I finally got around to opening one of the 22-ouncers the other evening while I was watching gymnastics.
I poured into a nice, wide mouthed goblet that I like to use for my "sipping" beers.
As usual, the RIS was ink black with a copper colored head. Nice, dense and frothy at about 1/4 inch. Dissipated rather quickly, but left some thin residual swirling that looked nice.
The aroma was definite chocolate. Not quite the sharp bitter-sweet aroma of others. This was a more mellow tone. A nice hot chocolate type of aroma.
First sip confirmed what the aroma hinted. This was a smooth chocolate taste. Still a nice firm bitterness that hit the front of the tongue with those 88 ibu's but the roastiness of the grains was more subdued. This was a very enjoyable beer.
Smooth, clean tasting. No off flavors at all. No astringency.
This RIS also happened to go very well with the sharp cheddar cheese I was snacking on.
I can't find any flaws with this beer and it is an excellent example of an RIS. I enjoyed every one of those 22 ounces over the course of an hour and the warmer the beer got...the better it tasted.
Thanks for a great beer. I really enjoyed it.