Hello my fellow beer lovers
Welcome back to the Eternal Hoptimist. As you may have guessed, we are continuing our look into some of Bricknell Brewery’s top tipples. If you somehow missed our insightful interview with the head brewer you can check that out here.
Today Peter is trying a beer style that is an old traditional one that has had something of a renaissance since 1980s, the Imperial Russian Stout. Originally brewed in the 18th Century for export to Russia it was brewed to a much higher ABV, like IPA, to survive the journey and mature slower.
Once again there is a Hull nautical connection with the naming of the beer. Slavanka was one of two steam yachts built for Tsarevitch Alexander of Russia by Earle’s shipyard in Hull in 1873.
Name: Slavanka 1873
Brewery: Bricknell Brewery
Aroma : Roasted malts
Appearance : Jet black, with a reddish-brown head
Body : Full-bodied with good head retention
Taste : Dark malts flavour with hints dark chocolate and dark treacle but remaining dry rather than sweet
With an ABV of 7.5% this is towards the lower end of the strength scale but this is quite sufficient to make its presence felt. A strongly flavoured heavy beer in which the higher alcohol content is apparent. Fruit flavours come through without much sweetness, like fruit packed Christmas cake which has generously been fed on spirits.
A lovely glassful; why let the Russians have all the good beer?
our overall rating: 4.0/ 5.0
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 