The Naked Pint (33 page)

The creation of the Russian Imperial Stout (RIS) is similar to that of the India Pale Ale. The main legend is that Peter the Great was a fan of the popular Porters (also called Stouts, see Chapter 4) he had tasted in England, but when he had them shipped to Russia, many had gone bad (embarrassing at any beer party!). The story goes that London’s Barclay Brewery added hops to its Porter and upped the alcohol content to help it last the journey, et voilà—Russian Imperial Stout was born. The hops lent their preservative quality and added a higher bitterness to the dark Stout. The style supposedly became quite popular in the Russian court. Apparently, Catherine the Great became a devoted RIS drinker and shared pints with her court (this should shatter the myth that women don’t like strong dark beers; if it’s good enough for an empress, ladies ...).

Russian Imperial Stouts have become a favorite style of the craft beer world. The high alcohol and hops support a variety of intense flavors and can be a great palate for brewers who want to get extreme. The flavors of an RIS often conjure up notes of bitter, strong espresso, and bitter, dark chocolate. More complex RISs can boast notes of dried fruit, ash, rum, vanilla, and Port. The Port or rum-like and vanilla qualities come out especially in RISs that are aged in barrels. The high alcohol makes these beers perfect for aging and especially for barrel-aging, which can also lend an oaky quality to the ale. Their alcohol can be anywhere from 7% to 14%, making them a great nightcap. Beer-geeks get all hot and heavy about extra-special RISs, especially those who seek out the biggest, boldest, most extreme beers.

There is nothing quite like a complex Russian Imperial. It really does upend any preconceived notions about beer’s boundaries. Every sip can bring out a new level of depth. Barrel-aged RISs can be as fine as a great bourbon or Scotch and are fantastic with a cigar. And RISs can take on a whole new life on creamer faucets; the weight on the tongue goes perfectly with the deep bitter chocolate and coffee notes of a typical RIS, sometimes smoothing out a bit of the bitterness. At the end of the evening, sip on one of these and soak up the dark depths:

Y
es. Yes, size matters. (Sorry, boys.)

It especially matters when you hit the Barleywine Festival a little too hard and do something that requires the walk of shame back to your apartment the next morning. Or when you don’t know what the hell a Quadrupel is and down a whole 750-milliliter bottle at the pub, fueling your desire to stand on top of the bar and offer your best rendition of “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” to a room full of confused patrons.

Barleywines are huge beers, usually with super-malty flavor profiles and sometimes sky-high alcohol contents. The following big beers must be consumed with caution and reverence. Sipping is key, not gulping. Even when you are careful, they can cause an embarrassing beer incident, but we know you can handle it ... right?

There are some people who claim that Barleywine was named such because its ABV was so high that brewers felt that they should warn their customers. Other people say that the word
Barleywine
originated in the 18th and 19th centuries in England, apparently because England was so often at war with France that the consumption of French wine was considered unpatriotic in England (think “freedom fries”), so the upper classes called their strong ales Barleywines and drank them instead of the popular French Claret. Obviously Barleywines are not actually wine, because they are not made from fruit but from malted grains. This is why Americans call them Barleywine-style ales. A long name perhaps, but a bit more accurate. Barleywines are similar to what the British called Old Ale (Old Ale was not quite as high in alcohol as Barleywines and never had the hop bitterness that some Barleywines have). These ales have always been the strongest of the English ales and were often aged and saved for a special occasion or the holidays.

Barleywines are made with a high amount of malt, usually a pale malt, which is boiled for a long time, allowing it to reduce and caramelize and turn a deeper color. This high dose of malt leads to a high ABV, anywhere from 8% to 14%, and a rich sweet flavor. Because of this intensity, Barleywines are meant to be sipped slowly, like a liqueur. The typical Barleywine flavors are those of dried fruit or coffee and chocolate, with an intensely sticky mouthfeel and warm alcohol presence. They can be super hoppy or not hoppy at all; in England, the Barleywines tend to be less hoppy compared to the American beers, which typically tend to be well hopped. You may see some American-made Barleywines described as English-style, referring to the more traditional, lower hop presence.