A Little Bit About… Imperial Stout
Did you know that February is stout month? And what better style is there to celebrate this with than an Imperial Stout? But what makes an Imperial Stout Imperial? And why are they so special as a style?
Imperial Stout History
Imperial stouts actually started off life as porters. This was a dark beer that was being brewed in London, England in the 18th century, and it was mainly drunk by the working class. Higher ABV versions began to be known as stouts because they were stouter porters. In the 18th century, Peter the Great came over and visited London from Russia. Porters were all the rage at this time. Peter drank a few and he absolutely loved them and insisted that some get imported to his imperial court in Russia. Unfortunately, by the time the porters got to Russia (it was a very long journey) they had spoiled so they couldn't be drunk.
But British brewers were not going to be deterred by this. They upped the hop content, knowing that this would preserve the beer for the long journey, just like had been done with IPAs previously. The Russian Imperial Stout was born. But it wasn't just Peter the Great that loved a good Imperial Stout, Catherine the Great also loved them. In 1796 Thrales Anchor brewery in London provided an Imperial Stout to Catherine the Great's court that would keep for seven years. There is a quote in The History and Antiquities of the Parish of St. Savior at Southwark that says:
The Empress of all Russia is so partial to porter that she has repeatedly ordered vast quantities for her own drinking and that of her court.
She ordered so much that she ended up having to order from another brewery Courage, who had By Order of the Imperial Court on their labels well into the 1990s. Unfortunately, due to the rise of pale beers, the Imperial stouts popularity started to die off and it was almost completely gone by the 20th century. However, as with a lot of the styles that we now see in craft beer, American home brewers revived the style because they were trying out all different historical recipes that they could find. And so we have to thank those American home brewers for us being able to have this delicious beer today.
Vital Statistics for Imperial Stout
From the BJCP style guidelines:
Colour: Dark brown to black - 30 to 40 SRM
ABV: High to very high - 8 to 12% (Often higher than this can be found).
Perceived Bitterness: Pronounced - 50 to 90 IBUs
Suggested Serving Temperature: 15 - 16 oC, (59 - 60.8 o)
Serving Glass wants: Snifter
What to look for in an Imperial Stout
Hops will be used in this style, not just for preserving it on long journeys, but also to balance out the sweetness from all the malts that are used to create the high ABV. With an Imperial Stout, you do want it slightly warmer than straight out of the fridge. With darker beers, you will find that the complex flavours are dulled when they are cold. You want to take them out of the fridge - either let them sit for a little bit to open them up or gradually sip on them and see how those complex flavours develop. In flavour and balance, we are looking at an intensely flavoured dark ale with a roasty burnt character. Traditional versions will include flavours of dried fruits. There will be a warmth from the alcohol and a bittersweet note.
Imperial Stout is perfect for ageing
These beers are high enough ABV and high enough malt character that they will age over time. That malt profile will then shift and will impact the intensity, balance and smoothness of the flavours and aromas. It's really interesting to buy several of these beers and age them to see how the flavours develop.
A lot of modern versions are barrel-aged and the wood will change the flavour as well because you'll get oaky notes, the flavour of the wood of the barrel and also whatever was in the woods before it. Bourbon is a particular favourite, but they can also be aged in rum, wine or Sherry barrels.
Examples of Imperial Stout that you can try
Goose Island's Bourbon County stout brand Imperial Stout comes out every year. Now, there is some controversy around this because, as you may or may not know, Goose Island is now owned by ABInBev and is therefore not really considered a craft brewery. However, Bourbon County is an excellent beer, so we all seem to give them a pass. Have you bought Bourbon County before? Let me know what you think of that controversy in the comments!
Other examples here in the UK you can try include Wild Beer Co who often have Imperial stouts and their BABS range is an excellent example. Buxton brewery has their Storm Shadow Imperial Stout. If you would like to see something that is a Russian Imperial Stout, Black Sheep do a version. Every year Siren Beer Co do their Caribbean Chocolate Cake range and their Death by Caribbean Chocolate Cake is an Imperial Stout. Fullers are a very traditional brewery here in the UK and they also have an Imperial Stout. You can often buy different vintages of this to try in what's called a vertical where you try a variety of years of the same beer to see how the flavour changes. More American versions you can find include Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout, Great Divide’s Yeti Imperial Stout and North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout.
Additions in Imperial Stout
Modern versions of an Imperial Stout can also include various different flavours. Elusive and Emperor's have produced Imperial Morrisman which has chocolate flavours, Low Key is a brewery that specializes in barley wines and Imperial Stouts and use lots of interesting flavours including chocolate, tonka, fruits and coffee. And for those of you that like a bit of fruit, Where Is Your Heart from Fallen Acorn has raspberry, pistachio and cacao.
If you want to learn more about beer styles with me, come and join my beer membership, The Beer Tent Society. We look at a different beer style every month and then have a live tasting to see what it's all about. Find out more about The Beer Tent Society here.
