stout. It sound crazy but the chile brings a final mild spicy note. They call it "Mexican Imperial Stout"
Hahahaha you just proved my one friend was right! We were having a conversation one night and he came to the conclusion that any beer with "imperial" in the name was some thing pretty much over the top, meaning high APV. For the record, I cracked into a Bells Imperial Stout (Expedition)
Great Video! Love the format of filming yourself while skyping. I had an imperial Stout with Cacao nibs and Tonka beans last night, aging fantastically at 9,5% 😋🥴 #Homebrew #BeerStash
Castle Island Brewery in Massachusetts USA makes an Imperial stout each year. They package some for immediate consumption. Yummy. They also barrel age a portion in four to six different barrel types each year. Bourbon, Whiskey, Rum and wine. Retirement money well spent.
Very enjoyable video due to your knowledge of the history of this style! Popped up on my "videos you may like/recommends". I'm located in the Chicago area so I'm curious, does Goose Island distribute Bourbon County to the UK?
Amazing video guys! I have that same year Goose Island in my stash! I drank one the last year and I'm waiting for a nice oportunity to drink this one! Cheers from Chile!
While, I won't be drinking one now. My fiance and I are planning on cracking open and celebrating a 2018 version of Dechute's The Abyss when our first born comes in June. Cheers to new beginnings!
Depends where you live! But Lervig make the best imperial stouts in the world and are very affordable. In Europe Dugges and Brewdog make great stuff that's readily available. Glen Affric's bourbon barrel aged stout (pictured in the vid) is STELLAR too.
Well done for addressing this. ‘Charlotte’ Johnny? Dude WTF but good recovery. One thing you didn’t really get into is the lactose imperial stouts. Some of them are amazing like Nightmare of Brew York (not too syrupy)
Nice video but I have a couple of a niggles with it. I am by no means an expert but I don't think a bottle of freezing beer can be compared to a huge body of water such as an ocean. In an ocean, ice only forms on (mostly) the surface, which in turn acts as a layer of insulation, preventing the water below it from feezing too. This is (amongst other reasons) why oceans do not completely freeze even though the temperature may be well below freezing. I think it is entirely possible that a beer could freeze on a ship whilst the ship travels through icey waters. So I believe it makes sense that when shipping to Russia (without the methods of insulation we have today) they would increase the alcohol to negate against this (alcohol having a much lower freezing point than water), preventing the beer from (freezing and) spoiling. Maybe they initially made stronger beer for the journey through the cold seas to Russia and it turned out that the Russians really liked the strong beer. Even prefered it, since they preferred strong drinks anyway (vodka being the drink of choice). And also, as you mentioned, it would give them a warming feeling in the cold weather. I don't have the answers but I feel like there's more research to be done. Maybe it was a combination of many factors that lead to this style of beer? Either way, interesting topic and video. Cheers!
Thanks for the comment Tom - a quick point is that it wouldn't have been bottles, it would have been very large barrels of beer. Another point is that it only takes the freezing of of the surface - and only part of that surface - to stop a boat getting through! The key point though is that in the research by Martyn Cornell there is no historical reference to these beers brewing brewed strong to avoid freezing - it all comes from assumptions by later writers.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Good points. On reading Martyn Cornell's article, it also sounds like regular English porters were available (although I can't see any reference to strength?) in Russia before "imperial" was available. And I don't doubt as you mentioned, that breweries used the term for marketing purposes. Having said that, I would still love to see a practical experiment! What's stopping you guys from sailing to Russia on an 18th Century ship, with large barrels of various types of beer, and tasting them all (of course) on arrival?!
God. If you could see the unedited versions of my beer videos....so many "um"s and "uh"s and "so"s....anyway, thanks for this video! Super informative.
Well one year later you are right .Russia is starting fights but thankyou for your video I'm generally a spirits kinda man but lately have tryed these types of beers and have fallin in love with this one called persistence 2 {12.2%} it's a rye imperial stout aged in rye whiskey solera barrels from the gospel distillery.just curious if U can get it U should try and let me know if it becomes your favourite..but yep imperial stouts are awsome
I'm torn between the Covfefe from PeopleLikeUs/Mikkeller and Noctus 100 from Riegele. Didn't know the Goose Island, and won't be acquainted for some time cause it's sold out, at least here in Denmark And nice to finally see Brad again!!
"... [B]eing bottle-conditioned, ... [Imperial Stout] could continue to ferment during transit, thus preventing spoilage. Also, the alcohol was itself a protection against wild yeast infections." -Michael Jackson ('Eyewitness Companions: Beer', p. 49. Dorling Kindersley, 2007)
The issue wasn't with the beer freezing so much as it was an issue with it spoiling. Higher ABV and hop content helped prevent spoiling through long voyages. Isn't that also how IPA's got started? The additional hops helped prevent spoilage.
The ABV thing os a myth - while it might add some protection Britain was brewing beer that strong already. The heavy hopping is definitely true though less relevant for the imperial stouts as the trip was months shorter and the temperature much lower (so less activr bacteria). I think the most likely truth is simply rich people in the UK and the Russia liked our beer strong!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Seems to me after watching your excellent video that you're probably closest to the truth by saying that UK brewers (which would have included Ireland as part of the British Empire back then) were marketing their best beers as "Imperial". So the "Imperial" element of Russian Imperial Stout is referencing the British provenance, just like IPA, and not the Russian Empire and its court.
I really enjoy a Russian Imperial Stout or in Imperial IPA... about the only beer I don't care for is a Bourbon Barrell anything. I've never been much of a hard liquor guy.
Great video! Just tried a really great stout (an small one, not an IS) from a new contract brewery from Barcelona, they brew it at Whiplash so now I feel like drinking one of my cans of their Fatal Deviation but the weather is too hot hahaha let's hope it gets a bit colder
@@TheCraftBeerChannel The brewery it's called Oddity, they have just an IPA and the brown stout, the IPA is good, but the brown stout was really good, really well balanced and quite flavourfull for having "just" 6% ABV, it's called Crumbling Crowd if I'm not wrong
Beer could absolutely freeze in a boat that has no problem sailing through the water. For one, the air temperature might be a lot warmer than the water temperature because water has a large heat capacity and there's a ton of it(it's the ocean). That on top of the fact that currents and waves can prevent ice sheets from forming make it possible for ships to sail through water when the air temperature is below freezing. Beer would be stagnant in barrels and in a small enough amount that it could definitely freeze. The internet told me beer freezes at 28 degrees Fahrenheit and if that's true, then I think the beer freezing could be very likely.
Low alcohol beer freezes around 28F - a 6-8% beer is a very different matter. Could be wrong but we're not talking deep sea here, we're talking the harbours and close to land parts of the Baltic too!
The Craft Beer Channel that's a good point. I think a stronger beer would have done a lot better in those conditions. I've definitely had a few beers freeze on me while I had my fridge set too low haha.
Russian Imperial Stout is dead simple. It was brewed first by Barclay Perkins under contract of Queen Catherine for the Russian royal court. Was it aged in barrels? Yes. Was it made strong because that's the way they like it? That is nearly a direct quote from Ron Pattinson. Who I suggest you read for a full history of Russian Imperial Stout. It was called IBSt at the brewery, not Stout Porter.
Russians have icebreaker ships! The beer wouldn't have frozen, the sea would have on the surface level. Oceans freezing is complex. They would have sent an icebreaker out to make a path for other ships.
I think the 'wouldn't the water be frozen' comment used to disparage the high alcohol ship RIS story is wrong, water can be below freezing and still exist as a liquid under certain conditions!
Perhaps. But even if the slightly flippant reason we gave is untrue, there is no historical evidence this was the case at all, but lots to show beers were brewed stronger because it tastes good.
I've had Bourbon County from 2019 and from 2020 the ones from 20/20 are 14.6 why the ones from 19 are 15.2 M personally the ones from 2019 do taste better I've had about seven or eight of them this past week LOL and I rarely ever drink
Except salt water doesn’t freeze at the same rate as spring water does it mate!?!? And yet a higher alcohol content might not freeze at all even if a boat is stuck straight up for months.
You'll start to see ice form on the surface of the Baltic at around 10C air temp, due to the water deeper being much cooler already. 10% abv alcohol, which to is gonna be a little higher than most of the historic Imp Stouts, freezes at -4C. Therefore the route to Russia would have been blocked well before any risk to the beer.
The BUTCHER'S APRON (Union Jack) Johnny BikeSanooK! From Sunny tropical THAILAND never colonized. Triumph Bonneville Built in THAILAND ruclips.net/video/k-cEH4Peekg/видео.html
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Yeah I finally got a hold of it after hearing of all the hype and just didn't think too much of it. You really should try big bad baptist from epic brewing. Its a pretty great beer and priced good as well.
No, that's BS. The reason the ocean doesn't easily freeze is because it is saline, which drastically lowers the freezing point by around 15 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not sure of the exact number but that is what I was always told by snow plow drivers who used straight sodium chloride. So the stout could still freeze is the ABV was too low.
Way to take shots at pastry stouts my guy. I actually prefer something from Angry Chair Brewery over Goose Island Bourbon County. I'm over the hype and more so I get nothing but straight bourbon drinking a Bourbon County stout. If you put Bourbon County and a Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half in front of me. I'm taking Curmudgeon's every time. I'd even take a Imperial German Cup Cake Stout from Angry Chair over an over hype Bourbon County.. Even De Struise Black Albert is more of an OG Imperial Stout than GI Bourbon County. You guys must of been paid to cover Bourbon County..
Lol we barely get paid full stop let alone for promoting specific beers. And we have covered all sorts of pastry stouts including visiting Angry Chair.... we took no shots we just want to encourage balance in people's views.
Right. Who knows history better than us? And who knows a better bourbon barrel aged stout than Bourbon County - coz we want to drink independent if we can!
I'd say if you could search out a Barrel Aged Neutron Star by Atom you'd be taken to another world but that stuff is pretty much non existent now lol
@@AT02129 Love that beer and that brewery
Thornbridge's Necessary Evil was great
Revolution in Chicago knows a few things or two. And Hardywood Park in Richmond VA brews a wide range of solid stouts, including barrel-aged imperials.
FO or Darkstar November from bottle logic - you'll have to trade for em though 😉
Imperial stout is life. That's it.
This should be the number one comment.
IPA’s in spring and summer.
Imperial Stouts in fall and winter.
Drunk all year ‘round.
I’m the same. Stouts and Porters in any months that have an R in them.
Coincidentally i cracked open a Sierra Nevada Narwhal imperial stout last night. 16 oz can at i believe 10%abv. A very warming beer indeed🍻😁
Mate, I got a 2016 vintage in the fridge. I'll let you know how it is.
Aaron Colusso don’t put it in the fridge
Well done on managing to make the fact that you're both in two different locations still work so compellingly as a video! Big fan of the Imperial stout. Sank a Space Coyote from Gipsy Hill Brewery last week and it floored me. Literally and metaphorically!
Most of my very favourite beers are imperial stouts, but I often find the brews that are still called Russian Imperial Stouts too boozy and out of balance.
My top recommendations for this style would be Sori (The Shadow Game series is hit or miss for me, but try both of the Harrier's Dive: amazing!), Fierce (most VBM variants), Central Waters (the Black Gold is literal gold, the Cassian Sunset isn't far off), Omnipollo (too much to list!) and as you rightly said Lervig!
I have the new Lervig Cheap Lunch ready to crack open, looking forward to it! Cheers!
The late lamented Tatton Brewery once brewed a stout that clocked in at a whopping 12%.It was syrupy and delicious.
It's amazing how closely your living rooms match the occupants.
Imperial Stouts are my favorite beers. My favorite atm. is Speedway Stout
Had one last night
So I'm a big fan of Imperial Stouts, I agree that Bourbon County is wonderful, and I could care less who owns it. Another really good one is Samuel Smiths from your neck of the woods. Brooklyn makes two wonderful imperials, Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, and Black Opps, and finally one of my favorites, actually made in Russia, Baltica Russian Imperial Stout. You should also look into Baltic Porters, which are high alcohol Porters. There are some American craft brewers making them, plus what's imported from Poland, Russia, and other areas on the Baltic.
Thanks for the comment! You'll be glad to know we have already covered Baltic Porter! ruclips.net/video/lBZi6fipPzw/видео.html
The Porterhouse in Dublin has a fantastic barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout. Tried it last summer and it was very rich in flavours and, well, damned good.
You live here or travelling through?
@@messyties I was travelling through. Haven't been back yet, but will definitely at some point
Just discovered your channel and glad that I did! Stout is my favorite style of beer, including all its sub-genres lol. If you guys can get ahold of Prarie Artisan Ales' Bomb! out of Oklahoma, US do it, you won't regret it. Rated as one of the best stouts in the world. Cheers!
Air temperature vs water temperature are 2 different things. It’s absolutely possible to have navigable water and sub-zero air temperature.
Barrel Aged Stouts are amazing and Goose Island is up there, in quality. I just picked up a 2022 bottle this morning, which has been better than the 2023's I've had. I don't know if that's an age factor or simply a difference in the batches.
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout is my Imperial Stout of choice! Brewed by the Brooklyn Brewery. I live in Brooklyn and have been enjoying it since the 1980s when it was first introduced! Goose Island Bourbon Barrel Stout is also very nice as you know.
SLAINTE
Mike
I got into Bottle logic's imperial stout a and they always have special releases that quite honestly is amazing in taste.
Few months ago, I had an "Imperial Baltic Porter" by Pöhjala, called Kolm Null Null Kolm...it was absolutely delicious, but what the hell is this in terms of beer classification? 😂 And I read that Porters are usually top-fermented (Ales), with the exception of Baltic Porters which are bottom-fermented (Lagers) and Pöhjala gets criticized for selling top-fermented Porters as Baltic Porters... so confusing 😅
More fabulous content guys and the history on imperial stouts very informative and really professionally delivered. Those stouts look awesome!
And we are gonna get through them ALL before the pubs open I expect!
Thanks for the video guys. Very informative! I do want to point out one flaw in the logic of that article in regards to higher abv to avoid freezing. This very well may have been a concern on long ship voyages. Due to the small amount of liquid in a bottle (or even a barrel) of beer, it could freeze in just a matter of moments or hours when exposed to air temperature below its freezing point. Ocean water takes many days of extended exposure to air temperature averaging below its freezing temperature (~28.4°F) to really have an effect, purely because of the volume of water. You could certainly have issues with beer freezing while the oceans remained accessible, and higher abv would impact the freezing point a ton.
I too thought about that, but some quick research implied that the baltic would VERY rarely freeze, so only reached the temps that would freeze 6-8% beer or the sea (way under 28F) a few times a century.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel I appreciate the response. I think this again comes down to the difference between what it takes to freeze beer vs freeze a significant section of an ocean or sea. As far as air temperature of the Baltic in winter, you can use Helsinki as an easy reference. Daily lows in February average around 18F, which could certainly freeze a bottle of beer, and likely also barrels.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel great channel guys, i am a brit living on the island of Gotland in the lower middle of the baltic sea. As a part of Sweden we are known for our mild winter and warm summers! it was a cold winter but 10 years ago when we moved here it was -20 deg celcius air temp day and night for a week. On old photos at the ferry terminal you can see early 1900s the sea would freeze out to the closest islands 5km out from shore over shallow water. Larger bodies of water will not freeze if at 0 degrees allowing ships to navigate in very cold conditions. It must be much colder up north like St Peterburg, so it is perhaps not far fetched to think the Abv. was increased to protect the beer from freezing as it not circulating in a large body of water but in a bottle or cask in some times extreme minus weather. thanks again for the great programs
If you can get a hold of them, give Bellwoods Brewery in Toronto a try and either Bring Out Your Dead or Skeleton Key are pretty bloody special Imperial Stouts but... that Goose Island is a different level.
Missus bought me a '17 '18 '19 Bourbon County vertical tasting pack for my birthday next week and I can't wait to try it!
The definition of beer styles change over time. Also beer styles or types are often defined by regional factors thus IPAs certainly like most styles a british creation is today defined by the two coasts of america. The current standard of the imperial stout is defined by the american midwest. Like Russia the midewst is cold & have a lot of working class people whom might even have a bit of drinking problem. Unlike russians however they are mostly those of german decent thus beer in lui of vodka is there drink of choice. The midwest added the wrinkle of aging beer in bourbon barrels. Certain goose island of chicago was the 1st, then michigan added it's culture by making an affordable BBA stout with KBS & dragons milk. I live in michigan & even many microbreweries around here typically have one imperial stout on the menu. My favorite being "no rules" by perrin brewing. You might consider it more of a pastry stout. It has a lot of adjuncts, but its aged for 1 year in bourbon barrels & is 15%.
Thanks for keeping our minds off the daily bad noise and on all things beer!
What bad noise? I've been drunk since lockdown. Keep missing the news.
If this coronavirus thing ends somehow I gonna schedule a trip to the UK and hang out with these lads (english slang included by force). Great channel, it deservers way more views!!!
We would love to hang. We have a live show tonight if you wanna do it sooner!
I know I am late to the party but would like to recommend Durham Brewery's TEMPTATION. They also do a couple of barrel aged versions.
Nice History on the beer style.
Thanks! And hopefully mostly accurate!
Nice! I was waiting for such a video for a long time as I had heard many myths about the origins of the imperial stout but had no clue what to believe! On another note, I think it’s a pity that the porter is shadowed by the stout in craft beer, probably because of what you said: higher ABV is considered a higher quality standard.
Glad it cut through the nonsense! Re porters and stouts, I don't think porter and stout is differentiated by ABV these days - more by roastiness and dryness (stout) and fruitiness (porter), and I'd say the latter is more common now!
in quebec, a russian imperial stout has more hop characteristic than an exclusively imperial stout.
Cheers for clearing that up guys! lol Keep up the good work and hope to catch up for a beer at a festival sometime before 2025!
All the best! Hope the shop is doing OK and we catch you soon.
Not a fan of bourbon barrel aged stouts, but I'll try this one when I see it. I have really like Russian Imperial Stouts from Cigar City, Bell's and Weyerbacher, all in USA.
Had a Bourbon County night before last, A Speedway Imperial last night and will be enjoying a Firestone Parabola in a couple hours! Life is better with imperial stouts! 🥰
Here a brewery added chile serrano (serrano spicy pepper) to an imperial stout. It sound crazy but the chile brings a final mild spicy note. They call it "Mexican Imperial Stout"
It's a well known style! Not our favourite, but appreciate the smokey tones it can add.
Hahahaha you just proved my one friend was right! We were having a conversation one night and he came to the conclusion that any beer with "imperial" in the name was some thing pretty much over the top, meaning high APV. For the record, I cracked into a Bells Imperial Stout (Expedition)
Great Video! Love the format of filming yourself while skyping. I had an imperial Stout with Cacao nibs and Tonka beans last night, aging fantastically at 9,5% 😋🥴 #Homebrew #BeerStash
Sounds great! Love Tonka.
Castle Island Brewery in Massachusetts USA makes an Imperial stout each year. They package some for immediate consumption. Yummy. They also barrel age a portion in four to six different barrel types each year. Bourbon, Whiskey, Rum and wine. Retirement money well spent.
Were they lagering the stout porter on the journey to Russia?
Very enjoyable video due to your knowledge of the history of this style! Popped up on my "videos you may like/recommends". I'm located in the Chicago area so I'm curious, does Goose Island distribute Bourbon County to the UK?
They do indeed. Though they charge £20 a bottle...
Mate - water freezes on ocean going vessels. See water doesn't freeze for several reasons (salt being a big one).
Amazing video guys! I have that same year Goose Island in my stash! I drank one the last year and I'm waiting for a nice oportunity to drink this one!
Cheers from Chile!
Awesome! IT was tasting magnificent also though surprisingly "hot" alcohol wise. Wouldn't hurt to have a little more age on it I think.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel I'll follow your advice then!
The Craft Beer Channel I finally opened an Old Rasputin from North Coast Brewing. It was very nice!
I think I need to go buy a bottle of Samual Smith's Imperial Stout now.
Really enjoyed Tiny Rebel’s Amplified Imperial Stay Puft when I had it.
While, I won't be drinking one now. My fiance and I are planning on cracking open and celebrating a 2018 version of Dechute's The Abyss when our first born comes in June. Cheers to new beginnings!
Well huge congratulations! I bet no beer will taste sweeter than that one.
Any other imperial stouts u recommend? This seems quite pricey online, now I want to buy some imperial stouts!
Depends where you live! But Lervig make the best imperial stouts in the world and are very affordable. In Europe Dugges and Brewdog make great stuff that's readily available. Glen Affric's bourbon barrel aged stout (pictured in the vid) is STELLAR too.
What is imperial stout, why only the best beer ever made!
The proprietors variant is the best of BCBS each year
Noticed the same thing in Indonesia when I was there. Two beer choices, Lager and stout. Very strange
Love BCS despite the ownership. Now that I know about the goings on at Founders we need a new epic stout to fanboy about! Great video.
Couldn't agree more! There are lots to choose from - Lervig are top of our list!
Whos the owner
@@matthewlerma7248 AB Inbev
Well done for addressing this. ‘Charlotte’ Johnny? Dude WTF but good recovery. One thing you didn’t really get into is the lactose imperial stouts. Some of them are amazing like Nightmare of Brew York (not too syrupy)
Nice video but I have a couple of a niggles with it. I am by no means an expert but I don't think a bottle of freezing beer can be compared to a huge body of water such as an ocean.
In an ocean, ice only forms on (mostly) the surface, which in turn acts as a layer of insulation, preventing the water below it from feezing too. This is (amongst other reasons) why oceans do not completely freeze even though the temperature may be well below freezing.
I think it is entirely possible that a beer could freeze on a ship whilst the ship travels through icey waters. So I believe it makes sense that when shipping to Russia (without the methods of insulation we have today) they would increase the alcohol to negate against this (alcohol having a much lower freezing point than water), preventing the beer from (freezing and) spoiling.
Maybe they initially made stronger beer for the journey through the cold seas to Russia and it turned out that the Russians really liked the strong beer. Even prefered it, since they preferred strong drinks anyway (vodka being the drink of choice). And also, as you mentioned, it would give them a warming feeling in the cold weather.
I don't have the answers but I feel like there's more research to be done. Maybe it was a combination of many factors that lead to this style of beer?
Either way, interesting topic and video. Cheers!
Thanks for the comment Tom - a quick point is that it wouldn't have been bottles, it would have been very large barrels of beer. Another point is that it only takes the freezing of of the surface - and only part of that surface - to stop a boat getting through! The key point though is that in the research by Martyn Cornell there is no historical reference to these beers brewing brewed strong to avoid freezing - it all comes from assumptions by later writers.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Good points. On reading Martyn Cornell's article, it also sounds like regular English porters were available (although I can't see any reference to strength?) in Russia before "imperial" was available. And I don't doubt as you mentioned, that breweries used the term for marketing purposes.
Having said that, I would still love to see a practical experiment! What's stopping you guys from sailing to Russia on an 18th Century ship, with large barrels of various types of beer, and tasting them all (of course) on arrival?!
@@themothmanreturns Oh my good that would be an epic episode!
God. If you could see the unedited versions of my beer videos....so many "um"s and "uh"s and "so"s....anyway, thanks for this video! Super informative.
Haha, us too. We just keep the odd one in for effect.
Well one year later you are right .Russia is starting fights but thankyou for your video I'm generally a spirits kinda man but lately have tryed these types of beers and have fallin in love with this one called persistence 2 {12.2%} it's a rye imperial stout aged in rye whiskey solera barrels from the gospel distillery.just curious if U can get it U should try and let me know if it becomes your favourite..but yep imperial stouts are awsome
I'm torn between the Covfefe from PeopleLikeUs/Mikkeller and Noctus 100 from Riegele.
Didn't know the Goose Island, and won't be acquainted for some time cause it's sold out, at least here in Denmark
And nice to finally see Brad again!!
Not an expensive beer which is why I drink a lot of it... Zywiec Porter at 9.5% is a deep dark delicious drop.
So... what exactly is Russian Imperial Stout made with / made from AND what's it's (normal) ABV ?
Try here for detailed recipe info: beerrecipes.org/BJCP-2015-Style/64/20c-imperial-stout.html
How does it get to contain coconut and vanilla flavour?
"... [B]eing bottle-conditioned, ... [Imperial Stout] could continue to ferment during transit, thus preventing spoilage. Also, the alcohol was itself a protection against wild yeast infections."
-Michael Jackson ('Eyewitness Companions: Beer', p. 49. Dorling Kindersley, 2007)
Atoms, 2018 neutron star is still the best impy stout imo, it’s just flawless
I mean wouldn’t small barrels or bottles of beer freeze before a sea? Like in winter my beers will freeze outside but the lake wouldn’t.
But the beer would only be on the ship a matter of weeks, and at 6-9% significantly harder to freeze
Jonny, incredible independent eyebrow mobility
IM SO CRAFT EVEN MY EYEBROWS ARE FIERCELY INDEPENDENT.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Love to see it, just don't sell one of them to Molson Coors
The issue wasn't with the beer freezing so much as it was an issue with it spoiling. Higher ABV and hop content helped prevent spoiling through long voyages. Isn't that also how IPA's got started? The additional hops helped prevent spoilage.
The ABV thing os a myth - while it might add some protection Britain was brewing beer that strong already. The heavy hopping is definitely true though less relevant for the imperial stouts as the trip was months shorter and the temperature much lower (so less activr bacteria). I think the most likely truth is simply rich people in the UK and the Russia liked our beer strong!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Seems to me after watching your excellent video that you're probably closest to the truth by saying that UK brewers (which would have included Ireland as part of the British Empire back then) were marketing their best beers as "Imperial". So the "Imperial" element of Russian Imperial Stout is referencing the British provenance, just like IPA, and not the Russian Empire and its court.
Is a TIPA a double imperial IPA or would that be a Quadruple IPA?
Erm....depends on the brewery!
in the beginning as it were...do we know what the strength of the Imperial Russian Stouts was??
Bells Expedition stout, the creme de la creme. IMO
I really enjoy a Russian Imperial Stout or in Imperial IPA... about the only beer I don't care for is a Bourbon Barrell anything. I've never been much of a hard liquor guy.
Great video! Just tried a really great stout (an small one, not an IS) from a new contract brewery from Barcelona, they brew it at Whiplash so now I feel like drinking one of my cans of their Fatal Deviation but the weather is too hot hahaha let's hope it gets a bit colder
It's due to end of the week. What's the name of the brewery?
@@TheCraftBeerChannel The brewery it's called Oddity, they have just an IPA and the brown stout, the IPA is good, but the brown stout was really good, really well balanced and quite flavourfull for having "just" 6% ABV, it's called Crumbling Crowd if I'm not wrong
cocoa psycho is not bad by brewdog im finding it hard to find the goose island .....
It comes out once a year in November so hold out for then and drink independent in the meantime!
North Coast Brewing - Old Rasputin is the greatest Russian Imp Stout out there….
TL;DW: imperial stouts are whatever your marketing department can get away with
Beer could absolutely freeze in a boat that has no problem sailing through the water. For one, the air temperature might be a lot warmer than the water temperature because water has a large heat capacity and there's a ton of it(it's the ocean). That on top of the fact that currents and waves can prevent ice sheets from forming make it possible for ships to sail through water when the air temperature is below freezing. Beer would be stagnant in barrels and in a small enough amount that it could definitely freeze. The internet told me beer freezes at 28 degrees Fahrenheit and if that's true, then I think the beer freezing could be very likely.
Low alcohol beer freezes around 28F - a 6-8% beer is a very different matter. Could be wrong but we're not talking deep sea here, we're talking the harbours and close to land parts of the Baltic too!
The Craft Beer Channel that's a good point. I think a stronger beer would have done a lot better in those conditions. I've definitely had a few beers freeze on me while I had my fridge set too low haha.
Haha God me too. Or forgotten while speed chilling in the freezer!
The Craft Beer Channel Lol, never again
Deschutes Abyss is a fine example...
Russian Imperial Stout is dead simple. It was brewed first by Barclay Perkins under contract of Queen Catherine for the Russian royal court. Was it aged in barrels? Yes. Was it made strong because that's the way they like it? That is nearly a direct quote from Ron Pattinson. Who I suggest you read for a full history of Russian Imperial Stout. It was called IBSt at the brewery, not Stout Porter.
As I’m watching, I’m enjoying a lovely porter called “leather britches porter” from blackberry farm brewery in Tennessee. Check it out
Is Guinness' Extra Stout same as Russian Imperial?
No. If nothing else Imperial Russian Stout is rock strong.
Saw the Avery Vanilla Bean and instant click like on the video! Btw Avery has an absolute SHITload of barrel aged beers, you must stop by there.
We hope to one day!
Pretty sure NASA proved that Imperial Stout is objectively the greatest beer style of all time, at least in the galaxy.
Where is the love for Old Rasputin? Best in my view.
i cracked a KBS Founders tonight ooooo man it was good
Great beer but sadly the company is extremely inethical and has been successfully sued for some pretty shocking racism
Russians have icebreaker ships! The beer wouldn't have frozen, the sea would have on the surface level. Oceans freezing is complex. They would have sent an icebreaker out to make a path for other ships.
Sam Smiths imperial stout, godly stuff, idk what your guys opinion of Sam Smiths is but it'll always have a place in my heart
I think the 'wouldn't the water be frozen' comment used to disparage the high alcohol ship RIS story is wrong, water can be below freezing and still exist as a liquid under certain conditions!
Perhaps. But even if the slightly flippant reason we gave is untrue, there is no historical evidence this was the case at all, but lots to show beers were brewed stronger because it tastes good.
I've had Bourbon County from 2019 and from 2020 the ones from 20/20 are 14.6 why the ones from 19 are 15.2 M personally the ones from 2019 do taste better I've had about seven or eight of them this past week LOL and I rarely ever drink
Haha well it's one hell of a way to start heavy drinking!
I always loved the Founders range of porters/stouts/imperial stouts. Been a few years since I had one last, however!
Quite right too given the company's horrible culture!
What's wrong with Goose Island?
They are owned by AB InBev, the world's largest brewery and a very controversial company in terms of how they go about their business.
Parabola Firestone walker 🍺
Best beer ever. Just bought a dozen btls of 2021 vintage
Except salt water doesn’t freeze at the same rate as spring water does it mate!?!? And yet a higher alcohol content might not freeze at all even if a boat is stuck straight up for months.
You'll start to see ice form on the surface of the Baltic at around 10C air temp, due to the water deeper being much cooler already. 10% abv alcohol, which to is gonna be a little higher than most of the historic Imp Stouts, freezes at -4C. Therefore the route to Russia would have been blocked well before any risk to the beer.
Brits love taking shots at Ireland.
Lol
The BUTCHER'S APRON (Union Jack) Johnny BikeSanooK! From Sunny tropical THAILAND never colonized. Triumph Bonneville Built in THAILAND ruclips.net/video/k-cEH4Peekg/видео.html
3:45 what you're here for.
I thought bourbon county was overrated when I tried it. Id rather have ten fidy barrel aged or big bad baptist
And that is the joy of craft - if you don't like one Imperial stout, there are 1000 others! Not had Big Bad Baptist, will look it up.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Yeah I finally got a hold of it after hearing of all the hype and just didn't think too much of it. You really should try big bad baptist from epic brewing. Its a pretty great beer and priced good as well.
No, that's BS. The reason the ocean doesn't easily freeze is because it is saline, which drastically lowers the freezing point by around 15 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not sure of the exact number but that is what I was always told by snow plow drivers who used straight sodium chloride. So the stout could still freeze is the ABV was too low.
But that's the point. The abv of these beers would have been extremely high giving them freezing points well, well below zero.
How condescending 😂 Ireland didn’t have an Empire.
English people flock to Irish bars all over the world, they so desperately want to be us.
Haha an empire by stealth and booze!
The Irish call the UNION JACK - "BUTCHER'S APRON" Johnny BikeSanooK. I like Triumph Bonneville - made in THAILAND
Try BOMB imperial stour from Prairie Artisan Ales in Oklahoma USA. Cannot suffer non independent breweries - drink craft it is better
the argument that the sea would freeze over if the air temp is under freezing simply is not true. not exactly how air temps work with water
Komes Russian Imperial Stout.
Not had their beers but heard good things!
Way to take shots at pastry stouts my guy. I actually prefer something from Angry Chair Brewery over Goose Island Bourbon County. I'm over the hype and more so I get nothing but straight bourbon drinking a Bourbon County stout. If you put Bourbon County and a Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half in front of me. I'm taking Curmudgeon's every time. I'd even take a Imperial German Cup Cake Stout from Angry Chair over an over hype Bourbon County.. Even De Struise Black Albert is more of an OG Imperial Stout than GI Bourbon County. You guys must of been paid to cover Bourbon County..
Lol we barely get paid full stop let alone for promoting specific beers. And we have covered all sorts of pastry stouts including visiting Angry Chair.... we took no shots we just want to encourage balance in people's views.
Catherine the Great would do it cause she is german
Stop advertising stouts as coffee tasting/ it’s always more like dark chocolate folks....