I love a good beer and I always look for ways to expand the blog, so...
I picked this one up in a four pack at HEB a few days ago on clearance. The Southern Star Brewing
website says it was a limited run, explaining the lessened price tag. The company is perhaps best known for their Bombshell Blonde Ale, which is decent but not my cup of...beer.
I prefer a nice stout to an ale any day.
Here's how the site linked above describes this one:
A style with a heritage as long and storied as it's a namesake this stout is said to have been popular with the Russian Imperial Court. Ironically it was the English and the Americans that unearthed this style that all but disappeared. Color is jet black. An intensely flavored dark ale with big, roasty flavors carrying strong notes of coffee finishing with subtle cocoa and dark fruit. Raise a Kpyka to the complicated history of Mother Russia, and savor this stout with your best comrade or beautiful babushka.
While these writeups are always a tad self-aggrandizing, I give them props for this one as it's a pretty close match to what I'm actually drinking. The coffee tone carries through the strongest which was a great thing for me as I tend to live off of that black nectar of the gods. Also, the stout is rather filling. Big and bold, Octobrist is a win in flavor department and has a solid aftertaste.
In all, I'd call this a great beer worth checking out. Take a look and see if it's available near you and drop a few bucks to give it a taste if so.
Rating: ***3/4