A Russian imperial stout. A picture of a dark hellhound on the can. The name “Doomsday Hound.” It’s obvious New Realm had targeted this beer right at me. Reading these signs I took it upon myself to pick up the gauntlet they had thrown down and drink it. I…well, that metaphor just went right to hell, so never mind.
You’ve got a 9.5% ABV here and when you open it, the aroma at first makes it seems like it’s one of those UberStouts. You know the type: “I am a STOUT and I will beat you to DEATH with my UTTER STOUTNESS.” There can be too much of a good thing and these days I find that some stouts are trying to go for the extreme sport drinkers or…something. I guess those Ultra-Stouts are trying to appeal to drinkers who have destroyed their tastebuds with over-hoppyness. So I was prepared for this thing to try and punch me in the earhole.
However, what followed was a big and bold toasty stout flavor that didn’t overstay its welcome. It came in, it turned over a few tables and then sort of excused itself and went out the side door. Which sometimes, you know, that’s everything you want from a beer. The can proclaims its taste of roasted coffee and cocoa (which are both quite evident) and says to sip it lest you feel its wrath. I mean…I sometimes like beer to threaten me, so it’s a sort of Clouseau/Cato relationship. While this thing is nice to pull from in long bursts, it is eminently sippable. And it was exactly what I wanted: a beer I could hang out with for a bit so I wouldn’t wind up drinking four of them due to my lack of self-control. Thanks for watching out for me, New Realm!
