Stone Imperial Russian Stout - Chai Spiced

Stone Imperial Russian Stout - Chai Spiced

This one-time-only beer, a fascinating addition to our “Odd Beers for Odd Years” series, incorporates cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, a dash of black pepper and a dose of black tea to emulate the aroma and taste of authentic chai tea. Combine these strikingly piquant ingredients with the classic version of Stone Imperial Russian Stout―with its incumbent flavors of chocolate, black currants, coffee and roastiness―and an already profoundly rewarding beer ascends to new, flavorful dimensions.
3.6
448 reviews
Escondido, United States

Community reviews

3.6 Black pour with brown head. Aroma: Malt, toffee and cocoa powder. Strong aftertaste of cinnamon, nutmeg and anise. Interesting flavor, but too overpowering in spice.
4.2 Poured from a 22 ounce bomber. This is really well balanced. The chai spice is very noticeable, however it allows the beer to show itself. Chocolate, sweet alcohol, a fairly dry finish for an imperial stout. Very well made, I wise I had more.
3.2 23.09.2017, 0,65l bottle shared with colleagues @ hotel room in Bergen: Nice light brown slightly bubbly-creamy mediumlasting head. Aroma is slightly sweet spiced, dark malts, dark sugar, nutmeg, toast, caramel, hay, cardamom, cinnamon, bark, black tea, toffee, alcohol, minerals. Taste is slightly sweet mineraly, dark sugar, bark, alcohol, minerals, dark malts, cardamom, nutmeg, hay, toast, black tea, caramel, cinnamon, paper. Medium to longlasting bitterness, slightly harsh spiced mouthfeel. Fair enough.
3.5 Pours black with small head. Aroma: indeed some chai and spices reminding me a bit of stone's xochoveza. Taste: chai spices nicely coupled with dark malt, giving a nice chocolate flavor. Palate is nicely dark and hoppy. I dont like chai tea but surprisingly the chai is not dominating here, making this ris a nice winter beer. I little more body would be good though.
3.8 Dégustée à l'été 2016 (De mes notes). Merci MAM. .
4.0 August 27, 2015 - with blankboy, jercraigs, mabel and guests. Bomber. Brown-black with an average fizzy light brown head. Very spicy aroma - so much so it seems more like a nutbrown than an impy - roast and tart fruit in behind; smells like a winter warmer. Taste follows, more alcohol, less tart fruit, a bit more roast. Buzzy, carbonated mouthfeel (spice, neh?), interesting hints of chocolate and spice in the short linger.
4.6 Version 2015 vom Fass im Stone Brewing Berlin 2016-11 getrunken. Stichwort: Aromafeuerwerk - ja hier ist es! Weihnachten im Glas! Es durftet und schmeckt als ob sie hier Spekulatiuskekse in einer fetten Kaffee/Schokolade aufgelöst haben. Ein abgefahrens Bier.
3.9 Rocky beige head stayed on a near black, still body. Spicy aroma with Christmas cake, Dundee cake, tea & brown sugar. Medium to full body. Tingly on the palate, smooth on the back. Cloying. Dry. Spicy flavours predominantly cardondam & tea. There’s also Christmas cake, fruit cake, dark fruits, berries, clove & mild hints of chilli.
3.5 650ml bottle. Pours almost black, with a brown edge, thin brown head. Spicy, roasted aroma, cinnamon, cloves, caramel, cardamom, licorice, chocolate. Semi-sweet, full bodied, mid to high bitterness, low CO2. Spicy, roasted taste, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, licorice, caramel, chocolate, vanilla. Long, quite harsh and dry finish. Interesting. (2017-04-28)
3.9 On tap at Stone Richmond. Pours black with medium beige head that lasts. The aroma is strong chai, cinnamon, oak, roast, cocoa. Medium body, roasted malt, similar flavors to nose, nice sweetness, boozy, lingering dry finish, very nice.
3.3 Chai as chai can be, I guess. Seems over-spiced; I get that this is a chai stout, but the Stone IRS is almost completely drowned out by the spicing, with cardamom and clove overtaking all the rich mocha and anise complexity I dig about the original beer. I mean, it’s not like this bottles a drain pour or anything; far from it. The black pepper adds a nice unexpected jolt of herbal dryness, and the fade still holds onto the traditional IRS bitterness. But it’s too much chai, too adjunct-forward to kill a whole bomber. A couple years on the shelf have mellowed the boozy heat, however, and the nose is exactly what you’d want a chai imperial stout to be. If only the taste followed suit.
3.5 Bottle pours mostly black with a small beige head. Aroma is lots of chai, peppery spice, cinnamon, anise, some roast. Tastes like chai, some roast and anise, chocolate notes. Full bodied and slightly tingly. Interesting if nothing else, and somewhat enjoyable.
2.2 Bottled on 03.25.15 imprinted on the 22floz bottle. Purchased three of these over the summer of 2016 for $2 each in the St. Louis area. Poured into a large snifter glass for second try at this beer. Near black in color and a light brown head retains its form more so than most imperial stouts. Loads of spices in the nose as my nasal passages are blasted with cardamom and clove. It is what it is. I sorta like chai, and was intrigue by this mash-up (also the low, low discounted price I paid too), but it doesn’t work for me. Far from a drain pour, and it does effectively embody the traits as brewed. Besides spiced tea, tree bark, a tamped down roastedness, and a salient vanilla flavor comprise this beers full-bodied beer’s profile.
3.7 Bottled (MT/KS/MB February tasting). Black colour with a big brown head, that leaves some lace. Aroma is herbal, some honey, coffee, spices and mild roasted notes along with liquorice. Flavour is liquorice, roasted malts, some coffee, chocolate, a bunch of chai and some slight alcohol to it as well. Not overly spiced.
4.3 Bottle... This beer rocks!… Pours dark brown (nearly black) with a small, creamy, beige head. The aroma is a fantastically rich blend of dark chocolate and chai tea spices. Full-bodied, thick and creamy with tickling carbonation. The flavor is carbonic and spicy with a warming, hearty, roasty finish. The spice-rack greatness lingers on and on… Thanks to darkguardian for providing this world-class beer!
3.7 Bottle aged 2 years in my cellar. The aroma is Chai, some caramel. Pours black with tan head mostly lasting and excellent lacing. The taste is sweet from the Chai and then a little bitterness. The body is medium, the texture creamy, the carbonationlively and the finish long. Very similiar to yesterday’s spiced stout.
3.8 Keg at Stone Berlin. 2015 Vintage. pours Black with a beige head. Lovely creamy Chai aroma in amongst the roasted character. Spiced, cakey character. Chocolate, coffee & vanilla to the taste. Sweet with a bit of ashen bitterness to finish. Very nice. Offbeat & interesting.
3.4 22 oz. bottle. I’m not sure of the date of consumption, but it must have been at some point in the second half of December 2016. 2015 edition. Scents of nutmeg, nuts (hazelnut, Brazil nut), dust, plum, and chocolate. There’s a sickly quality to the aroma. Milky smell. I’m not loving the smell on this one. A little weird in aroma. There are good elements and off elements. Pours dark brown, nearly black with a small to moderate amount of dark beige head. Nothing special in appearance. Nice, roasted flavors. Just a touch of spice that adds a nice little twist. Tastes much better than it smells. Rich, dark hot chocolate and tea. Chocolate-covered pretzel flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and potpourri. Perhaps a little on the sweet side upon multiple sips. Medium to full body. Oily in the palate. A bit of froth. I’m not sure why the aroma is so flawed, but it certainly tastes good.
3.8 65cl bottle from systembolaget. Vintage 2015. Pours black with big head. Herbal spicey aroma with coffee and roasted cocoa taste. Loads of chai flavours. Nice winter warmer.
3.6 December 27, 2016. Bottle at home, vintage 2015. Black with a small tan head. Aroma is spicy, malty and soft roasted dominated by cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, some milk chocolate notes, black pepper, nutmeg, toffee, roasted coffee notes. Taste is medium sweet, spicy, malty and smooth bitter. Medium to full bodied, soft to average carbonation. Finish is slightly dry roasted and spicy with hints of ash, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, light malty toffee sweetness with a touch of dark berries. Quite spice forward with a bit dry and simplistic bitter finish, nice chai tea similarity though.
4.1 Aromat intensywnie czekoladowy, przyprawowy, kojarzy się z polskim piernikiem. Smak słodki, lekko gorzki. Płynny piernik w czekoladzie.
3.5 Aroma: nutmeg and cinnamon, weak cardamom notes, roasted and bitter chocolate. Appearance: jet black and brown head. Taste: spicy, nutmeg and cardamom, roasted dark malts, bitter chocolate smooth and rather dry. Palate: full body and medium carbonation, spicy finish. Overall: Interesting idea, a lot of spic notes, smooth.
3.4 Bottle shared at Danish Ratebeer Summer Gathering 2016, Day 2. Dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of big chai spice dominating, with malt, dark chocolate, caramel and toffee behind. Flavour is heavy sweet and moderate bitter. Full bodied with alcoholic warmth and soft carbonation. The spice really doesn’t improve on the great base beer. [20-08-2016]
4.0 Flaska från SB. Provning med Nerikes Ölsällskap, tema amerikanska tungviktare, del II. Flaska från mars 2015. Svart med brunbeiget skum. Stor, härlig doft med massor av chaikryddor, nybakad mjuk pepparkaka, lite lakrits och kola. Medelstor kropp. Mycket av chai i smaken med kanel, kryddnejlika, mjuk pepparkaka, ingefära, lite lakrits och sen en aning kaffe i avslutningen. En något pepprig ton känns av, liksom kardemumma som integrerar sig väldigt väl. Verkligen prickat in chai-tonerna riktigt bra, särskilt i doften. Lyckats väldigt väl med vad dem vill med denna, även om det kanske inte är något jag skulle vilja återvända till alltför ofta. Men passar i jultider! Även om den är rätt smal i stilen så är jag förvånad över att den är så lågt rate:ad.
4.4 Vom Fass bei Stone in Berlin. Schwarzes Bier mit schönem braunem Schaum. Spannender Gewürzduft. Zimt, Sternanis, Schokolade und Chai. Dickflüssiges Mundgefühl. Süss-röstiger Antrunk. Etwas Port und Bitterschokolade. Der Chai gibt demBier einen irren Twist. Ich finde das Bier klasse!
4.0 Bottle @home (Euro-vision 2016 tasting.) Pours black, jet black, tan head. Nose is big coffee, chocolate, milk chocolate, slight liquorice while the chai come through all the time it does not overpower the other base beer notes. Taste is all chai at first but then the base beer fights through.
3.2 Black with a dark khaki head. I love chai, personally and this combination worked very well, in my opinion. The aroma was distinct and the flavor really came through. I had been concerned that the beer would overwhelm the spice character but it was a great compliment. The only drawback is that it was a limited release so now that I want more, I probably won’t be able to locate it. Delicious and it was perfect for a beautiful autumn day spent watching football.
3.9 Pours black with a thin nougat colored haed. Aroma; Cinnamon, apple pie, dark roasted coffee beans, some chocoalte and biscuits. Taste; Loads of cinnamon, apple pie, dark chocolate and some roasted malt. A Christmas stout ineed..
3.7 Pours deep black with a small tan head. Aroma is full of spice with the cinnamon coming through. Taste is massive on the chai tea flavour. Lovely stout that deserves to be savoured.
3.9 Black color with brown head. Aroma is really spice forward with lots of cinnamon and apple pie. Taste starts sweet and spicy but gets quickly bitter and roasty with some dark chocolate. Medium body with soft carbonation. Really tasty but a little too spicy for my taste.