Favorite RIS

I've always liked a good RIS, but it's been few and far between for various reasons. Recently, i was at my local beer store and asked for their recommendation. I was very promptly handed Old Rasputin and told it was the best. I'll have to say, it is pretty damn good.

What is your favorite RIS?

My favorite is Smuttynose RIS - it's a beautiful conglomeration of roasty, toasty, tasty, and hoppy - all in very generous, in fact willfully aggressive proportions.

pernox said:

My favorite is Smuttynose RIS - it's a beautiful conglomeration of roasty, toasty, tasty, and hoppy - all in very generous, in fact willfully aggressive proportions.

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i've heard that one was very good, thats what i'm getting next time.

Jester King - Black Metal

I haven't tried many, but I REALLY liked Left Hand Brewery's Wake Up Dead RIS. Apparently, this is also available in a limited barrel aged variation, which I have not had.

I'm a big fan of Stone's RIS, but my fav is Big Sky's Ivan the Terrible.

DORIS The Destroyer Double RIS from Hoppin Frog out of Akron, OH would have to be my favorite. Great Lakes Barrel Aged Blackout Stout is another great one.

I've been getting into Belgian Imperial Stouts lately. Weyerbacher makes a good one called Tiny.

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Flying Dog Gonzo is an excellent RIS and the price is right. I can buy it $8.99 a four pack. I like it a little bit more than Old Rasputin but it is a toss up.

Dogfish Palo Santo to me is basically a RIS although a little un-orthodox. Thats probably one of the most interesting beers I've ever had.

Almost forgot...The 2 I have on my wish list based on the hype that I've never had are The Abyss from Deschutes & Dark Lord from 3 Floyds.

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slawre5 said:

Flying Dog Gonzo is an excellent RIS and the price is right. I can buy it $8.99 a four pack. I like it a little bit more than Old Rasputin but it is a toss up.

Dogfish Palo Santo to me is basically a RIS although a little un-orthodox. Thats probably one of the most interesting beers I've ever had.

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+1 on the Flying Dog Gonzo...One of my local breweries got a keg of bourbon barrel aged Gonzo & it was one of the best beers I ever had (but I think they classify it as an imperial porter...close enough to an RIS though IMO)! Cost me $9 for a snifter.

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I just had one called Czar Jack from Minneapolis Town Hall Brewing a couple of days ago that was pretty darn tasty. I'd say it's up there near the top of my list.

Apart from that I really like Hitatchino Nest Espresso Stout, Beer Geek Breakfast from Mikkeller and Speedway Stout from Alesmith. Stone IRS is also good.

My favorite so far is Stone's RIS. I know I am in the minority on this but I did not like the Old Rasputin at all. Flying Dogs Gonzo is very tasty. I'd love to try Ivan the Terrible but havent had a chance yet.

I have to say Old Rasputin is my favorite RIS at the moment.

i don't know if it has earned it's "R" or not, but I like Oskar Blue's Ten Fidy the best so far.

Fegley's Brewworks - Insidious RIS (Bourbon Barrel Aged)

slawre5 said:

Flying Dog Gonzo is an excellent RIS and the price is right. I can buy it $8.99 a four pack. I like it a little bit more than Old Rasputin but it is a toss up.

Dogfish Palo Santo to me is basically a RIS although a little un-orthodox. Thats probably one of the most interesting beers I've ever had.

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whoa whoa whoa, i was with you on the Gonzo, but i have to interject. Palo Santo is definitely not a RIS at all. It's a strong brown ale. And i'll have to agree that it is an AMAZING brew......just can't consider it a RIS

I'd have to go with Avery's Mephistopheles. It's kind of spendy, but a great treat once in a while.

Deschutes abyss

CTownBrewer said:

DORIS The Destroyer Double RIS from Hoppin Frog out of Akron, OH...

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Didn't know they had a DORIS. I will have to try and find some. The BORIS is really good as well

I had Abyss on tap a couple of weeks back and it was awesome enough that I bought a bottle to age for a year. To be fair the only other RIS I have had recently are BORIS and Rasputin both in the bottle, good but not at the level of Abyss.

Its a toss up between Old Rasputin and Gonzo... but I lean more towards Old Rasp

It has to be The Abyss for me. Awesome beer. For a more everyday RIS, Widmer's seasonal out right now is called KGB, and it's an RIS. I've drank about 3 cases of that since it came out a couple months back.

Just had the Thristy Dog RIS. I love everything about it.....but just not as much as the old rasputin

Limited Visibility said:

Its a toss up between Old Rasputin and Gonzo... but I lean more towards Old Rasp

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Gonzo's an Imp porter. It's got a lot more hop character and less body, but it certainly is excellent. i agree that i would rather have and old rasp tho

Not even a shout out to one of the finest the world over, Speedway Stout from Alesmith? I'd even, albeit a bit more reluctantly, throw Sea Monster from Ballast Point into the conversation.

Stone.

I recently had the McNeil's RIS and it was pretty damn good as well.

psu00grad said:

Not even a shout out to one of the finest the world over, Speedway Stout from Alesmith? I'd even, albeit a bit more reluctantly, throw Sea Monster from Ballast Point into the conversation.

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Problem with those is they don't make it far out of San Diego! Both great beers though.

Best IRS's I've had:

Stone Imperial Russian
Surly Darkness

I haven't ticked off a lot of the "rare" guys like Black Tuesday or Dark Lord, although I did have The Abyss (which got a MEH from me....hopefully a year does it right).

Also not a huge fan of Old Rasputin.

Hunahpu :fro: and KBS, and founders Imperial Stout.. oh and Bourbon County stout

Old Rasp. is always good. Some years Stone, but others not.

I tend to just drink my own. I currently have a standard RIS, one aged with juniper, another with vanilla and juniper, another with Raspberries and another with espresso.

They are based off of two different base recipes. Probably my favorite style.

I really like Old Rasputin. I have not had many others. I have some Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, but I don't really care for it. I like the 10% part of it, but it has that English "tang" to it. I think I have become partial to the American yeast and the Belgian yeast ove the past couple of years.

lagunitas bourbon barrel aged RIS, had it on tap during SF Beer Week, freakin amazing.

haven't had the ballast point sea monster but victory at sea is a damn good imperial porter.

RIS' are just so big and heavy.......maybe you can't go wrong with any of them. I seem to like all of them

Great Lakes Barrel Aged Blackout Stout is awsome. I like it better then Old Rasputin.

Bell's Expedition Stout
Great Lakes Blackout Stout

Andrewtherooster said:

Bell's Expedition Stout

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They have this at my local. I think I will pick up a six.

Andrewtherooster said:

Bell's Expedition Stout
Great Lakes Blackout Stout

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unfortunately for me, both of these breweries skip MD

I was looking at Great Lakes at Famous Liquor, but they didn't have the stout. A bunch of others I haven't tried.

I had an 09' Ivan the Terrible last night. amazing. It has my vote for best RIS