Robin Shepard
Despite all the talk of collusion in the news, three Wisconsin beer makers aren’t shying away from conspiring in the brewhouse. Russian Collusion, a barrel aged Russian imperial stout, shows how a little creative collaboration is a good thing.
What is it? Russian Collusion, a collaboration beer from Lucky’s 1313 Brew Pub of Madison, Full Mile Beer Company and Kitchen of Sun Prairie and G5 Brewing Company of Beloit.
Style: The Russian imperial stout originated in the 18th century as an export from England to the Russian Empire. Often full-bodied and dark black, they can be quite robust — in roastedness, sweetness and bitterness — with lingering alcohol warmth. They are strong, ranging from 7 to 12 percent ABV.
Background: Keith Symonds from Lucky’s, Skyler Kottwiz of Full Mile and Tim Goers at G5 came together last spring to develop the recipe and make the beer. (Not familiar with two of those names? Full Mile opened Dec. 18 and G5 hopes to be open in early 2019.) Symonds hosted brewing at Lucky’s and he gives a lot of credit to both Kottwiz and Goers in recipe development.
The stout behind it all has a rich grain bill with a variety of dark malts, roasted barley, malted rye and an addition of demerara sugar that bumps up the alcohol. After fermentation, the beer was aged over the summer in bourbon barrels from the Driftless Glen Distillery of Baraboo. It stayed in those barrels for about four months before it was kegged in September.
This robust stout has pleasant roasted chocolate maltiness that melds very well with barrel aging. “We purposely kept the roast down so it wouldn’t interfere with the bourbon and barrel qualities,” says Symonds. Aroma is key to making a bold stout, he adds. “Any beer this large better have a really interesting aroma, and one that you want to keep coming back to.”
Russian Collusion finishes at around 9 percent ABV. At Lucky’s it sells for $8/glass. It can also be ordered along with a shot of the Driftless Glen bourbon from the very barrels the beer was aged in.
The three breweries split the 10-barrel batch in equal amounts. It will be available only on tap. It’s expected to appear at Full Mile next week under the name “Collusion.” G5 is expected to serve it as soon as it opens in the new year.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: A very inviting blend of lightly roasted chocolate malt with accents of vanilla and bourbon from the barrel aging.
- Appearance: Dark black color. A medium bubbly tan head.
- Texture: Full-bodied. There’s a softness that increases as the beer warms. You’ll also notice the lingering alcohol warmth; but it doesn’t become evident right away.
- Taste: A light roastedness in the chocolate and caramel malts. The roastedness remains smooth and light, without bitterness. Eventually the sweetness of bourbon brings everything together.
- Finish/Aftertaste: The roastedness turns a little spicy as the warmth of the alcohol builds. This beer’s strength is deceptive; it’ll be several sips before its warmth becomes apparent.
Glassware: This beer is best served in a glass with an inward taper to focus the aroma of dark malts and bourbon. The snifter or small footed pilsner are excellent glasses to get the most from the beer’s bouquet, while encouraging sipping and allowing the beer gradually to warm to room temperature.
Pairs well with: Gorgonzola and Stilton cheeses, and desserts featuring lots of chocolate.
The Verdict: The malts provide layers of smooth semi-sweet chocolate and caramel with just a touch of spicy rye in the background. Tying everything together is bourbon sweetness and hints of oak and vanilla from the wood. All that complexity is even more enjoyable as the beer approaches room temperature. This big and bold Russian imperial stout is lusciously full of flavor, spirited in boozy-accents and always warm and inviting.
