25 Drinks: Bitter Russian Imperial Stout

December 13 in the boozy advent calendar was Tampa's Cigar City Brewing's Marshal Zhukov's. A friend sent this to us years ago. I really have no idea how old it is. But this boozy treat was one to age.

I giggled when Mr, K poured the Marshal Zhukov's RIS. The reverse head was so chocolatey dark. Very rare indeed. It settled to an oil slick on the top. I sipped and savored this brew. It was sticky and left thick layers on the glass. 

Taste-wise, it wasn't sweet like many RIS. It was bitter and earthy. It was very much like blackstrap molasses, just like the description said. It had a pure licorice taste, not like the sweets, but like those black gummies that I crave. It was herbal. It was leathery. It was roasted, but the roast wasn't the main flavor. This was like no RIS I'd tasted before. I could picture sipping this by a fire, planning a war.