Alaskan Pilot Series: Perseverance Ale
Alaskan Perseverance Ale is a Russian Imperial Stout. This style was chosen to celebrate our 25th anniversary of brewing on the Last Frontier in our coastal home of Juneau, Alaska.
This complex and malt forward Imperial Stout is brewed with an array of local ingredients and flavors to add dimension and celebrate Alaskan’s history and home. Alaska birch syrup from Wasilla lends a deep, almost tart character to the dark malt profile, while fireweed honey from Delta Junction adds a delicate sweetness and floral notes to the aroma and finish. The slight addition of our in-house alder-smoked malt alludes to the distinctive roasted flavor of turn-of-the-century malting practices, without overpowering the more subtle flavors of this dynamic anniversary brew.
To celebrate their quarter-century milestone, the Alaskan Brew Crew wanted to create a beer that was big, bold and brewed with ingredients from Alaska that could be enjoyed fresh or cellared to be brought out to remember the anniversary for years to come. The Russian heritage still present throughout our state make this Russian Imperial Stout a tribute to all that makes our beers truly Alaskan.
This limited edition Imperial Stout is brewed with glacier-fed water, birch syrup from the Alaska Birch Syrup Co., fireweed honey from Alaskan Bee Apiaries, brown sugar and an array of different malts including malted oats and a dash of our world famous alder-smoked malt.
The sturdy flavors in Alaskan Perseverance Ale pair well with rich and savory proteins ranging from fresh oysters to wild game meats. Custards, dark chocolate truffles, New York cheesecake and other creamy desserts bring out the the sweeter notes of fireweed honey, oats and brown sugar
Original Gravity: 1.093, ABV: 9.0%, Bitterness: 50 IBU, Color: 140 SRM
30th anniversary:
Perseverance is a tribute to our 30th anniversary and with this great accomplishment we want to celebrate with you. Kick back and enjoy this big, bold Russian Imperial Stout and don’t forget your commemorative anniversary glass. Cheers to 30 years!
(from https://alaskanbeer.com/2016/09/01/september-events)
35th anniversary:
Russian imperial stout brewed with birch syrup and wildflower honey
2021
(from label)
Alaska birch syrup from Kahiltna Birchworks
wildflower honey
This recipe, originally released as the Perseverance Ale, now resurfaces every time the brewery celebrates a 5-year milestone.
(from https://alaskanbeer.com/our-beers/35th-anniversary-ale)
This complex and malt forward Imperial Stout is brewed with an array of local ingredients and flavors to add dimension and celebrate Alaskan’s history and home. Alaska birch syrup from Wasilla lends a deep, almost tart character to the dark malt profile, while fireweed honey from Delta Junction adds a delicate sweetness and floral notes to the aroma and finish. The slight addition of our in-house alder-smoked malt alludes to the distinctive roasted flavor of turn-of-the-century malting practices, without overpowering the more subtle flavors of this dynamic anniversary brew.
To celebrate their quarter-century milestone, the Alaskan Brew Crew wanted to create a beer that was big, bold and brewed with ingredients from Alaska that could be enjoyed fresh or cellared to be brought out to remember the anniversary for years to come. The Russian heritage still present throughout our state make this Russian Imperial Stout a tribute to all that makes our beers truly Alaskan.
This limited edition Imperial Stout is brewed with glacier-fed water, birch syrup from the Alaska Birch Syrup Co., fireweed honey from Alaskan Bee Apiaries, brown sugar and an array of different malts including malted oats and a dash of our world famous alder-smoked malt.
The sturdy flavors in Alaskan Perseverance Ale pair well with rich and savory proteins ranging from fresh oysters to wild game meats. Custards, dark chocolate truffles, New York cheesecake and other creamy desserts bring out the the sweeter notes of fireweed honey, oats and brown sugar
Original Gravity: 1.093, ABV: 9.0%, Bitterness: 50 IBU, Color: 140 SRM
30th anniversary:
Perseverance is a tribute to our 30th anniversary and with this great accomplishment we want to celebrate with you. Kick back and enjoy this big, bold Russian Imperial Stout and don’t forget your commemorative anniversary glass. Cheers to 30 years!
(from https://alaskanbeer.com/2016/09/01/september-events)
35th anniversary:
Russian imperial stout brewed with birch syrup and wildflower honey
2021
(from label)
Alaska birch syrup from Kahiltna Birchworks
wildflower honey
This recipe, originally released as the Perseverance Ale, now resurfaces every time the brewery celebrates a 5-year milestone.
(from https://alaskanbeer.com/our-beers/35th-anniversary-ale)
3.7
276 reviews
Juneau, United States
Community reviews
22 bomber to tulip. Pours black, tan short head. Aroma of toast, baking chocolate. Faint Aroma for such a big beer. Taste of baking choc, toasted malts, nut, marachino, floral. Mouthfeel is mod-thick, decent carb. Flavors are straight forward, not too complex.
Black. Roast, burnt Baker’s chocolate, and brown sugar. Flavor is more burnt bitter chocolate and roast malt.
Sampled from 22oz bomber into schooner glass.
Pours a 1" tan head that falls quickly with faint lacing. Color is opaque black. Aroma of dark roasted malt, licorice, molasses, smoke. Mouthfeel is thick and sticky with a somewhat damp lingering finish. Flavors of burnt toast, woody smokiness, chocolate, molasses, licorice with earthy and some citrus rind hops. A pleasant winter warmer to celebrate the 30th anniversary of a great brewery.
On tap at Happy Gnome with commonshawn. 10oz pour. Deep black color with full finger tan head and a willingness to keep up strong lacing. Nose is dessert like with chocolate and peat elements. Definitely hints at sweetness to come. Taste is predominantly sweet with chocolate, vanilla, and caramel syrupy characteristic. There is an alcohol presence for sure but not to the detriment of the beer. Lingering dark chocolate bitterness. Struggling to find something that distinguishes this from other Russian Imperial Stouts. It?s good but not one I need to order again. I?ll persevere on to find other efforts in this style.
Pours black with a short lived tan head. Roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, toffee, caramel, graham cracker, spruce and honey aroma and flavors. Medium full body and moderate carbonation with a caramel, toffee, chocolate and roasted malt finish.
Pours pitch black with minimal brown head that quickly dissipates. Aroma is smokey with notes of anise,dark roast and molasses. Flavor is the same. Full body. sticky texture. Dry finish Very good.
Courtesy of 5000 via trade
Bottle: The aroma consists of moderate molasses, lighter chocolate, light roast, and smoke. It pours a dark brown with no transparency and a small beige head that fades to a minimal film outlined by a thin ring. The flavor starts with moderate dark chocolate and light molasses. The finish has moderate roast, anise, smoke, and mild coffee. It’s full bodied with light carbonation and a somewhat sticky mouthfeel.
Bottle. The pour is black. The aroma is heavy malt and chocolate. The taste is basically that of a russian imperial stout.
Dark pour with a slim tan head. Sweet aroma of caramel, chocolate, maple, honey. Flavor comes together well. Nothing fancy here, but enough to distinguish it from others in the imperial stout category. Having this on election night. Perseverance seems to fit the mood well.
22 oz bottle (30th Anniversay edition). Black with an average tan head. Aroma is of roasted malt, coffee, Cocoa Puffs, caramel. Taste is of roasted malt, maple, molasses, cocoa, and honey.
Bottle. The look is dark, tan head, black in color. The smell is roast, malt, syrupy, roast, chocolate, burnt, good. The taste is malty, sweet, roast, chocolate. Good old school stout.
Bomber poured a black hue w/ a medium tan slowly diminishing head. Moderate sweet and roasty aromas. Initial flavor is moderate sweet with a moderate bitter finish. Tastes are molasses, dark toast, roasted marshmallow, peat, and light floral hop. Full bodied and creamy mouthfeel.
On tap at The Hay Merchant. Pours a very dark brown with small tan head that lasts. The aroma is strong roast, chocolate, wood. Medium body, smoke, wood, light booze finish, very good.
On tap @ Chuck’s 85th. Pours inky pitch black with very thin mocha head that fades quickly. Aroma is charred dark chocolate malt, espresso, molasses, and a sweet slightly sappy woody note (birch, I assume?). Smooth, creamy syrupy mouthfeel followed by big super dark roasty notes, light brown sugar sweetness, crisp fir notes on the finish. Really good for a non barrel-aged imperial stout.
Bottle. This is a nice simple impy with some faint tartness coming through and a bit of smokiness. We done and interesting brew.
Bomber - pours a dark mahogany brown to black with a very thin tan head that completely fades away. The aroma opens with roastiness then sweet earthiness, cola and a hint of cocoa. A mouthful is complex and strange....roasty malt, baking chocolate, bitter herbaceousness and unsweetened cocoa.
Tap at Clubhouse BFD. Pours black, tan head. Aroma is roasted malt for days, chocolate, some coffee. Not getting much of that honey. Bit of sweetness. Maybe that’s from the syrup or honey. Flavor is very roasted malt. Some sweetness, but again, I don’t get much honey or syrup in it. Still nice flavor, some chocolate, decent coffee finish. Nice, overall. Decent body, but a little effervescent.
Dark black body brown head. Aroma of ripe bananas, dry cocoa. Taste is again banana, dry roasty cocoa malt, some boozy heat. Palate could be a bit fuller. Decent.
Black pour, tan head, decent lace/retention. Aroma is darker fruit, dried fruit, licorice, chocolate, caramel, light roast, maybe a hint of honey? Fairly full bodied, soy, chocolate and the darker fruit flavors all come out with a sweeter finish.
22 ounce bottle. Mostly anise in the aroma with a little sweet chocolate and a little bit of a burnt rubbery/pool toy character. Slightly transparent dark mahogany body with a small, quickly dissipating light tan head. Starts really sweet, chewy, and viscous. Some roast and chocolate is present in the middle. This is warming with some ethanol late. This is just so thick and viscous.
Pours a thin tan head on a black body.
Aroma is caramel, candy, wood smoke and coffee. Nice blend.
Taste is has a nice coffee bitterness throughout with caramel and other sweets, an earthy finish.
Texture is fairly light for the style, but good.
No shortage of syrup and honey. Ends up too sweet with little bitterness or roastiness offsetting it.
Pours a jet black with a foamy tan head. Aroma is chocolate, roast, and floral notes. Flavor is rich, sweet, chocolate and roast. Has a smooth, full body. Very enjoyable, solid imperial stout.
Watching the debate. Trump just said he’ll put Clinton in jail. Oh yeah good stout wife really enjoying it.
Sampled at the Great American Beer Festival 2016, Denver, CO.
Black color with a small brown head.
Roasted malt, Smoke, alcohol and sweetness. Quite rich but after Destihl’s Dosvidanya this feels thin. A bit strange also.
A very nice unique beer. Pours a beautiful deep black with a thick brown head. Smells very floral, with a bit of smokiness. Taste is smooth, with vanilla and floral notes upfront, followed by honey and smokiness, and a balanced finish. Had on tap at Bailys Taproom.
Very dark, thin head. Sweet, caramel, then gets dry and roasty in the finish. Lots of burnt fruit. Odd character. Some porterish elements.
22 ounce bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky tan head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, toasted dark bread, caramel, floral honey, wood, smoke, char, herbal, pepper, and pine; with lighter notes of licorice, dark fruit, nuttiness, and roast/char earthiness. Damn nice aromas wish great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, honey/birch syrup, moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, toasted dark bread, caramel, floral honey, wood, smoke, char, herbal, pepper, and pine; with lighter notes of licorice, dark fruit, nuttiness, and roast/char earthiness. Moderate herbal/piney hop and roast/char bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, toasted dark bread, caramel, wood, smoke, char, herbal, pepper, pine, and roast/char earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, honey/birch syrup, moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero astringent hop/char flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from roast/char/hop bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, and moderately sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding Russian imperial stout! All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, honey/birch syrup, moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the ABV. Very classic RIS style flavors, with unique complementing complexity coming from the honey/birch syrup. A highly enjoyable offering.
650ml bottle from local liquor store, shared with bananabi11. Blackish purple tinted pour. Sweet caramel, molasses, tangy honey, light chocolate. Medium to full bodied. Sweeter than bittersweet. The blend is solid. Nice, although not as thick as hoped. 14.1
Leans sweet, and alcohol evident. Not as good as their smoked porter. Too little roast for a first class Russian Imperial Stout.