RIS? What’s an RIS?
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It’s an abbreviation of Russian Imperial Stout.
What’s the difference between that an a plain old Imperial Stout?
These days, pretty much nothing – they’re both high-alcohol monsters.
But back in the day – aka the 1700s – there was a reason they called it a Russian Imperial Stout.
That was when Peter the Great opened up Russia to the west. Brewers in Britain thought a stout would go down just fine in the cold Russian weather.
But to make sure the beer got there without freezing, they effectively doubled the alcohol content from around 5 per cent to as much as 10 per cent.
These days, the beers don’t just go to Russia but the name remains unchanged.
They also push the alcohol envelope, with some creeping well above 10 per cent.
The Rocks Brewing Company in Alexandria has just released its own RIS under its limited release Conviction Series banner.
It weighs in at 10.8 per cent and comes in a 640ml bottle – that’s enough to share. And with that alcohol count it’s better for you to share the beer rather than trying to polish it off yourself.
That’s partially to ward off drunkenness but also because it would take you a fair bit of time to drink the whole bottle – beers like this are meant to be drunk slowly.
That way they have a chance to warm up and showcase different flavours. And you tend not to get smashed that way too.
The Rocks’ RIS comes with a thick mouthfeel and flavours of liquorice and the slightest hint of burnt coffee.
For a beer this strong there is hardly any alcohol burn at all, which is really surprising.
Equally surprising is just how smooth this beer is – it goes down way more easily than you’d expect from a 10.8 per cent beer.
If you're looking for a bottle, I hear Crown West Cellars in Wollongong was expecting a few cases to come their way.
Glen Humphries is the 2016 AIBA Australian Beer Writer of the Year.